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Can I buy a new Verizon Samsung S8 and activate on Page Plus or Total Wireless?

5,052 1,804 December 13, 2018 at 09:12 AM
Does anyone know if I can buy a brand new Verizon Samsung S8 and activate it on Page Plus or Total Wireless? I heard Verizon locks their phones at the beginning of this year and requires you to activate them on Verizon first (though they don't require some X amount of service before it becomes unlocked).

I want to get a new Verizon S8 on Ebay and activate it on Page Plus or Total Wireless for a family member
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SouthPawNd
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Joined Nov 2006
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> bubble2 8,074 Posts
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LC2
12-13-2018 at 09:32 AM.
12-13-2018 at 09:32 AM.
Quote from SouthPawNd :
Does anyone know if I can buy a brand new Verizon Samsung S8 and activate it on Page Plus or Total Wireless? I heard Verizon locks their phones at the beginning of this year and requires you to activate them on Verizon first (though they don't require some X amount of service before it becomes unlocked).

I want to get a new Verizon S8 on Ebay and activate it on Page Plus or Total Wireless for a family member
The best way to get a surefire answer is to walk into a Verizon Wireless store and ask them. They don't care plus the guys are pretty knowledgeable.
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> bubble2 3,749 Posts
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Novakingwai
12-13-2018 at 09:46 AM.
12-13-2018 at 09:46 AM.
Definite maybe
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SouthPawNd
12-13-2018 at 09:54 AM.
12-13-2018 at 09:54 AM.
I did order an unlocked version directly from Samsung (via the EPP deal) but it's backordered and won't ship until the week of Christmas. I can't wait that long cuz that relative is from out of town and I can't risk not having it before he comes. If I can get it on Ebay it will get here in time but I risk it not being able to activate on PP or TW. The unlocked version is likely $50 more but if I could get the Verizon version to work (since PP and TW use Verizon network) I want to go that route and save some money
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Joined Nov 2005
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> bubble2 5,052 Posts
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SouthPawNd
12-13-2018 at 09:57 AM.
12-13-2018 at 09:57 AM.
Quote from LC2 :
The best way to get a surefire answer is to walk into a Verizon Wireless store and ask them. They don't care plus the guys are pretty knowledgeable.
Calling them would work? I learn my lesson that not all CSR are the same and some do even know and tell you one way that may not be correct
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> bubble2 19,383 Posts
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Frogstar
12-13-2018 at 10:03 AM.
12-13-2018 at 10:03 AM.
Quote from SouthPawNd :
I did order an unlocked version directly from Samsung (via the EPP deal) but it's backordered and won't ship until the week of Christmas. I can't wait that long cuz that relative is from out of town and I can't risk not having it before he comes. If I can get it on Ebay it will get here in time but I risk it not being able to activate on PP or TW. The unlocked version is likely $50 more but if I could get the Verizon version to work (since PP and TW use Verizon network) I want to go that route and save some money
Don't know if it's still true, but my understanding was that you could no longer add non-VZW phones on Page Plus after they started offering 4G/SIM cards.
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SouthPawNd
12-13-2018 at 12:03 PM.
12-13-2018 at 12:03 PM.
Quote from Frogstar :
Don't know if it's still true, but my understanding was that you could no longer add non-VZW phones on Page Plus after they started offering 4G/SIM cards.
Oh crap. So an unlocked Samsung S8 will work on Verizon but not Page Plus?
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> bubble2 19,383 Posts
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Frogstar
12-13-2018 at 12:09 PM.
12-13-2018 at 12:09 PM.
Quote from SouthPawNd :
Oh crap. So an unlocked Samsung S8 will work on Verizon but not Page Plus?
I can't tell you for sure, I just recall reading when they were rolling out 4G LTE support and SIM cards that only Verizon-branded phones could be used going forward. I can't guarantee the accuracy of this information or if it's still true, I'm just a frog.
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Joined Nov 2005
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> bubble2 5,052 Posts
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SouthPawNd
12-13-2018 at 01:13 PM.
12-13-2018 at 01:13 PM.
Quote from Frogstar :
I can't tell you for sure, I just recall reading when they were rolling out 4G LTE support and SIM cards that only Verizon-branded phones could be used going forward. I can't guarantee the accuracy of this information or if it's still true, I'm just a frog.
Ok thanks. I guess I can't cancel that order from Samsung now because I just got the notice it shipped! I'll find out soon enough
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LC2
12-13-2018 at 08:19 PM.
12-13-2018 at 08:19 PM.
Walk into more than one store and ask. They're everywhere.
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SouthPawNd
12-14-2018 at 08:15 PM.
12-14-2018 at 08:15 PM.
Got my unlocked Samsung S8 from Samsung.com today (wow talk about being worried, they said it would ship Dec 24 but it arrived 10 days earlier) and checked the Straight Talk and Total Wireless BYOD checker and it said I can use it on either MVNO. So I'm not going the Ebay route any more.

I guess if I were to buy from Ebay I can ask the seller for the MEID / IMEI # or have him/her do the check for me at ST or TW BYOD checker website
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> bubble2 1,218 Posts
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germanpope
12-15-2018 at 05:09 AM.
12-15-2018 at 05:09 AM.
I have had an S6 and various IPhones on TotalW with out much problem. They got to be VZW capable of course. You got to be patient with customer service. Sims are available at Target and Walmart. And they do have an IMEI checker. The downside is lack of roaming. So you only are on the Verizon network.
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germanpope
12-15-2018 at 05:12 AM.
12-15-2018 at 05:12 AM.
Quote from SouthPawNd :
Oh crap. So an unlocked Samsung S8 will work on Verizon but not Page Plus?
I thought I had an issue with one of my iPhones. But I put an activated TotalW sim in from another phone and it worked fine.
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Joined Nov 2005
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SouthPawNd
12-15-2018 at 10:49 AM.
12-15-2018 at 10:49 AM.
Quote from germanpope :
I have had an S6 and various IPhones on TotalW with out much problem. They got to be VZW capable of course. You got to be patient with customer service. Sims are available at Target and Walmart. And they do have an IMEI checker. The downside is lack of roaming. So you only are on the Verizon network.
Yeah, I don't know of a MVNO that has roaming enabled; that's the reason their plans are cheap(er).
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