Selling my Verizon EDGE phone without opening it

September 23, 2015 10:57 AM

I recently got an iPhone 6s through Verizon as I had the 25$ line access discount for converting to Edge but don't want a new phone. I also got in on the $300 iphone trade in from a friends old 5S. Now, the phone is being delivered Friday. I'm looking to sell it on eBay and would like to sell it "sealed".

Does anybody know what is required for me to do to keep the ESN clean? It was purchased through the EDGE program, so it's not a subsidized phone. However, I've heard Verizon requires you to activate the phone or the ESN is blacklisted.

Can somebody clear up the confusion on this as I'd like to get it listed soon.

thanks!

posted by lattiboy to Technology (6 answers total)

Maybe call someone at a Game Stop store? I have heard they do huge business is buying and reselling phones, so I think they would have a pretty good idea, and possibly even make you an offer or at least let you know what your model sells for there?
posted by TenaciousB at 12:33 PM on September 23, 2015

This would sell for face value in literally seconds on Craigslist. Someone will come to you and pay cash.

I've never heard of that ESN issue, but it would be easy to activate it with the website then switch back to your old phone.
posted by emptythought at 12:35 PM on September 23, 2015

I might be confused, but I'm pretty sure that if you buy a phone with "edge", it adds ~$30/month to your plan. So you're basically paying off the phone for the next two years. Unless you get substantially more than full price for the phone, selling the phone isn't going to make you money...
posted by tinymegalo at 1:16 PM on September 23, 2015 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Verizon is currently giving a $25 a month discount on lines for converting to the non subsidized edge plans, they're also offering inflated trade in values for old iPhones. I did the math and this phone costs me negative $150 over the next two years.

Not looking for financial advice here folks.
posted by lattiboy at 2:47 PM on September 23, 2015 [2 favorites]

Craigslist, make the physical location for the sale at a Verizon store. Let them activate it in the store while you're there, but after paying. This shows that A) it's not stolen and Verizon will activate it and B) the ESN isn't associated with your account (and you will be present to disentangle it if it is).

If that seems like too much trouble, Amazon and eBay have a decent programs for this sort of thing, but they'll take a chunk out of your profits.
posted by builderofscience at 9:49 PM on September 23, 2015

Sorry, sent too soon. I've never had a phone's ESN blacklisted by Verizon, and I give most of my old phones away. I have had ESNs that were still associated with my account. That was always resolved with a single phone call. Any clerk in the store can accomplish the same thing.
posted by builderofscience at 9:56 PM on September 23, 2015