[DEAL] How to Get a FREE Verizon Moto X Dev Ed if You Have an Upgrade Available

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Cozume

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Jan 30, 2014
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This is just my personal opinion, but with the off contract prices being so low, I think you are better off buying the Moto X full retail, using your upgrade to buy an iPhone 5s, and selling the iPhone 5s to recoup the cost of the Moto X. And you can't get a Moto X Dev Ed using an upgrade anyhow and the Verizon Moto Maker Moto X's don't have unlockable bootloaders so this is the cheapest method to get a Verizon Moto X Dev Ed. Takes a bit of effort to do it.

Obviously, you have to work out the taxes for where you live. My sales tax rate is 6% and I get charged that on the subsidized price of the phone and on the upgrade fee.


Right now a subsidized iPhone 5s 16GB is on sale at Best Buy for $150 and if you signed up for the BB reserve gift card, you can get it for $100 + tax. So for me, it would cost $140 after taxes and the upgrade fee. Since the Verizon iPhone 5s is GSM SIM unlocked, you should be able to sell one of those mint/new on swappa for a minimum $550. To be safe, let's say you sell it for $525. After swappa fee, paypal fees and shipping insured/signature required you can net $475. So after you subtract the $140 you paid for the iPhone, your profit is $335.

If you live in California you get taxed on the full retail value of the phone when you use an upgrade so it may or may not be worth it in California; you would have to do the math.


iPhone 5s at Best Buy using reserve gift card, factoring in upgrade fee, current sale price and 6% sales tax = $140

Moto X Dev Ed including 6% sales tax at current sale price = $403

Net from Sale of iPhone 5s assuming sale price of $525 after you pay swappa fee/paypal fees/shipping = $475

$475 - $140 - $403 = -$68.

So you would end up with a Moto X Dev Ed for $68. However, if you score yourself a Motorola Admiral off of ebay for about $25 and do the tradeup program for the $100 gift card you net $75 on that.

Motorola TradeUp

Remember the Motorola TradeUp program requires that the Motorola Admiral have a clean ESN, work and not have a cracked screen. There are lots of bad ESN and cracked screen cell phones on ebay so read the listing when you purchase.


Then $75 - $68 = $7 so if you are willing to do the TradeUp program, too, you end up getting a free Verizon Moto X Dev Ed and a profit of $7!

Caveat - if you use the Motorola Tradeup program you have to select Moto X all other carriers, not Moto X verizon if you want a $100 VISA prepaid card. I did this with a Verizon Dev Ed purchased from Motorola directly and got the confirmation that I am getting the $100 VISA prepaid card.


If you didn't sign up for the BB reserve gc, the Moto X Dev Ed would end up costing you $43, which isn't bad at all. In fact, the current price for a 32GB Moto Maker Moto X using your upgrade is $50 + $30 upgrade fee = $80 + 6% sales tax = $85. So even if you didn't sign up for the Best Buy reserve gift card, if you are willing to sell an iPhone 5s on swappa and get a Motorola Admiral off ebay for $25, you not only save $42 over getting a 32GB Moto Maker Moto X, you get yourself a Dev Ed with an unlockable bootloader (which you can't get using an upgrade anyhow).
 
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Cozume

Senior Member
Jan 30, 2014
429
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Ok I did the math for California:


If you live in California you get taxed on the full retail value of the phone when you use an upgrade. I am using an 8% sales tax but I think in California the sales tax varies by county and even by city.

So 8% sales tax on the 16GB iPhone 5s full retail value of $650 + $30 upgrade fee = $55. Thus, total cost for the iPhone 5s is $195 on sale after $50 gc applied. Here is the math:


iPhone 5s at Best Buy using reserve gift card, factoring in upgrade fee, current sale price and 8% sales tax on the full retail value and upgrade fee = $195

Moto X Dev Ed including 8% sales tax at current sale price = $410

Net from Sale of iPhone 5s assuming sale price of $525 after you pay swappa fee/paypal fees/shipping = $475

$475 - $195 - $410 = -$130

So you would end up with a Moto X Dev Ed for $130. However, if you score yourself a Motorola Admiral off of ebay for about $25 and do the tradeup program for the $100 gift card you net $75 on that. Then $75 - $130 = -$55 so if you are willing to do the TradeUP program, too, you end up getting a Verizon Moto X Dev Ed for $55.

Remember the Motorola TradeUp program requires that the Motorola Admiral have a clean ESN, work and not have a cracked screen.

Caveat - if you use the Motorola Tradeup program you have to select Moto X all other carriers, not Moto X verizon if you want a $100 VISA prepaid card. I did this with a Verizon Dev Ed purchased from Motorola directly and got the confirmation that I am getting the $100 VISA prepaid card.


