<p>Help please. One of our Verizon Samsung Galaxy 3 cell phones is dying. No way it’s going to make it until our contract is up in January. Is there a way to get an old phone to replace the dying one? We’d like to not have to replace the others on the plan because they’re fine.</p>
<p><a href=“http://glyde.com/buy/used-verizon-phone”>http://glyde.com/buy/used-verizon-phone</a></p>
<p>If you have an old phone sitting around that still works, call Verizon and ask them to deactivate the GS3 and reactivate the old phone. We’ve done this several times. </p>
<p>(FWIW, my GS3 didn’t make it to my contract end date either.)</p>
<p>Also, Best Buy will upgrade I think a week early and not make any changes to your plan. I recommend the HTC One M8. I switched to it from the GS3 and have been much happier.</p>
<p>Agree that we have re-activated old phones to replace lost/broken/stolen phones with AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. By the way, it’s worth it to consider buying your own phone (e.g. from manufacturer–unlocked) instead of from the company and have a lower monthly cost for your phone plan. My sister found out that if you ask, you can get $25 off per line when your renewal comes up instead of upgrading your phones. </p>
<p>If the problem is short battery life, you can get an external battery from Costco, online or at many stores for $15 and up. It’s fairly small and extends the life of your battery up to the normal length of a full battery charge. </p>
<p>A new low-end smartphone can be purchased at Best Buy for $39 that could work until you upgrade to fancier phone. Check with your carrier Verizon first to make sure you can activate it on your present service.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.bestbuy.com/site/verizon-wireless-prepaid-lg-optimus-exceed-2-no-contract-cell-phone-black/5941013.p?id=1219172227195&skuId=5941013”>http://www.bestbuy.com/site/verizon-wireless-prepaid-lg-optimus-exceed-2-no-contract-cell-phone-black/5941013.p?id=1219172227195&skuId=5941013</a></p>
<p>In the past Verizon upgraded at 22 months</p>
<p>I can check our Verizon upgrade dates (22 months) online. Hopefully they will still allow family line swap because DD needs a new phone. Our next one lists a Nov16 date. Does anybody know if they give leeway on that? (Like Sat 15th?) </p>
<p>It stinks that cell phone carriers sell phones with only one year factory warranties with the carriers’ typical two year service contracts. When your cell phone craps out at 13 months, you’re screwed. </p>
<p>With all the competition today with cell phone carriers, it might be wise to evaluate toward end of contract if present carrier is still really best one for you…Verizon isn’t the only game in town.</p>
<p>Verizon does allow family line swaps. Maybe if you go into a Verizon store and ask them they can do the early upgrade since it’s only a few days.</p>
<p>Verizon usually sends me email suggesting me to upgrade my family phones about 6 months or longer than the contract expiration date.</p>
<p>You can also create an account on Verizon to see the upgrade eligibility for your device online.</p>
<p>Lizard, if you buy your phone with certain credit cards like Costco AmEx and Visa Signature, they’ll double your Mfgr warranty for up to an extra year for just making the purchase on your CCard. </p>
<p>I’ve found the AmEx warranty folks the most helpful so far. They’ve refunded us for 2 top of the line laptops. </p>
<p>verizon does allow family swaps.</p>
<p>What is the matter with it? Have you tried a new battery?
If it has been dropped, it’s possible that one of the connections is just loose.
Have you tried opening it up?
Im on my third smartphone in ten years.
Two have been iPhones and I buy them unlocked so I can hang onto my unlimited data. Worth it.
I also buy AppleCare which covers them for two years, but Squaretrade is also good ins.
I’d never buy insurance through Verizon, they don’t even give you the same phone.</p>
<p>I buy used phones and use prepaid cell service. I don’t like having to mess with contracts, warranties, and paying premium fees. I like to keep things simple… If I don’t pay my monthly bill, my phone is turned off…If my phone stops working I just buy another phone.</p>
<p>When that happened to us, we bought a phone off of eBay. You have to make sure it’s compatible with your cell company. It worked well and got us through the couple of months until we could re-up the contract.</p>
<p>Thanks emerald. Not sure on details of DD’s phone (part of it is battery)… but it is good enough to hobble along.</p>
<p>I think Verizon and other companies like the idea that phones fail. It makes people more likely to buy the insurance. </p>