VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

I put this in a new thread, as I thought the topic was different enough, and folks are calling for the lockdown of the Sprint TP on VZW thread.
What I'm asking is - I have a currently activated Sprint TP on VZW - I got in before they locked *228.
I love the phone, and would like to keep it, but tech isn't going to add the MEID. SO, what are the options?

1) Keep using it - hoping that VZ doesn't become proactive and disable "alien" phones on it's network. - Also, as i understand it, I won't be able to flash a new rom - or do anything else that might risk necessitating a re-activation.

2) go back to my 6800... (not somthing I'm looking forward to)

3) dump VZ and go to sprint/att/ etc. Not really an option in my case - sprint's coverage just isn't quite as good in my area.

4) Buy a VZW touch pro. As much as this irks me, I think I may have to go this route. My NE2 is up (for all of $50... ) I'm guessing my gently used Sprint TP can bring in at least $200 on the craigslist / ebay market.


I could of course sit tight and wait for the Diamond 2 or TP 2 to come out - but with VZ, there's no way to know when this might happen - i don't see it happening in the next 6 months either way - anyone feel differently?

I'm just curious what the other folks in "Sprint TP Limbo" are doing.

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

I would say keep using it. If it isn't broke, don't fix it. ;)

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

Me...I'm trying every night to find someone who can help. About the only thing left to do...They know about the Any Apps Any Device program but it hasn't gone into effect yet, so they can't really do anything. From the rep I spoke with, estimated launch date is 2011 so we're pretty much SOL.

Tried again just now:
Rep:"No, we won't ever add a new phone for you, not unless it been made by Verizon and flashed with Verizon"
Me: "Ok, please go ahead and cancel my service"
Rep: "No, have a good day"

This time I did get the guys full name and recorded the call...What has gone wrong with Verizon?! They were the PERFECT wireless carrier, now they treat their customers like dirt. Had a friend call and try to activate another WinMo phone from Alltel and he got rejected with "You'll have to buy a new phone, I'm sorry that you spent $XXX to purchase it but it is not compatible and we won't add ESNs that are not already in our database"

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

lol, verizon was the perfect service? they've been crippling their phones since phones had enough technology to be crippled.

i would use the phone as long as possible, and probably end up buying the crippled tp. but the added cost of the tp on verizon, you could prob pay out your contract and switch to sprint, and just roam (since sprint roams on vzw). nevermind the money you would save on your monthly plan if you have any sort of current consumer plan on verizon.

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

I have a Sprint TP on Verizon also. I have had it working since November.

You don't really have to worry about ROM flashing, I bet I've flashed mine 30 times (I just flahed to Mighty 4.16 recently) & never had to re-activate it. I have also done Sprite restores with no problems.

I don't think there is too much to worry about unless my phone breaks & I can't get it running again. If that happens, I wouldn't be happy about it but I would probably just have to buy the VZ version as switching to Sprint is out of the question (I've had Sprint service before & would NEVER go back).

Switching to the VZ TP would irritate me on GP, but that phone is nowhere near as bad as some posters here (who have probably never used one) claim it is. I have two co-workers who own the VZ TP & they love them. I flashed one of them to scrosler's latest ROM & did all the speed tweaks etc & his phone runs great. It doesn't have as much available free mem as mine obviously, but it has more than enough for most everyday use.

I have A/B'ed his phone side by side with mine & the speed etc is almost identical between the two most of the time.

~John

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

I don't understand how they can refuse to cancel your service? Are you under contract??

I agree that VZ was the best service/network coverage hands down, I had nightmare problems with Sprint's coverage when I was with them. Switching to VZ improved my service 1000%. It did always irritate me that VZ phone selection sucked however (you just can't have everything I guess)

~John

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

You can probably buy an Alltel phone and get it activated. Some posters have said after the 5th it should work without a hitch.

Personally, I'm going to keep using what Ive got. I simply refuse to pay more when I already have a device that will work and is a better device. In the event it stops working, they may just lose me, my 8 years of service, and my $135/month bill. What I really find asinine is this really makes no sense at all from a business perspective as they don't have to subsidize foreign phones.

