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View Full Version : activation vs esn swap

miamichillin99
05-03-2008, 07:41 AM
What's the difference? I want to get a new/used phone on ebay and replace my phone on my account.

some18mybrain
05-03-2008, 07:50 AM
Activation is usually used to refer to a new line of service. ESN swap is when you change the phone on your account from one to the other.
miamichillin99
05-04-2008, 06:38 PM
Thanks.
acunn1
05-04-2008, 06:43 PM
Activation refers to when you put a new phone on your account. I don't think you will be charged an activation fee if you buy it off of ebay. Just make sure the ESN is clear before you buy it.
miamichillin99
05-04-2008, 06:54 PM
Activation refers to when you put a new phone on your account. I don't think you will be charged an activation fee if you buy it off of ebay. Just make sure the ESN is clear before you buy it.

Great tip...how do I check the ESN? online or phone call?
C1787GJ
05-04-2008, 08:39 PM
Great tip...how do I check the ESN? online or phone call?

Get the ESN and call customer care and ask them to check and make sure the ESN is clear and ready to be activated.
ATS_Helper
05-04-2008, 09:08 PM
Don't call care. I get at least 3 calls daily where care "cleared" the ESN and they callback to have it activated and low and behold, it's flagged as lost or stolen. At LEAST get tech support.
BHare
05-04-2008, 09:12 PM
If they don't know its a swap, and believe it to be a phone you got from telesales or what not then a normal activation will reset your rebates and could post an activation fee. A swap avoids all this.
miamichillin99
05-19-2008, 07:42 PM
Can you do a swap at a Sprint Store for free?
some18mybrain
05-19-2008, 08:07 PM
Can you do a swap at a Sprint Store for free?

At a corporate store, yes.....most 3rd party stores, they would have to call it in anyway.
kupikunskio
05-19-2008, 11:45 PM
Activation refers to when you put a new phone on your account. I don't think you will be charged an activation fee if you buy it off of ebay. Just make sure the ESN is clear before you buy it.
Activation= New Phone
Swap= Used phone
Doesn't matter where you got it, that's how it splits out.

Can you do a swap at a Sprint Store for free?

You can now do a swap online again, without involving anyone else.

As far as the checking ESN, make sure it is not "attached" meaning that it is still on an account, unless it is canceled AND they don't owe sprint money, as if they owe sprint money the phone is no good, won't be swapped for you, if the account is canceled but in good standing you've got no problems there.
Maximaboy1
05-19-2008, 11:55 PM
so an ESN swap for example would be if....

1) I currently have an LG rumor and it breaks...so in order to "survive" and havea phone i grab an old phone laying around and "activate it online at sprint.com"? and then run around all day with the old phone while the rumor has been "deactivated"
kupikunskio
05-19-2008, 11:58 PM
so an ESN swap for example would be if....

1) I currently have an LG rumor and it breaks...so in order to "survive" and havea phone i grab an old phone laying around and "activate it online at sprint.com"? and then run around all day with the old phone while the rumor has been "deactivated"

Exactly, a swap is simply switching between phones.
An activation is a swap, only with a brand new, new used phone.

Note that insurance applies only to whatever phone is current at the time.
Maximaboy1
05-20-2008, 12:05 AM
so that's what i need to do if my phone breaks again...rather than freak out about "not having a phone for the day" Sorry to be off topic but my Rumor wouldn't start up and i couldn't figure it out til i removed the micro SD card and it worked....
kupikunskio
05-20-2008, 12:07 AM
so that's what i need to do if my phone breaks again...rather than freak out about "not having a phone for the day" Sorry to be off topic but my Rumor wouldn't start up and i couldn't figure it out til i removed the micro SD card and it worked....

Yeah that's all, it's very easy to do online.
If you have insurance you will want to make a claim FIRST, wait for approval (usually while you are on the phone- the insurance person will tell you) then swap, or they will send the wrong phone or possibly flag it and you will get nothing.
miamichillin99
05-20-2008, 10:29 AM
kupikunskio,

Now I'm confused...so if I buy a brand new, never activated phone on ebay and want to put it on my current account and remove my current phone from my account, this would be "activation"?
kupikunskio
05-20-2008, 10:31 AM
kupikunskio,

Now I'm confused...so if I buy a brand new, never activated phone on ebay and want to put it on my current account and remove my current phone from my account, this would be "activation"?

Correct, any phone that has never been used before is considered an activation, although in that situation if you don't tell the agent that it's brand new and the system doesn't tell them then you won't get charged.
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