I smashed my cell, what do I do?

[erinplus3]

I smashed my phone today by slamming the car door on it. It was in my jacket pocket, I didn't realize it was hanging out the door and smash.

 

I can still sort of use it, but the display is destroyed and the earpiece is damaged. I can hear people talk, but it's not as clear as it used to be.

 

So I have a contract with Verizon, but I'm not eligible for a discounted phone until December, and I am on a very limited budget right now, so a new $100+ phone is out of the question. Anyone know what I can do? Ebay? Live with it? I'm sure that's what I'll have to do, but I just thought some of the experts here might know if there was a way for me to get a new, inexpensive phone. My broken one was fancy, but I can live with a no-frills phone that I can hear out of better.

[conj]

ask your friends/family who have verizon if they've upgraded their phone - and if they still have the old one. Chances are someone does. *poof* free.

 

I'd lend you my old one - but it is being used by a friends daughter who jumped into a lake with hers on.

 

I'd send you DH's but his went for a wild ride when he saved our DD from jumping into the river after a softball.

[noehlp]

Well, first, do you have a cell phone insurance through Verizon? If so file a claim, if you are unsure call and ask them.

 

As for cell phone, some of the multi-retail locations here (the ones that house verizon/us cellular/etc-multi stores) carry used cell phones.

 

Another option Ebay, just be careful who you buy from, ask questions, make sure they are reputable.

 

Walmart has those prepay phones pretty cheap, I think like $15, just have to buy minutes, which sucks.

 

I am sure other's will chime in and offer ideas too. I feel for you, seriously, just had my cell die this month and ended up having to buy a demo phone for $30, but only cause I can buy 1 demo every 2 years I believe. It has not warrant, though.

 

Good luck!

[cotejb]

I don't know about Verizon but with AT&T if you go to Walmart and buy one of those cheap go phones and stick your SIM card in it is should work just fine.

[loves30]

if u do ebay .. please make sure its 911 compatable.. i did this just as they did this and found out i could not use the phone i got.. i was lucky the person who sold it had no idea either and gave me back my money .. i also have verizon and i have the ins.. if you have it just call them and they will send u a new one for 50.00 and u send them the old one. i had to do this tonight as my son lost his yesterday on the bus and some how noone new anything about it . he just got it in sept. anyway they are sending one right out with out the one lost . but i did call verizon and they put a hold on it for 90 days, so i was only out 50.00, if i had one i would give give it to you.

[teebee]

If you don't have insurance, get it, they have to call you and make sure the phone works and then you can file a claim.

[AndreaInNC]

You can also try Craigslist for someone who has an old phone they got from Verizon.

[kmbrly]

I see cell phones every once in a while on our local freecycle. You might try there.

[AcLaramie]

Ironically, both my mother and I broke our verizon phones within a week of each other a couple of months ago. we are on a family plan together and are not eligible until August for an upgrade. I went ahead and went the ebay route. I bought a used Razr and I bought my mom a brand new cheaper phone, as she does nothing but use it on a limited basis for phone calls. I made sure both were verizon phones and both were from sellers with high numbers with positive feedback. I was pleased with both purchases.

[guilliam]

If you are a REALLY persuasive person, you can call Verizon and tell them what happened and ask them for an early upgrade. If they tell you no, just tell them that's fine but when your contract is up, you will be moving to a new cell phone carrier. I did this when ds17 broke his phone and the supervisor was more than happy to let us upgrade early as long as we signed a new 2 yr contract with them.(especially since I told them my sister now works for Alltel and would LOVE to sign us up (which is 100% true))

[cpsagentri]

i remember when i was dating my now wife and i had my work blackberry on the dash

of the car. i took a sharp curve at to fast and i watched the phone go sliding right out the window. I pulled over just in time to see it get crushed by cars. i had to call the police

to come and get the pieces only because i had work numbers on it and couldn't let

it just lay there.

 

oh i could tell stories. some young kid thought it would be cool to steal my laptop

from my work car, he must have thought it was just a cops laptop and thought it would be

so cool. i wonder how cool it was when the FBI knock on his parents door to investigate

the theft.