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

That's what I don't get either, it seems like VZ has everything to gain & absolutely NOTHING to lose if you use for example a Sprint phone.

Carriers don't make any money from hardware sales, there gig is the monthly service fee & VZ certainly gets paid enough in that regard. When you use a phone from a different carrier, they still get exactly the same monthly fee & really aren't obligated to give you any tech support whatever (although I personally have found they bend over backwards to please the customer no matter what phone they are using, but that seems to have changed in the past few weeks according to the latest posts)

~John

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

I guess it's like ordering something different than what's on the menu at McDonalds. You aren't supposed to do that and half the time it doesn't compute

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

My Sprint Touch Pro died a few days ago and I have been carrying asurion on the line for the last couple years. Never asked me if I wanted to stop it when I changed phones. So when it broke they are sending a new one. Verizon version, I know its not a true equal but it's better then buying a new one and starting the game all over. So I'm guessing that if you still have asurion on the line they'll just replace it with the verizon version if it were to stop working. Maybe not the best choice but a choice none the less.

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

Thanks for all the responses - I guess I'll hold onto the phone for now. I didn't realize I could flash it. I'll probably give mighty a try. I didn't think of the asurion route either - I've been carrying them on my account since day 1, and it's saved my butt a few times. Mainly because VZ seems much more likely to send free refurbs when you have that (we're talking treo 700p's here). (what one has to do with the other, i don't know, but that's what the VZ Tech reps said)

The Electrical engineer in me is a bit curious as to where the MEID is stored hardware wise -is it the radio or the mainbord. - I.E. would it be possible to take parts from a sprint and verizon phone to make a hybred. Possibly get sprint's memory and keyboard, but with a true (not cloned) verizon phone. that's just a thought though... i'll have to search down where the info is stored.

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

It would be cloning no matter how you put it. The MEID is stored in the radio, ESN is actually a pESN thats generated from the MEID.

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

Anyone seen this for the htc titan?

Write a MEID to the titan/vogue http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=41126

What are everyone's thoughts on doing the same to the touch pro?

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

It won't, for one, the TP/Diamond is already a MEID device, the ESN is a pESN (pseudo) derived from the MEID. And two, the method does not work on a TP. Cloning or altering the ESN in any form is illegal. By altering the MEID, you will be altering the ESN.

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

if you got in on the *228 option 3 then your phone is already added to the verizon database.

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

Are you sure about that??

That's how I added my phone, & I was on the line with TS a few months ago before all this cr@p started & the tech asked the my meid claiming "it isn't showing up in our system for some reason"

I don't think he was lying, he was bending over backward to help me out at the time.

Also, if it is "already added to their data base" why can't somebody reactivate it again at this point (apparently that doesn't work anymore)?

If it is already in the system, shouldn't the *228 option 3 still work on that particular phone??

~John

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

well my contract will end next month so as soon as my phone stops working good-bye verizon unless they impress me with the tp2.... Probably at&t next

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

I would go with 3...get sprint then move in a good coverage area:mrgreen:

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

If you want good network coverage, I wouldn't advise going that route.

The owner of the company where I work switched to ATT recently as he just "had to have" an iphone.


Within 30 days, he was back to VZ service for two reasons. One was the terrible ATT network coverage, the other was the terrible battery life of the iphone...........

~John

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

my buddy has att...out here in az...i used to have att out here in az...granted their network has gooten alot better since their early tdma/gsm days alot better...out here in az...if your not staying on a highway then dont get att.

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

I work in the IT dept of a huge local car dealership. We are not "out in the sticks"

We have two main buildings, a showroom & a back shop/service dept. The owner found out that his new iphone worked OK in the showroom, but when he walked about 100 feet back to the service dept he had no service at all. I get 3-4 bars of service in the service dept with my phone.

~John

Re: VZ users with (working for the moment) Sprint TP's... What are our alternatives?
 

Well, in my opinion taking carrier coverage advice in a forum is kind of pointless unless you live in the same area.

For instance, jmorton despises Sprint because he had a lot of problems with it where he operates. On the other hand I love Sprint because where I have lived and traveled I have never had any problems with it.


My advise would be to ask some people that live in the same area and find out what carriers are good/bad there.