Slickdeals is community-supported.  We may get paid by brands for deals, including promoted items.
Heads up, this deal has expired. Want to create a deal alert for this item?
expired Posted by gadgetNerd • Mar 21, 2025
expired Posted by gadgetNerd • Mar 21, 2025

Google - Pixel 9 Pro XL 128GB (Unlocked) - Obsidian with Pixel 8a trade in | Activation with Verizon required $10

$10

$1,099

99% off
Best Buy
298 Comments 63,012 Views
Visit Best Buy
Good Deal
Save
Share
Deal Details
Best buy is offering elevated trade ins for Pixel 9 pro and with carrier discount you have to pay only $10. You can also buy an unlocked pixel 8a from target for $299 https://www.target.com/p/google-p...A-91747221 making Pixel 9 pro XL to be $310 in total, $90 less than the recent FP deal here https://slickdeals.net/f/18181615-google-pixel-9-pro-xl-128gb-unlocked-obsidian-ga05900-us-best-buy-carrier-activation-required-399​

How to get the deal

1. Go to BB Listing for PIxel 9 pro XL and choose "We'll help to connect this with carrier" for $499.
2. Then click on the trade in on top and select Pixel 8a for $490 refund. Note this might show $190 but during the final checkout it should take out $490.
3. Choose Verizon and then new number (you can also choose to transfer a number but given that you are going to cancel it first thing new number is better).
4. Go through checkout and fill out verizon related info. Note down the account PIN you used as you might need it later during cancellation.
5. You have to pick the phone up in the store as you are trading in. After pickup, setup verizon account with the new phone number.
6. Chat with CS to cancel the account. Activation fee is waived if cancelled within 3 days.
7. The phone is factory unlocked, sealed and ready to be used with any provider.

Questions from the previous threads

1. Is Verizon credit check hard or soft pull?
Soft pull, it will also show that during checkout.

2. Can I use the phone with any provider?
Yeah, these are unlocked phones.

3. When is the line activated i.e. from when does the 3-day counter starts?
This I'm not quite sure of but I'm going to pick my phone soon so I can update but it seems according to some the line is activated right during ordering. If that's the case your counter starts from then. You will still be saving even if you need to pay the activation fee of $35.

4. Does the phone come sealed? How about the verizon SIM
The phone will be sealed with verizon SIM taped onto it.

5. How do we cancel?
The best way is to setup verizon account, you need the phone number which you can get by popping in the SIM that you get from best buy onto any unlocked phone or pixel 9 pro XL and then chat with CS to cancel the line.

6. Is there anything during cancellation that needs attention?
Yes, the CS reps are trained to cancel the line at the billing cycle instead of right away. Be polite but insist on getting the line cancelled right away to avoid activation fee/extra day charges. Note that you are cancelling under buyers remorse policy, this is not mid-cycle cancellation for which you have to pay the whole cycle anyway. Use the term buyers remorse when you talk to CS about bills too.
Also don't talk about the phone you got at a discount. You are just canceling the line here, the device you are using on the line does not matter.

7. Is Verizon going to send me a bill even after cancellation?
In all likelihood, they will. You will have to chat with CS (and again mention the line was cancelled under buyers remorse) to get the charges waived.

8. What are the different activations? Do I need to activate my phone in verizon?
So there are three things that happen from Verizon when you buy a phone from them or best buy. 1. An account is created if you don't have one. 2. A line is created in that account and activated. (if you are porting a number then porting happens first on that line). 3. You put the SIM that comes with the phone in your phone and activate the phone in the network.
You don't need to activate your phone, once the line is created and you picked up the phone you can and cancel the line. You might need to know the phone number of the line for which you might need to pop in the SIM but apart from that you should only be cancelling your line.

9. Can bestbuy charge me back the discount when I cancel the line with Verizon?
No, your transaction with BB is done once you picked up the phone. They can't charge you anything after that. You only remaining task is to cancel the line.

I thought this might be a good deal for getting pixel 9 pro XL for cheap. It's possible these elevated trade in values go away on 03/23. You can also check the trade in values for other phones.

