Talk to me about Amazon Wireless

So Keri-Lyn and I are due for our new every two with Verizon wireless. We are grandfathered in to a kickass unlimited plan and do not want to lose it. Now, I've been hearing a lot lately that people are buying their phones through Amazon Wireless for whatever carrier they currently have for upgrades. How does it work? Do you keep the same plan? Do they not even contact or notify your provider and you just activate it with your carrier once you receive it? I do not want to risk Amazon screwing up my plan!

Going that route will save us quite a bit of money. The phone I want (Samsung Galaxy S III 4G) is $199 through VZ but only $69 through Amazon and the phone KL wants (Motorola Droid 4 4G) is $79 through VZ but only $49 through Amazon. That'd save us 160 bucks!

So... What do you know about this interwebs deal???

TIA!

I'm wondering this too, I'm due for an upgrade in a few months and don't want to loose unlimited data either. I bought my last phone off CL to avoid that.

My understanding is that if you are currently a 4G subscriber with unlimited data you will keep it when you upgrade. HOWEVER, VZW changes their mind on a dime so I would call and ask what would happen. Plus, the last time I did a phone upgrade was about 14

As for Amazon wireless, it's really easy, type in your account details, it'll find your account. You can make changes to your plan if you want. If not, you just buy the new phone like you would at the VZW store. Almost bought a phone thru Amazon but it wouldn't let me since i'm not the primary account, so I had to go to a store.

That reminds me, I need to go activate my Tab before I go on vaca.

So... Has anyone here done this?

Is the phone $69 through Amazon with a new 2-year contract? Or is it specifically labeled as renewal pricing?

If it says renewal, then yea you'll keep the unlimited data and your good to go.

If it says new 2-year contract, they'll force you to cancel and start over which means you'll lose the unlimited Data.

Also if you ever need to cancel the contract, you'll pay an early term fee to Amazon as well as to Verizon.

Not sure who is responsible for customer service if you have hardware trouble, but if it's Amazon instead of VZW, that would certainly be a pain in the ass.

It is showing as a renewal of our family plan, not a new contract. I do have that choice. Good to know. I need to call amazon wireless. Thanks!

I'll throw in my $.02

Have you always done business with one particular Verizon store? If so, I would not change that for a couple hundred dollars worth of phone...I have to imagine you would fall to the bottom of their favorites list because they did not make the $50 on your phone purchase.

I have the same store I have been using for a couple years now, I know everyone in there, they know me, and they tend to bend the rules a little for me sometimes... (They waive activation fees or if I don't have cash on me for something they let me come back tomorrow and still take the item today).

I would not change that ability and/or risk the possibility of loosing my current plan to save a couple greenbacks.

If you have no store loyalty and are just a "National subscriber" then F-it, why not? My only fear would be what Fisher mentioned about the possibility of a double edge sword of fees should you need to cancel service for any reason. Amazon would not get into the game if there was not significant, and many ways to profit from it.