Bought a Verizon PrePaid Moto G Today...

rngrdanny22 · Jan 6, 2014

So let me tell you how this went down...

First, I go to a local Best Buy Mobile store to check out the Moto G for my girlfriend. They tell me they can't sell me one in the store until Jan. 9th, but if I purchase one online and choose to pickup in the store, I could get one. So I stand in the store, buy the phone on my GS4, and pick it up at the counter. Weird process, but whatever.

So I bought the phone. The lady at the register assured me that I would be able to use this on her line (which is a contract line). Go to activate it, and find out that it can't be done until the 9th. That's cool, no problem. Once I get home, I find out that the phone will only work on a prepaid line and BestBuy did not inform me of this. I go back up to the store to return it, but they won't take it back because it's opened. Oh, I forgot to mention, the lady at the damn counter was the one who opened it!

So, is there ANY way that I could get this to activate on a contract line without having it activated on a prepaid line for 6 months, or am I screwed? If not, is there a good way to bypass the activation and use it solely as a wifi "tablet" (for my girlfriend's kid)?

If I actually am screwed, anyone want this thing for $80 shipped in the continental US?

big gulps huh? · Jan 6, 2014

That's a lie about it being opened. I have returned prepaid phone there on several occasions. There is something either shady about your story or the person working but something isn't adding up here.

Sent from my XT1034 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

szymgio · Jan 6, 2014

There is no SIM slot right?

rngrdanny22 · Jan 6, 2014

big gulps huh? said:
That's a lie about it being opened. I have returned prepaid phone there on several occasions. There is something either shady about your story or the person working but something isn't adding up here.

Sent from my XT1034 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Yeah, I thought something was fishy about that too. I'm going to try and take it back when someone else is working.

szymgio said:
There is no SIM slot right?

Correct, there is no SIM slot.

Lay295 · Jan 6, 2014

rngrdanny22 said:
If not, is there a good way to bypass the activation and use it solely as a wifi "tablet" (for my girlfriend's kid)?

You can bypass the activation easily, simply hit next 1 time, pull down the notification center, click on the multitasking button and swipe away the activation screen quickly, and boom! You have a $100 iPod touch alternative

(which is why I bought it) I recorded a short video to show you, wiped it real quick because I just got it yesterday anyways

Code:

youtu.be/qhphsyRFEy4

szymgio · Jan 6, 2014

rngrdanny22 said:
Yeah, I thought something was fishy about that too. I'm going to try and take it back when someone else is working.

Correct, there is no SIM slot.

It doesn't make sense to buy device without SIM slot...

wws12 · Jan 6, 2014

szymgio said:
It doesn't make sense to buy device without SIM slot...

Why? CDMA phones have never used SIM slots. It's only with LTE now that Verizon and Sprint have used SIMs in their phones

szymgio · Jan 6, 2014

wws12 said:
Why? CDMA phones have never used SIM slots. It's only with LTE now that Verizon and Sprint have used SIMs in their phones

I like to have choice.

skyhawk21 · Jan 6, 2014

uhm it was my impression that with bestbuy you can return prepaid phones opened within 14 days, the part you left out of your story is how long you waited to return the phone!

rngrdanny22 said:
So let me tell you how this went down...

First, I go to a local Best Buy Mobile store to check out the Moto G for my girlfriend. They tell me they can't sell me one in the store until Jan. 9th, but if I purchase one online and choose to pickup in the store, I could get one. So I stand in the store, buy the phone on my GS4, and pick it up at the counter. Weird process, but whatever.

So I bought the phone. The lady at the register assured me that I would be able to use this on her line (which is a contract line). Go to activate it, and find out that it can't be done until the 9th. That's cool, no problem. Once I get home, I find out that the phone will only work on a prepaid line and BestBuy did not inform me of this. I go back up to the store to return it, but they won't take it back because it's opened. Oh, I forgot to mention, the lady at the damn counter was the one who opened it!

So, is there ANY way that I could get this to activate on a contract line without having it activated on a prepaid line for 6 months, or am I screwed? If not, is there a good way to bypass the activation and use it solely as a wifi "tablet" (for my girlfriend's kid)?

If I actually am screwed, anyone want this thing for $80 shipped in the continental US?

kurtwitt · Jan 6, 2014

Nice

skyhawk21 said:
uhm it was my impression that with bestbuy you can return prepaid phones opened within 14 days, the part you left out of your story is how long you waited to return the phone!