Refer to https://slickdeals.net/f/18181615-google-pixel-9-pro-xl-128gb-unlocked-obsidian-ga05900-us-best-buy-carrier-activation-required-399​ for more discussions.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/goog...Id=6587896
Product Info
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Product Info
Community Notes
About the Poster
Best buy is offering elevated trade ins for Pixel 9 pro and with carrier discount you have to pay only $10. You can also buy an unlocked pixel 8a from target for $299 https://www.target.com/p/google-p...A-91747221 making Pixel 9 pro XL to be $310 in total, $90 less than the recent FP deal here https://slickdeals.net/f/18181615-google-pixel-9-pro-xl-128gb-unlocked-obsidian-ga05900-us-best-buy-carrier-activation-required-399​

How to get the deal

1. Go to BB Listing for PIxel 9 pro XL and choose "We'll help to connect this with carrier" for $499.
2. Then click on the trade in on top and select Pixel 8a for $490 refund. Note this might show $190 but during the final checkout it should take out $490.
3. Choose Verizon and then new number (you can also choose to transfer a number but given that you are going to cancel it first thing new number is better).
4. Go through checkout and fill out verizon related info. Note down the account PIN you used as you might need it later during cancellation.
5. You have to pick the phone up in the store as you are trading in. After pickup, setup verizon account with the new phone number.
6. Chat with CS to cancel the account. Activation fee is waived if cancelled within 3 days.
7. The phone is factory unlocked, sealed and ready to be used with any provider.

Questions from the previous threads

1. Is Verizon credit check hard or soft pull?
Soft pull, it will also show that during checkout.

2. Can I use the phone with any provider?
Yeah, these are unlocked phones.

3. When is the line activated i.e. from when does the 3-day counter starts?
This I'm not quite sure of but I'm going to pick my phone soon so I can update but it seems according to some the line is activated right during ordering. If that's the case your counter starts from then. You will still be saving even if you need to pay the activation fee of $35.

4. Does the phone come sealed? How about the verizon SIM
The phone will be sealed with verizon SIM taped onto it.

5. How do we cancel?
The best way is to setup verizon account, you need the phone number which you can get by popping in the SIM that you get from best buy onto any unlocked phone or pixel 9 pro XL and then chat with CS to cancel the line.

6. Is there anything during cancellation that needs attention?
Yes, the CS reps are trained to cancel the line at the billing cycle instead of right away. Be polite but insist on getting the line cancelled right away to avoid activation fee/extra day charges. Note that you are cancelling under buyers remorse policy, this is not mid-cycle cancellation for which you have to pay the whole cycle anyway. Use the term buyers remorse when you talk to CS about bills too.
Also don't talk about the phone you got at a discount. You are just canceling the line here, the device you are using on the line does not matter.

7. Is Verizon going to send me a bill even after cancellation?
In all likelihood, they will. You will have to chat with CS (and again mention the line was cancelled under buyers remorse) to get the charges waived.

8. What are the different activations? Do I need to activate my phone in verizon?
So there are three things that happen from Verizon when you buy a phone from them or best buy. 1. An account is created if you don't have one. 2. A line is created in that account and activated. (if you are porting a number then porting happens first on that line). 3. You put the SIM that comes with the phone in your phone and activate the phone in the network.
You don't need to activate your phone, once the line is created and you picked up the phone you can and cancel the line. You might need to know the phone number of the line for which you might need to pop in the SIM but apart from that you should only be cancelling your line.

9. Can bestbuy charge me back the discount when I cancel the line with Verizon?
No, your transaction with BB is done once you picked up the phone. They can't charge you anything after that. You only remaining task is to cancel the line.

I thought this might be a good deal for getting pixel 9 pro XL for cheap. It's possible these elevated trade in values go away on 03/23. You can also check the trade in values for other phones.

