Looking to get a new phone? The new iPhone X is coming soon, which means people will be flocking in droves to get the hottest phone on the market. I love my Touch ID so I decided to upgrade to the iPhone 8 Plus instead. I decided to go to Best Buy because it was the only store in my vicinity that had the silver iPhone 8 Plus in stock. Upgrading to a new phone is usually a long, arduous process. The average person probably upgrades once every two years so it’s easy to forget what to expect when going in to get a new phone. Here are some quick tips to make your upgrade as easy as possible.
Make sure you know all your account information before you go into the store
This is the most important tip when it comes to making the upgrade process as easy as possible. The key information you’ll need is the last four digits of the account holder’s social security number and the billing password also known as the account pin.
The billing password is a five digit number that is setup by the account holder. The billing password is easily forgotten and it can be somewhat convoluted to obtain when forgotten. If you don’t know the billing password, you can either call customer service or log into the account owner’s My Verizon account. Under “My Profile”, you’ll see an option to change Account Pin. Make sure you know this password because it will be one of the first questions to be asked when upgrading your phone.
You don’t have to be the account holder to upgrade your phone at the store. All you have to do is to make sure the account holder lists you as one of the account managers, which can be done online through My Verizon.
Pay full retail price upfront if possible
It may be a daunting idea to pay anywhere from $600 to $1000 dollars for a cellphone. The vast majority will opt to pay in monthly installments for 12 to 24 months. However, there are multiple benefits to buying your phone outright.
The first is that your phone will be unlocked, which means that it is not tied to a particular network provider. This means you’re not locked into a specific carrier’s contract making it easier to switch to a different network provider if you want.
The second reason deals with cost. It is actually cheaper to buy your phone outright despite paying a large cost upfront. If you have Verizon and you upgrade your phone at Best Buy, you’ll have to pay a $30 activation fee. Buying an unlocked phone at retail price lets you bypass that $30 fee.
The third reason has to do with resale value. Unlocked phones usually fetch a higher price because the buyer can easily use it with their existing network provider.
However, if you can’t afford coughing up six to ten bills, the 24 month payment plan is still a viable option. The only thing you’ll have to pay at the store is the sales tax of the retail price of the phone. The $30 activation fee will be added to your cellphone bill a month or two from purchase.
Maybe you’ve been a long-term iPhone user and want to switch to the Note8. You might be wondering about the return policy. Most stores like Best Buy charge a $35 restocking fee. If this might be a potential issue, I would go ahead and purchase the new phone through Costco. Costco does not charge a restocking fee. Costco also has a 14-day full refund policy for phones under contract or a 90-day return policy for defective phones.
Overall
Getting a new phone is exciting. In the anticipation of getting your hands on the new iPhone X, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is making the upgrade process as easy as possible. Do yourself a favor and just do two simple tasks. The first is to make sure you go to the store with the account holder or be listed as an account manager. This is easily done through My Verizon. The second is to know the last four digits of the account holder’s social security number and billing password (aka account pin). I promise this will alleviate the hassle that comes every time you upgrade your phone.