Transferring Service to a Used Phone

[Eddog4DROID]

I have searched this forum, and can't seem to get an easy answer on the basic steps. So someone walk me thru this here.

How do I activate my new Fascinate that I will be getting tomorrow, in the mail used from eBay. (Clean ESN btw.)

So I take it out of the box, I have my DROID next to me... the next step is to.....? (I believe it involves dialing that *228 number or something?)

 

[dezymond]

you need to call Verizon or go to a store.

They look up the ESN number or whatever to make sure it isn't stolen and if all is well, they'll activate it for you. *228 won't do anything until the registered ESN number is in their system under your name

at least i think that's how it works...

 

[takeshi]

IIRC you can do this via the VZW site as well.

 

[techguru]

you need to call Verizon or go to a store.

They look up the ESN number or whatever to make sure it isn't stolen and if all is well, they'll activate it for you. *228 won't do anything until the registered ESN number is in their system under your name

at least i think that's how it works...

No, that is not how it works.

To do it over the phone, you need to have an account pin number. You can get this on the Verizon web site, or by calling customer service.

When you get the Fascinate, turn off your Droid (or put it in airplane mode). Turn on the Fascinate, and dial *228 and when you get the options menu, check option 3. It will ask your phone number and your account pin, and then it will remotely program your phone.

As Takeshi said, you can also do the switchover on the web, but you will still need to call *228 to program the phone (although choosing option 1 instead of option 3).

When you turn on the Fascinate, it may greet you with a menu to go through activation, in which case it will actually dial the *228 option 3 for you as part of that process. It depends on if the original owner did a factory reset before sending it to you (and if he did not, you probably should). I haven't seen a non activated Fascinate, so I am not sure if it will go through the activation, but virtually all the Droids except the D1 do this.

Alan

 

[Eddog4DROID]

you need to call Verizon or go to a store.

They look up the ESN number or whatever to make sure it isn't stolen and if all is well, they'll activate it for you. *228 won't do anything until the registered ESN number is in their system under your name

at least i think that's how it works...

No, that is not how it works.

To do it over the phone, you need to have an account pin number. You can get this on the Verizon web site, or by calling customer service.

When you get the Fascinate, turn off your Droid (or put it in airplane mode). Turn on the Fascinate, and dial *228 and when you get the options menu, check option 3. It will ask your phone number and your account pin, and then it will remotely program your phone.

As Takeshi said, you can also do the switchover on the web, but you will still need to call *228 to program the phone (although choosing option 1 instead of option 3).

When you turn on the Fascinate, it may greet you with a menu to go through activation, in which case it will actually dial the *228 option 3 for you as part of that process. It depends on if the original owner did a factory reset before sending it to you (and if he did not, you probably should). I haven't seen a non activated Fascinate, so I am not sure if it will go through the activation, but virtually all the Droids except the D1 do this.

Alan

Okay, thanks! Quick question. I have a Verizon PIN that I always have to give them when I call Customer Service. Is this the same one? If not, where on the website is it found/created?

 

[Eddog4DROID]

I just saw on the website it says "Activating Device". Those steps seem easy enough. I am assuming this is a pretty straight forward process then.