Refer to https://slickdeals.net/f/18181615-google-pixel-9-pro-xl-128gb-unlocked-obsidian-ga05900-us-best-buy-carrier-activation-required-399​ for more discussions.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/goog...Id=6587896

Community Voting

Deal Score
+20
Good Deal
Visit Best Buy

Price Intelligence

Model: Google Pixel 9 Pro XL 5G Unlocked (128GB) Smartphone - Obsidian

Deal History 

Sale Price
Slickdeal
  • $NaN
  • Today

Current Prices

Sort: Lowest to Highest | Last Updated 4/30/2025, 06:07 PM
Sold By Sale Price
Best Buy$899
Leave a Comment
To participate in the comments, please log in.

298 Comments

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Mar 24, 2025
202 Posts
Joined Aug 2017
Mar 24, 2025
PulpMagic
Mar 24, 2025
202 Posts
Quote from gadgetNerd :
Yeah, create the account with the same email as your BB order. At the end, the only thing that he helps with is smooth cancelation by chat and then seeing the bill. Once they disconnect the line, it seems we can't use chat or a thing else from that account.

I'm presuming that I will need to activate the Verizon sim card after pickup. Will Verizon give me any problems if I put it in an older unlocked phone to get the phone number and activate it (I factory reset that device and it's a backup phone - Moto G Stylus 5G 2021)? I'm currently using a Píxel 5a, so this will be a significant upgrade.
Original Poster
Pro
Mar 25, 2025
2,631 Posts
Joined Nov 2012
Mar 25, 2025
gadgetNerd
Mar 25, 2025
Original Poster
Pro
2,631 Posts
Quote from PulpMagic :
I'm presuming that I will need to activate the Verizon sim card after pickup. Will Verizon give me any problems if I put it in an older unlocked phone to get the phone number and activate it (I factory reset that device and it's a backup phone - Moto G Stylus 5G 2021)? I'm currently using a Píxel 5a, so this will be a significant upgrade.

No I put the SIM in a pixel 3 to get the number, it was fine.
Mar 25, 2025
1,010 Posts
Joined Nov 2010
Mar 25, 2025
hellwithu
Mar 25, 2025
1,010 Posts
Verizon is trying to charge me for 1 month. They mentioned that the line was disconnected in 2 days, but since it's postpaid, you will be charged from Feb - March, around 70 bucks. 35 activation is waived though. Anyone else facing the same issue?
Mar 25, 2025
1,607 Posts
Joined Dec 2004
Mar 25, 2025
Jack Schitt
Mar 25, 2025
1,607 Posts
Quote from gadgetNerd :
Yeah, thats why it's better to create an account by yourself before ordering with the same email address and then do link service with the phone number. In that case, the account remains and you can see the bills etc.

That was good advice. I created my vzw account Sunday and my order arrived in store Monday. Plopped the Sim in a spare Motorola stylus 5g 2022 and got the number. Went to my newly created vzw account, and linked the new line. It showed billing date of the day I activated the Sim. Promptly contacted cs and got all charges removed. Went very smoothly thanks to your advice

Edit: And yes, I can still access the account. Phone service ended while I was on the phone with them and refresh of my vzw dashboard showed new line gone before I hung up.
Last edited by Jack Schitt March 25, 2025 at 12:01 PM.
Mar 26, 2025
2,239 Posts
Joined Jun 2006
Mar 26, 2025
Chocobo
Mar 26, 2025
2,239 Posts
I picked up mine today. Traded in my 8a and they gave me the 9XL unopened with a Verizon SIM kit taped to the back. They didn't say anything about activating it or having Verizon service, just handed it all to me.

