My cell finally died today. For months I've had to wiggle the plug just right to get it to charge....so I sprayed some electric contact cleaner in it. Bad move, it ate the plastic. The battery cover is in pieces and the phone is ready to split into two pieces.

I have verizon prepay plan. Do I have to buy a new phone directly from verizon? If I get one from ebay how do I know it will work for me? The old phone was about 4 years old. I don't think it has a sim card.

I don't understand the whole locked/unlocked phone thing.

I'm up for a $150 up grade for my & my wife's phones.
Our contracts are up also.
I have a motorola I502 hybrid (and it sucks)
My wife is still using one of our older I58 (never had any problems with them )
I'm thinking of up grading both to motorola Renegades.
Anyone have the Renegade and if so, opinions ???
I prefer the rugged Motorola's because of my work and me abusing it.
I'm with Sprint/Nextel
I'm also up for suggestions to change to another provider, Verizon, AT&T, and others
Thanks

GZONE from verizon

I'vr had just about every provider around here through work, etc.. Ended up with the base verizon plan, 26.50 a month 450 min. Verizon family plan is like 100 bucks a month

Wife has a pre-paid trac phone she uses about 50 min a month. Coverage sucks though

most cell phones on the bay will tell you which carrier they will work with.
check the verizon site then check e-bay .
you can also activate the phone over the internet . the web site gives directions ; you might have to search for them ??
hope this helps ..any more ?/ just ask

derf

wahed my verizone with fishing fleece.went to get another at store told me my contrac was no longer available and would basically double my price for my cell which i don't use much.went to att and got a cell and paid for 100 $$$$ of calls.like $1 every time you use phone and $.10 a minute.no monthly bills and can reload as needed.works for my limited use.

You can buy unlocked phones on ebay ..but they have to be compatable with your provider...att,tmobile are different than verizon.

I just replace 2 Motorola's and got myself a renegade and got my wife a Sanyo, I'm still with Sprint/ nextel (though my contract is still up).
Sat out on Stellwagen I needed to make a call, as usual, NO SIGNAL,
Called Fishingfreak on the vhf, his Verizon got signal :jester:

I was given a locked RAZR V3. I unlocked it via a website through the phone's mini USB cord. But not completely. I Still don't have web access to ATT because some of the phone's old T-Mobile is still there . So I checked ATT and happily I qualify for a free phone. I went with an EM330. If you sign up as a new customer you'll get your choice of phones. They have some cheap plans that are comparable to a pay as you go. Locked just means that the phone if say was T-Mobile, won't work with any other provider ATT, Sprint , etc.