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i added tep the same day i filed a claim..they don't care. if you file online however, you have to wait 30 days. sometimes they don't allow you add the TEP if your phone has been active for over 30 days...so this is the work around for that:

do an esn change to an old phone you have lying around..add the tep to the old phone. call back in 2 mins and do another esn change, the tep will transfer to your new phone as well...call back in 2 mins, file your claim. One time i had no old phone..i went on to ebay and found some mook who took a picture of the back of the phone with the serial exposed..i blew it up, got the serial and did an esn change to that phone and then right back to the one that was on my account previously..now i keep a few old ones lying around.