Upgrading phones

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I did a search and it didnt show anything.

Anyways, I have the sanyo 8300, and I want to upgrade to the samsung a900. Only problem is, id have to pay full price for the new phone (the rep said approx. $450!)

I was wondering if there was a way to get the new phone for less money. The only thing I could think of would be activating a new line on my plan (I have a family plan with my family) and deactivating my existing number to get the phone for the price of a new activation. Id prefer not to go this route though. Is there any way to get the new phone without paying full price for it? Any help would be appreciated.

If you activate a new line, then terminate another, you are going to be stuck with a renewed contract and (unless you're already out of contract) a $150 Early Termination fee. If you can find this phone for sale online, somewhere like ebay, you will have no problem activating it as long as 1.) It's branded for Sprint service, and 2.) The ESN number is clear for activation (not reported lost or stolen, no unpaid bills).

It's common practice for people buying CDMA phones on ebay to contact the seller first and request the ESN number before bidding, then calling their provider to make sure it's OK to activate. As long as you buy from a reputable seller and follow these safe trading practices, you'll be able to save some $$$ on ebay AND have a cool phone.

One more note... After one year, most Sprint customers are eligible for $75 off a phone upgrade, and after 2 years it's $150. How far into your contract are you now?

I bought the phone back in november, so im nowhere near the rebate mark yet.
Iv been thinking about ebay, but am weary about the whole ESN thing. What is an ESN number and how would one get screwed over should it be a bad number?

Also, buying from ebay there isnt a warranty, is there any type of warranty I can get from sprint if I go ebay?

If someone sold you a phone that was lost, stolen, or linked to an account with an unpaid balance, you would not be able to activate it because the ESN number is blacklisted by Sprint. The ESN number is under the battery printed above a barcode. Like I said before, buy from a reputable dealer, check the ESN with Sprint and you should be okay. Always use Paypal to pay for online purchases so you have a possibility of getting your money back if something goes wrong (read paypal's terms).

You could always activate a new line on your existing family plan, thus getting the rebate, and just not use your old phone. Your monthly rate would be the same since you aren't changing the plan. Also, after the 14 day trial period you could swap numbers so that your old number would be on your new Sam A900. You would just be stuck with an extra phone number that you won't use (and won't pay additional for).

But wont doing that cost me an extra $10 per month for the additional line? I see what your saying, but I have 4 lines right now, and by doing what you mentioned, will put me at 5 lines, paying that extra $10/month for that additional fifth line and cancelling it will cost me an early termination fee.

You're right, sorry I forgot to mention that! The second line on a share plan is no extra charge, but each additional line after that is $10 per line plus applicble taxes. Looks like we're back to the option of buying a phone on ebay. I've bought several phones on ebay and didn't have any problem, just remember to verify the ESN with Sprint and check the seller's feedback.

Thanks, Iv been looking but so far everything is out of my price range. Iv been reading alot about the blade and its had alot of mixed reviews, some say its amazing, others say its the worst thing ever. I think ill just wait till the new sanyo kitana comes out and go from there (Im a big fan of sanyo over samsung anyways!)

what i would do is sell the 8300 for around $100-$150, depending on the condition of it and pay the difference for the blade. Also, you can buy a used blade off ebay for about $280.