The current price for a 32GB Moto Maker Moto X using your upgrade is $50 + $30 upgrade fee = $80 + an 8% sales tax of $33 on the full retail value of the phone and the upgrade fee = $113.

$113 - $55 = $58 so you would save $58 AND get an 32GB Moto X Dev Ed with unlockable bootloader if you use my method instead of using your upgrade to buy a 32GB Moto Maker Moto X having a locked bootloader that can't be unlocked. But of course you can't customize the Dev Eds.
 
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D

DogzOfWar

Senior Member
Feb 17, 2009
193
82
Cozume said:
Ok I did the math for California:


If you live in California you get taxed on the full retail value of the phone when you use an upgrade. I am using an 8% sales tax but I think in California the sales tax varies by county and even by city.

So 8% sales tax on the 16GB iPhone 5s full retail value of $650 + $30 upgrade fee = $55. Thus, total cost for the iPhone 5s is $195 on sale after $50 gc applied. Here is the math:


iPhone 5s at Best Buy using reserve gift card, factoring in upgrade fee, current sale price and 8% sales tax = $195

Moto X Dev Ed including 8% sales tax at current sale price = $410

Net from Sale of iPhone 5s assuming sale price of $525 after you pay swappa fee/paypal fees/shipping = $475

$475 - $195 - $410 = -$130

So you would end up with a Moto X Dev Ed for $130. However, if you score yourself a Motorola Admiral off of ebay for about $25 and do the tradeup program for the $100 gift card you net $75 on that. Then $75 - $130 = -$55 so if you are willing to do that, too, you end up getting a Verizon Moto X Dev Ed for $55.

The current price for a 32GB Moto Maker Moto X using your upgrade is $50 + $30 upgrade fee = $80 + an 8% sales tax of $33 on the full retail value of the phone and the upgrade fee = $113.

$113 - $55 = $58 so you would save $58 AND get an 32GB Moto X Dev Ed with unlockable bootloader if you use my method instead of using your upgrade to buy a 32GB Moto Maker Moto X having a locked bootloader that can't be unlocked. But of course you can't customize the Dev Eds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

You just blew my mind. I bought my Moto X in December because I couldn't wait to get a new phone, even though my contract is up in April 2014. I might have to do this routine in April. (Although my original thinking was that I would "bank" my upgraded phone so that I could upgrade again in Dec 2014, when the Moto X2 - Exxxtreme X is released :) )
 
M

Mike7143

Senior Member
Jan 5, 2014
133
14
I just did something like this not too long ago. Was on a Verizon Galaxy Nexus with unlimited data, on a family plan, and a family member was due for upgrade and already had a 2GB plan. Upgraded her phone to Moto X at Best Buy for $1, then swapped her phones, purchased Moto X Developer Edition at full price ($449 then), then sold the $1 Moto X. Total cost was a little less than $110 to upgrade to a Dev Moto X, keep unlimited, family member got an upgrade w/ accessories (Droid X to Gnex), and all were happy!
 
C

Cozume

Senior Member
Jan 30, 2014
429
97
DogzOfWar said:
You just blew my mind. I bought my Moto X in December because I couldn't wait to get a new phone, even though my contract is up in April 2014. I might have to do this routine in April. (Although my original thinking was that I would "bank" my upgraded phone so that I could upgrade again in Dec 2014, when the Moto X2 - Exxxtreme X is released :) )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did the same thing you did, thinking I would "bank" my upgrade for the X2! But now that I have a Dev Ed and see how easy it is to root, I don't want the locked bootloader version so I will use my upgrade to get an iPhone to sell.

I am definitely waiting for the Moto X2 Dev Ed, though. Also, you can expect the sale price you would get for an iPhone 5s in April to be less than what you can get for it today since we will be getting closer to the September release of the iPhone 6.

Also, Best Buy runs deals on the iPhones on black friday and they kept those deals on even through the next week this year. This year it was $125, then if you figure in the $50 reserve gc, it is $75. My mom had an upgrade available and she was happy with her iPhone 5 and the iPhone 5s wasn't that much of an improvement so I used her upgrade to get a $75 iPhone 5s to sell. Once I deducted the cost of the phone including sales tax and upgrade fee and deducted the swappa/paypal/shipping, I was able to net $450 on it since I sold it for $615! I probably could have gotten a bit more, like $625, but I was so busy during the holidays that I waited 3 weeks after I got it to list it and by then the prices had dropped since I couldn't get it shipped to arrive by Christmas.

The other thing about the Verizon iPhones, since they are GSM SIM unlocked out of the box, international buyers want them. I won't ship to an international address, but some of them use US based reshippers, which I will ship to even though they are not paypal confirmed addresses. The paypal fees are higher because they pay from international pay pal accounts, so I have them paypal me the additional fees to cover that, which I think is fair. Anyhow if you make it clear in your listing that the device is GSM SIM unlocked, that helps if you want to attract those buyers. I always mention the issue with frequency bands especially data and that they need to check their carrier's bands and compare it to the published info on the Verizon iPhone bands. I tell them that is their responsibility, not mine.