Do I need to activate and then cancel it, can Best Buy or Verizon charge me a penalty if I don't? Or am I just good to go and don't need to do anything? I haven't done a deal like this before and there was a lot of small print when I placed the order, I don't know all the rules.
1
Mar 26, 2025
660 Posts
Joined Nov 2006
Mar 26, 2025
freeforlife
Mar 26, 2025
660 Posts
Quote from XXFlyboy :
I had the same problem. Same error message. If I called Verizon sales they confirmed perfect credit. And in store credit check confirmed perfect credit but kept getting error message every time I tried to order on the web site. Finally, Best Buy manager gave me the following contact, "Best Buy Express Kiosks 1-888-237-8289" I explained the problem and the person I spoke with was able to resolve the problem so I could order online for in store pickup.
I tried calling that number, they had no clue. Didnt help much. They said they can place order for unlocked (non-verizion) at full price, but nothing else much they can do.
Original Poster
Pro
Mar 26, 2025
2,631 Posts
Joined Nov 2012
Mar 26, 2025
gadgetNerd
Mar 26, 2025
Original Poster
Pro
2,631 Posts
Quote from Chocobo :
I picked up mine today. Traded in my 8a and they gave me the 9XL unopened with a Verizon SIM kit taped to the back. They didn't say anything about activating it or having Verizon service, just handed it all to me.

Do I need to activate and then cancel it, can Best Buy or Verizon charge me a penalty if I don't? Or am I just good to go and don't need to do anything? I haven't done a deal like this before and there was a lot of small print when I placed the order, I don't know all the rules.

The verizon is activated before you picked it up so you need to cancel it, the post has the details to setup a Verizon account and cancel the line using chat. Do it ASAP to waive the activation fee as well.
1

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Mar 26, 2025
2,239 Posts
Joined Jun 2006
Mar 26, 2025
Chocobo
Mar 26, 2025
2,239 Posts
Quote from gadgetNerd :
The verizon is activated before you picked it up so you need to cancel it, the post has the details to setup a Verizon account and cancel the line using chat. Do it ASAP to waive the activation fee as well.
What you're saying makes sense, it just seems odd that I have absolutely no information about having Verizon service activated anywhere.

I already have a Verizon account for Fios, it doesn't show phone service anywhere. Never got any email about Verizon service during the purchase process. I just popped the Verizon SIM card into an old unlocked phone - ok there's some useful info, there is a phone number attached to it.

If Verizon got my email and payment info from the Best Buy order it ought to be showing in my existing Verizon account. If not, then I don't know how they can bill me. Guess I'll try creating a new Verizon account like you said, just to be able to cancel.

Edit: made a new Verizon account, it asks for a PIN (I don't remember ever creating one with Verizon but they accepted the one I typically use), it's got a bill on there for that phone number. Your advice was correct and helpful. Thanks
Last edited by Chocobo March 26, 2025 at 12:57 AM.
Mar 26, 2025
774 Posts
Joined Jan 2010
Mar 26, 2025
epicd2012
Mar 26, 2025
774 Posts
Quote from freeforlife :
I tried calling that number, they had no clue. Didnt help much. They said they can place order for unlocked (non-verizion) at full price, but nothing else much they can do.
That denial is just a generic message they spit out instead of telling you what the actual issue is. If you're getting a credit denial, try calling Verizon at 888-483-7200. I posted about that earlier, but they were eventually able to fix my issue, whatever it was.

Obviously, if you have any credit reports frozen, or a low score, that's the issue. In my case, it might have had something to do with Fios, or some other identity verification issue.
Original Poster
Pro
Mar 26, 2025
2,631 Posts
Joined Nov 2012
Mar 26, 2025
gadgetNerd
Mar 26, 2025
Original Poster
Pro
2,631 Posts
Quote from Chocobo :
What you're saying makes sense, it just seems odd that I have absolutely no information about having Verizon service activated anywhere.

I already have a Verizon account for Fios, it doesn't show phone service anywhere. Never got any email about Verizon service during the purchase process. I just popped the Verizon SIM card into an old unlocked phone - ok there's some useful info, there is a phone number attached to it.

If Verizon got my email and payment info from the Best Buy order it ought to be showing in my existing Verizon account. If not, then I don't know how they can bill me. Guess I'll try creating a new Verizon account like you said, just to be able to cancel.

