Basic phone about to die, needs a new one, no verizon upgrade either

Hey guys, I tried to give as much info in the title as possible without making it cumbersome...


Here's the deal. One of my family members has a phone and its dying. It's like 10 years old. It's a basic verizon phone. We need to get her a new one. Problem is, we don't have the 2 yr upgrade for a new phone so we'd have to pay something stupid at verizon. What is our best option? I've looked online and it seems like all these new phones are "unlocked"?

Could someone direct me to either maybe newegg or amazon on a basic phone <$50 to get? Verizon told us we could bring in any phone and they can boot the software on the phone so its usable like a normal verizon phone. Never heard about this, does anyone have experience buying a cell phone off amazon/ebay/newegg and then get it working from verizon?

Thanks guys! It's a time sensitive issue too since when you call her, the phone cuts out like your talking to her in an elevator...


OCN is my #1 source for any technology answer! This forum is great

REP man! Just what I needed! Ordering the phone today! Thanks so much! Hopefully it all works out. Worst Buy wanted us to spend $250 for a flip phone that's unlocked...yea right

Ok so I'm gonna call verizon and ask about data being disabled. So its a sure thing that they can disable the 3G capability? Ain't no way I'm payin $30/month for a freaking data package. One, I don't make enough cash to pay for that and 2 I think $30/mon is ridiculous.

If you guys are sure that it can be disabled I'll be pushy with the sales people if they think I need a data package. I'm almost positive that when I call they'll try to sell it to me.


Verizon chat:
Julia: What did they say about your new device and its compatibility?
@@@@@: I was told that any CDMA network phone is capable of being on the verizon network and that if it has a 3G capability on the phone that the data plan and 3G can be disabled on the phone and used as a normal phone without a data package
Julia: It's a smartphone?
@@@@@: yes
Julia: Any smartphone will require a data package, I'm sorry @@@@@
@@@@@: Ok then why was I told that the 3G capability and data can be disabled on the phone when the software is loaded?
Julia: I double checked, I'm sorry everything available here is stating the data package is required. We could go with a small package and place blocks on the device
@@@@@: Then what would be the point of paying for a data package when you disable it? My co-worker has also told me that she had a phone that was a smart phone and they disabled the data package on it
Julia: I'm taking it as a miscommunication. I believe it may be the blocks. There is no way to disable the data package, I'm sorry
@@@@@: so this "block" could disable all data usage from the phone?
Julia: Right it will prevent use. It's there just the blocks you select will prevent the use
@@@@@: ok so if I can prevent use of data then I wouldn't need a data package because I wouldn't have access to it
Julia: Basic phones are able to go pay per use. Smartphones are a minimum of 2GB for $30.00
Edited by Cakewalk_S - 9/24/12 at 6:14am