The Verizon phone has only been available for 3 days. He's no way near the 14 day limit. Love the attitude.

sicembaylor · Jan 6, 2014

szymgio said:
I like to have choice.

Cool story, brah. Nonetheless, I guess you missed the fact that he bought this for his girlfriend who is under contract with Verizon which is a CDMA carrier. You can't buy a GSM phone and use it on a CDMA carrier. The only time one would need a SIM card slot is if you're using it on Sprint or Verizon's LTE network and since this phone doesn't have LTE....

rngrdanny22 · Jan 7, 2014

Thanks for the responses guys! I'll try the unlock method later tonight when I have the phone in hand again (girlfriend still has it at the moment).

As for the return policy, I agree with y'all. I probably should be able to take it back, but the lady at the counter seemed like she might have been new or something. I actually tried to take it back about 4 hours later, so way within the 14 day window mentioned earlier.

On a side note, I won't be using the phone either way as I just went ahead and bought a like-new GS3 from a friend that she is going to use (wish I would have known he was selling it PRIOR to all this). If I can use it as a tablet, I'll just let her kid have it, but if not, I'll try and take it back again.

Will keep everyone posted!

motrinHD · Jan 7, 2014

keep us posted guy, I might take you up on that offer.

Good luck.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

szymgio · Jan 7, 2014

sicembaylor said:
Cool story, brah. Nonetheless, I guess you missed the fact that he bought this for his girlfriend who is under contract with Verizon which is a CDMA carrier. You can't buy a GSM phone and use it on a CDMA carrier. The only time one would need a SIM card slot is if you're using it on Sprint or Verizon's LTE network and since this phone doesn't have LTE....

Can you use this phone with other CDMA carrier?

Alejandrissimo · Jan 7, 2014

So I can buy one at best buy at 99 usd and use or not? No need anything like an active line or anything else?

Sent from my Moto G

motrinHD · Jan 7, 2014

Lay295 said:
You can bypass the activation easily, simply hit next 1 time, pull down the notification center, click on the multitasking button and swipe away the activation screen quickly, and boom! You have a $100 iPod touch alternative (which is why I bought it) I recorded a short video to show you, wiped it real quick because I just got it yesterday anyways

Code:

youtu.be/qhphsyRFEy4

Alejandrissimo said:
So I can buy one at best buy at 99 usd and use or not? No need anything like an active line or anything else?

Sent from my Moto G

read post above. I my self haven't bought one yet. buy looks like we can

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Willieumm · Jan 7, 2014

Alejandrissimo said:
So I can buy one at best buy at 99 usd and use or not? No need anything like an active line or anything else?

Sent from my Moto G

Correct. After being told they didn't have any at my local store I was happy to inform them that they had 8 of them in stock which was very easy to find out online, and a little arguing about whether or not they could sell it yet, as well as a call to their Verizon rep, I finally was able to procure a Moto G without activating it. Hoping to find out this will work immediately with PagePlus.

rngrdanny22 · Jan 7, 2014

Good news everyone, I was able to bypass the activation screen and unlock the phone for "tablet" use (using the methods mentioned in this thread). After playing with the phone for a little while, I gotta say, I actually like the thing! While we won't be using this as a phone, I will probably keep it to use as a MP3 player for the house.

I played around with the features a little and the only real disappointment that I saw was the camera. Maybe I'm use to the 13MP on the GS4, but the picture quality just didn't seem very good. Better than my girlfriend's old iPhone 4, but lacking nonetheless.

kasmar21 · Jan 7, 2014

Willieumm said:
Correct. After being told they didn't have any at my local store I was happy to inform them that they had 8 of them in stock which was very easy to find out online, and a little arguing about whether or not they could sell it yet, as well as a call to their Verizon rep, I finally was able to procure a Moto G without activating it. Hoping to find out this will work immediately with PagePlus.

Let me know how that works out. I tried and the pageplus rep said that the phone was unable to work, and it needed to be 'unlocked.' I wonder if I just got someone who didn't know what to do.

kasmar21 · Jan 7, 2014

I returned my Verizon prepaid moto g today to BB. I did not have any issues. They did check to see if it had been activated. They turned the phone on and seeing the activate wizard appear turned it off. They only thing I didn't get back was the $0.70 for a 911 fee.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda app-developers app

Bought a Verizon PrePaid Moto G Today...

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