$20 for a SIM Card - Verizon???

kirbyrj

kirbyrj

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I just got a new phone on eBay (clean ESN, no SIM), but it has a micro SIM instead of a full size SIM like my old card. I went to my local Verizon store and asked them if I could have the new SIM card size because I was switching phones.

Previously, all I had to do was go there and they'd give me one.

Last time I went about 6 months ago, they charged me $3.

Yesterday, I went in and they wanted $20. I explained to them that Verizon will send me one for FREE if I do it online, and the last time I was there they charged me $3. The guy was like, "Nope, $20." I walked out of the store and ordered one online for free.

Anyone else have this happen to them? I have at least one micro SIM lying around from previous phones, but they won't let you reuse them after you switch to a different SIM.
 
kirbyrj said:
Anyone else have this happen to them? I have at least one micro SIM lying around from previous phones, but they won't let you reuse them after you switch to a different SIM.
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I've done this before.

In fact, you can do it online. Just give them MEID and ESN + SIM number.
 
I just cut my SIM down to a micro-SIM when I got a new phone. It's easy to do with some small scissors or order a $4 micro-SIM cutter off of Amazon.

But last I heard, Verizon only charged $3-$5 for a new SIM card in-store. Not sure how that guy came up with $20. That's retarded. He's probably laundering money or something. :p
 
The stores seem to be getting pretty retarded. My GF had a similar issue. Not that they wanted money for the sim, but they wouldn't give her one without them getting a hold of her phone. she just did the same as you. Came home and called VZ and they sent her one without issue.
 
Last time I was at a VZW store for a prepaid SIM, there was literally no way for them to pull one from their terrible inventory system without attaching it to a postpaid account, and the guy on their prepay support number had no idea how to get one to me. "Maybe try Walmart?" is not a good support option. I ended up having to risk some shady fly-by-night web retailer to get one.

Needless to say, VZW has yet to figure out the whole SIM thing...
 
Authorized retailers such as go wireless and cellular sales often sell sim cards while corporate verizon stores give them away.
 
mayonaise 812 said:
Authorized retailers such as go wireless and cellular sales often sell sim cards while corporate verizon stores give them away.
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Ahh, yes, that may be OPs problem. If it's a privately owned retailer, they like to screw customers out of money money whereever possible. The one near me like to not participate in some sales that Verizon advertises themselves, which is pretty messed up.
 
I was once an agent and there is a reason that I am not anymore. Was this store an independent? If so , it explains a lot. They have very few sources of revenue left and this particular location appears to be desperate to generate revenue. If a guy has to charge $20 for as sim that he pays 3 bucks for , its already over and he should get out of the business. The only way an owner could maintain his standard of living over the past 10 years would be to grow to multiple stores only drawing a very small paycheck from each.
 
Never paid for a sim card at Verizon, but I've also only gone to Verizon Wireless stores.
 
It's hard to tell what's a corporate store and what's an "authorized retailer" location. It has the branding of a Verizon store and all the phones laid out like every other Verizon store I've been in. It only sells Verizon products. But given their practices, it must be an independent store.

I still don't understand why you can't reuse SIMS previously used on your account. I've tried before switching it online, and it won't let me use an old one.
 
kirbyrj said:
It's hard to tell what's a corporate store and what's an "authorized retailer" location. It has the branding of a Verizon store and all the phones laid out like every other Verizon store I've been in. It only sells Verizon products. But given their practices, it must be an independent store.

I still don't understand why you can't reuse SIMS previously used on your account. I've tried before switching it online, and it won't let me use an old one.
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Like I said before; just cut down your existing SIM to fit the new phone. I just did that with my wife's phone coming from her Rezound (full size SIM) to the GS4 (micro-SIM). But I used a SIM cutter.
 
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T4rd said:
Like I said before; just cut down your existing SIM to fit the new phone. I just did that with my wife's phone coming from her Rezound (full size SIM) to the GS4 (micro-SIM). But I used a SIM cutter.
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I have a sim cutter. Verizon knows the size of the sim card by the number so it tells you you need a new sim and won't let you change on their website. Trying to go from a Droid Bionic to a GS4. I had a micro sim and when I went to the bionic, I had a full size sim bracket to use a micro sim, but it wouldn't let me use it, so I had to swap out for a full size sim.
 
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kirbyrj said:
I have a sim cutter. Verizon knows the size of the sim card by the number so it tells you you need a new sim and won't let you change on their website. Trying to go from a Droid Bionic to a GS4. I had a micro sim and when I went to the bionic, I had a full size sim bracket to use a micro sim, but it wouldn't let me use it, so I had to swap out for a full size sim.
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If it wouldn't let you use it, then it was because the adapter was defective. I was able to temporarily use my micro SIM in my wife's Rezound (that uses a full size SIM) a couple times just by carefully positioning it over the right contacts on her SIM tray. The phone and carrier doesn't care what size the SIM is or used to be, it will work as long as it's registered on the carrier/account, is physically good and makes good contact in the SIM tray. If you have a SIM cutter, just cut down the SIM that you had in your Bionic and use it in the GS4. I promise you it will work as long as you don't cut into the contacts on the SIM.
 
T4rd said:
If it wouldn't let you use it, then it was because the adapter was defective. I was able to temporarily use my micro SIM in my wife's Rezound (that uses a full size SIM) a couple times just by carefully positioning it over the right contacts on her SIM tray. The phone and carrier doesn't care what size the SIM is or used to be, it will work as long as it's registered on the carrier/account, is physically good and makes good contact in the SIM tray. If you have a SIM cutter, just cut down the SIM that you had in your Bionic and use it in the GS4. I promise you it will work as long as you don't cut into the contacts on the SIM.
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It never gave me the option to even try it because when I went to "update device" on the website, I put in the new IMEI number and it told me my current sim card was incompatible and never let me complete the transfer of service from from one device to the other.

Are you saying just put the sim in the new phone and go without telling Verizon about the IMEI change?
 
kirbyrj said:
Are you saying just put the sim in the new phone and go without telling Verizon about the IMEI change?
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Yes. Just as with other GSM carriers, you don't have to worry about activating/registering LTE (which is a GSM technology) phones anymore as you did with their CDMA/3G only phones. Just swap the SIM into your new device and go.
 
Ok...I never tried it that way because I thought you still needed the IMEI for CDMA stuff.
 
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