Switching phones... not so easy?

Okay, so, I know for a fee ($35 + price of phone w/out contract) you can easily switch phones with Bell. What I'm wondering is if I buy a phone somewhere like eBay, and it is a phone that Bell already sells (for example, the LG Reveal) and/or a CDMA phone, can it be switched for just the $35 fee?

Basically, can I buy the phone cheaper somewhere else and then have it activated at my local Bell store?

Thanks so much!

Hi! To answer your question, no, you cannot activate non-Bell Mobility CDMA phones from other providers or etc. The reason for this is that Bell Mobility has a database of all the ESN's for all Bell branded phones. The system will not let a non-Bell ESN into the system.

Furthermore, you can buy Bell branded phones, however, please be advised that if that phone was reported stolen or lost, you will not be able to activate it either until the original client contact's Bell Mobility to report the unit "found" and removed from the lost&stolen list.