So my plan is to buy the Moto X2 Dev Ed outright and use my upgrade on an iPhone 6 to sell. I will buy the Moto X2 Dev Ed first and then wait to "reimburse" myself until I can find an iPhone 6 on sale, which usually is not before black friday.
 
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C

Cozume

Senior Member
Jan 30, 2014
429
97
Mike7143 said:
I just did something like this not too long ago. Was on a Verizon Galaxy Nexus with unlimited data, on a family plan, and a family member was due for upgrade and already had a 2GB plan. Upgraded her phone to Moto X at Best Buy for $1, then swapped her phones, purchased Moto X Developer Edition at full price ($449 then), then sold the $1 Moto X. Total cost was a little less than $110 to upgrade to a Dev Moto X, keep unlimited, family member got an upgrade w/ accessories (Droid X to Gnex), and all were happy!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can transfer your unlimited data plan line's upgrade to her 2GB line and use it to upgrade on her line, activate the new phone on her line, and then switch the new phone to your line without losing your unlimited data. But of course you can't get a Dev Ed with an upgrade. But you could get an iPhone to sell that way so that your UDP line's upgrade is not wasted.

I asked for a verizon forum to be created on XDA so I can post this method and there is another best buy online method to use your UDP line's upgrade without losing your UDP that I could post.

I will do it in the Moto X general forum until then but it really would be better if they could create a verizon forum for us to talk about phone deals and wireless plans. Other carriers, too, but I am not leaving Verizon as long as I have an UDP.

How to Get a Subsidized Phone on Verizon and Not Lose Unlimited Data
 
Last edited:
C

Cozume

Senior Member
Jan 30, 2014
429
97
Cozume said:
THowever, if you score yourself a Motorola Admiral off of ebay for about $25 and do the tradeup program for the $100 gift card you net $75 on that.

Motorola TradeUp

Remember the Motorola TradeUp program requires that the Motorola Admiral have a clean ESN, work and not have a cracked screen. There are lots of bad ESN and cracked screen cell phones on ebay so read the listing when you purchase.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Caveat - if you use the Motorola Tradeup program you have to select Moto X all other carriers, not Moto X verizon if you want a $100 VISA prepaid card. I did this with a Verizon Dev Ed purchased from Motorola directly and got the confirmation that I am getting the $100 VISA prepaid card.
 
caseyatbt

caseyatbt

Senior Member
Oct 31, 2008
1,013
37
Colorado
Cozume said:
This is just my personal opinion, but with the off contract prices being so low, I think you are better off buying the Moto X full retail, using your upgrade to buy an iPhone 5s, and selling the iPhone 5s to recoup the cost of the Moto X. And you can't get a Moto X Dev Ed using an upgrade anyhow and the Verizon Moto Maker Moto X's don't have unlockable bootloaders so this is the cheapest method to get a Verizon Moto X Dev Ed. Takes a bit of effort to do it.

Obviously, you have to work out the taxes for where you live. My sales tax rate is 6% and I get charged that on the subsidized price of the phone and on the upgrade fee.


Right now a subsidized iPhone 5s 16GB is on sale at Best Buy for $150 and if you signed up for the BB reserve gift card, you can get it for $100 + tax. So for me, it would cost $140 after taxes and the upgrade fee. Since the Verizon iPhone 5s is GSM SIM unlocked, you should be able to sell one of those mint/new on swappa for a minimum $550. To be safe, let's say you sell it for $525. After swappa fee, paypal fees and shipping insured/signature required you can net $475. So after you subtract the $140 you paid for the iPhone, your profit is $335.

If you live in California you get taxed on the full retail value of the phone when you use an upgrade so it may or may not be worth it in California; you would have to do the math.


iPhone 5s at Best Buy using reserve gift card, factoring in upgrade fee, current sale price and 6% sales tax = $140

Moto X Dev Ed including 6% sales tax at current sale price = $403

Net from Sale of iPhone 5s assuming sale price of $525 after you pay swappa fee/paypal fees/shipping = $475

$475 - $140 - $403 = -$68.

So you would end up with a Moto X Dev Ed for $68. However, if you score yourself a Motorola Admiral off of ebay for about $25 and do the tradeup program for the $100 gift card you net $75 on that.

Motorola TradeUp

Remember the Motorola TradeUp program requires that the Motorola Admiral have a clean ESN, work and not have a cracked screen. There are lots of bad ESN and cracked screen cell phones on ebay so read the listing when you purchase.