Edit: made a new Verizon account, it asks for a PIN (I don't remember ever creating one with Verizon but they accepted the one I typically use), it's got a bill on there for that phone number. Your advice was correct and helpful. Thanks

If you have an existing Verizon account you could also do "link service" and use that phone number and PIN. The PIN is something you set up as part of the ordering process when you give your info for the Verizon account.
Mar 26, 2025
23 Posts
Joined Jul 2020
Mar 26, 2025
AquaScene282
Mar 26, 2025
23 Posts
Quote from hellwithu :
Verizon is trying to charge me for 1 month. They mentioned that the line was disconnected in 2 days, but since it's postpaid, you will be charged from Feb - March, around 70 bucks. 35 activation is waived though. Anyone else facing the same issue?
I just got an email for my bill. Originally it was about $110 based on the $70 service, $35 activation fee, and taxes. The email just says this:
Bill summary

Balance past due: $67.53
Current charges: -$56.99
Total due immediately: $10.54
So this is mostly fixed but I think I'll just wait for the paper bill in the mail. Since they close the account after deactivation, I cannot log in to pay. I don't know the account number so I cannot pay with that either.
I don't have any other Verizon services so I'm sure this is for this phone deal only.
Mar 26, 2025
2,067 Posts
Joined Jun 2007
Mar 26, 2025
barebottoms
Mar 26, 2025
2,067 Posts
I finally called VZ. Turns out BB does activate when they receive the order. So If you're having the phone shipped, you need to figure out how to cancel before it arrives.

I created my VZ account on same day of BB order 3/16. Same email as BB, but nothing showed on the VZ account until I was able to add my phone number into the account when phone arrived 3/20.

Called in after repeatedly explaining the dates and saying when I chat to cancel they assured me the activation fee will be waived. $27.31 down from $62.31. She gave a number to call to pay my final bill but the system kept saying $62.31 with no option to speak to anyone.

I called back support line, this time it was routed to US (luckily, the agent ened up being very helpful) and I explained the situation. The agent looked up there was no usage so he asked for an exception. Said I should see a $0 bill in a few hours, line is canceled. He did ask I returned the device, I just said "I bought it from BestBuy"

Hopefully this billing issue is finally resolved

Bullets:
If being shipped, you need to figure out how to cancel in transit
If they still bill you for activation fee and N number of days, have them look at usage for making a case for you.
Original Poster
Pro
Mar 26, 2025
2,631 Posts
Joined Nov 2012
Mar 26, 2025
gadgetNerd
Mar 26, 2025
Original Poster
Pro
2,631 Posts
Quote from AquaScene282 :
I just got an email for my bill. Originally it was about $110 based on the $70 service, $35 activation fee, and taxes. The email just says this:
Bill summary

Balance past due: $67.53
Current charges: -$56.99
Total due immediately: $10.54
So this is mostly fixed but I think I'll just wait for the paper bill in the mail. Since they close the account after deactivation, I cannot log in to pay. I don't know the account number so I cannot pay with that either.
I don't have any other Verizon services so I'm sure this is for this phone deal only.

Yes the same thing happened for me.

1. Ordered on 19th night.
2. Line for activated on 21st.
3. Picked up the phone on 22nd and cancelled.
4. The bill was showing $70 until 25th before it changed to $9.60
Original Poster
Pro
Mar 26, 2025
2,631 Posts
Joined Nov 2012
Mar 26, 2025
gadgetNerd
Mar 26, 2025
Original Poster
Pro
2,631 Posts
I realized that it's important to create that vzw account during orderkng for dealing with bills later on but for the phone number you will have to wait until you get the phone. Also I thought BB activated the account when you do the order but and I think that's true for most cases if the phone is in stock etc. For me the account was activated the day before I got the email for pickup, maybe because it was shipped from another store but I think it's safe to assume the line will be activated the day you order.
1

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Mar 26, 2025
202 Posts
Joined Aug 2017
Mar 26, 2025
PulpMagic
Mar 26, 2025
202 Posts
Thank you gadgetNerd for all of your replies to everyone. I received my pickup email from BB today and plan on going later. I hope I don't get too much of a hassle from Verizon when chatting to cancel but at least I know what to expect.

Related Searches

Popular Deals

View All

Trending Deals

View All