Then $75 - $68 = $7 so if you are willing to do the TradeUp program, too, you end up getting a free Verizon Moto X Dev Ed and a profit of $7!

Caveat - if you use the Motorola Tradeup program you have to select Moto X all other carriers, not Moto X verizon if you want a $100 VISA prepaid card. I did this with a Verizon Dev Ed purchased from Motorola directly and got the confirmation that I am getting the $100 VISA prepaid card.


If you didn't sign up for the BB reserve gc, the Moto X Dev Ed would end up costing you $43, which isn't bad at all. In fact, the current price for a 32GB Moto Maker Moto X using your upgrade is $50 + $30 upgrade fee = $80 + 6% sales tax = $85. So even if you didn't sign up for the Best Buy reserve gift card, if you are willing to sell an iPhone 5s on swappa and get a Motorola Admiral off ebay for $25, you not only save $42 over getting a 32GB Moto Maker Moto X, you get yourself a Dev Ed with an unlockable bootloader (which you can't get using an upgrade anyhow).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse


I am on day 17. I got the iPhone from Best Buy. I didn't activate it, but I activated a brand new Moto X DE. My account still shows Unlimited Data and I never had a notification about activating a new phone. I think I am ready to sell the iPhone.
 
lucky13

lucky13

Senior Member
Oct 3, 2007
280
73
Another tip, I was suffering from the dreaded foam over the front facing camera. After speaking with Motorola support, they agreed to RMA my device. I ordered a DE, and they will credit me when they get my defective device. So, for the additional cost of a DE, I got to RMA my other device (just a standard Verizon motomaker edition) and slip into a DE. boom.

Sent from my XT1060 using xda app-developers app
 
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    Cozume
    This is just my personal opinion, but with the off contract prices being so low, I think you are better off buying the Moto X full retail, using your upgrade to buy an iPhone 5s, and selling the iPhone 5s to recoup the cost of the Moto X. And you can't get a Moto X Dev Ed using an upgrade anyhow and the Verizon Moto Maker Moto X's don't have unlockable bootloaders so this is the cheapest method to get a Verizon Moto X Dev Ed. Takes a bit of effort to do it.

    Obviously, you have to work out the taxes for where you live. My sales tax rate is 6% and I get charged that on the subsidized price of the phone and on the upgrade fee.


    Right now a subsidized iPhone 5s 16GB is on sale at Best Buy for $150 and if you signed up for the BB reserve gift card, you can get it for $100 + tax. So for me, it would cost $140 after taxes and the upgrade fee. Since the Verizon iPhone 5s is GSM SIM unlocked, you should be able to sell one of those mint/new on swappa for a minimum $550. To be safe, let's say you sell it for $525. After swappa fee, paypal fees and shipping insured/signature required you can net $475. So after you subtract the $140 you paid for the iPhone, your profit is $335.

    If you live in California you get taxed on the full retail value of the phone when you use an upgrade so it may or may not be worth it in California; you would have to do the math.


    iPhone 5s at Best Buy using reserve gift card, factoring in upgrade fee, current sale price and 6% sales tax = $140

    Moto X Dev Ed including 6% sales tax at current sale price = $403

    Net from Sale of iPhone 5s assuming sale price of $525 after you pay swappa fee/paypal fees/shipping = $475

    $475 - $140 - $403 = -$68.

    So you would end up with a Moto X Dev Ed for $68. However, if you score yourself a Motorola Admiral off of ebay for about $25 and do the tradeup program for the $100 gift card you net $75 on that.

    Motorola TradeUp

    Remember the Motorola TradeUp program requires that the Motorola Admiral have a clean ESN, work and not have a cracked screen. There are lots of bad ESN and cracked screen cell phones on ebay so read the listing when you purchase.


    Then $75 - $68 = $7 so if you are willing to do the TradeUp program, too, you end up getting a free Verizon Moto X Dev Ed and a profit of $7!

    Caveat - if you use the Motorola Tradeup program you have to select Moto X all other carriers, not Moto X verizon if you want a $100 VISA prepaid card. I did this with a Verizon Dev Ed purchased from Motorola directly and got the confirmation that I am getting the $100 VISA prepaid card.


    If you didn't sign up for the BB reserve gc, the Moto X Dev Ed would end up costing you $43, which isn't bad at all. In fact, the current price for a 32GB Moto Maker Moto X using your upgrade is $50 + $30 upgrade fee = $80 + 6% sales tax = $85. So even if you didn't sign up for the Best Buy reserve gift card, if you are willing to sell an iPhone 5s on swappa and get a Motorola Admiral off ebay for $25, you not only save $42 over getting a 32GB Moto Maker Moto X, you get yourself a Dev Ed with an unlockable bootloader (which you can't get using an upgrade anyhow).
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