Need help buying used cell phone

[Digit]

I know many of the members here might find my lack of knowledge unusual but I am an older gal and have not had a cell phone since 1995.

My daughter recently said she would add me to her verizon plan to save me money, not to mention how fed up I am with at&t.
I have learned all sorts of pitfalls and decided to get a phone which did not require a data plan, was not pre-paid, and preferred one with a qwerty keyboard. Other "wants" included a loud enough speaker phone (my hearing is not the best anymore), a decent battery life, and one that has a flash for night time pictures in case I was ever in an accident at night.

I was cautioned to get the MEID or ESN number to run it by verizon to make sure it could be activated. I also learned that you need at least a 15 day warranty. Well, that ruled craigslist out.

The ones I have been looking at are the lg cosmos, the lg voyager, the lg env2, the lg octane and the extravert. Feel free to add any suggestions, and of course it can't be a droid.

I have been trying Amazon and Ebay and sellers will not give me the meid or esn number. I also see many of these phones are foreign and verizon said they may not work on their network.

I am hesitant to just rely on the warranty because I could be liable for shipping, handling, and a 20% restocking fee, plus possibly be locked into that seller to take an exchange. That all adds up and sounds risky.

So, where else do I go to find a gently used phone and am I unreasonable to request the meid even though the sellers assure me it is clean?

Should I try a pawn shop?

Anything else I need to beware of?

Thanks!

[Lokey]

1. Verizon?

Since she is adding you to her plan can't she get you a deal for a free one? If not try them for a re-manufactured one. I got my reman Droid Bionic from them for 35 bucks because I am tired of spending big bucks on a phone every few years.
Most of them require a 2 year contract, but that's the way they work.
My folks are older and are on my plan. Neither of theirs require data plans because they will never use it. They don't text much, but I have been looking for one to make it easier for my mother to text.
I bet your daughter can get you one of those you are talking about free or fairly cheap from them...check out their website.

Good Luck to you.

[Digit]

2. I am not sure why, but I have to provide my own phone

I just figured it had something to do with not renewing her plan or changing it in some way.

If it helps figuring out why, this is just going to add 10 dollars per month.

I have been to verizon's website, I thought I might find someone reselling their old phone but of course the site won't let get in far enough to see if that is possible.

Thanks for responding, and if you have any other ideas, I would love to hear them!

[Kali]

3. replaceyourcell.com

have bought several from them, no complaints. if they don't have what you want try again in a week

[Digit]

4. I am heading over there right now

Thank you for the recommendation!

[Digit]

5. Kicking for additional visibility

Still looking for ideas and tips.

There is a pawn shop on my way to work, so will check it out tomorrow if I don't find anything online...(I am off today)

[MicaelS]

6. Cellular Country

http://www.cellularcountry.com/used-cell-phones/verizon

Cellular Country is the leading web marketplace for used Verizon cell phones that are guaranteed to work with your existing Verizon plan. We verify the electronic serial numbers (ESNs) for our Verizon phones, guaranteeing that they'll activate for you. When you get your phone, just dial 611 and ask Verizon to associate your account with your new ESN. They'll make the switch for you in a few moments. Even better, you'll have gotten an excellent price on your used Verizon cell phone, without any trips to a local store or long lines to wait in.

Second thing that came up when I Googled "unlocked cell phone for verizon".

[Spike89]

7. Had the env2, replaced it, using it again

Really liked the env2, mainly because the keyboard is good for texting. A while back (about 1 year) my wife, daughter and I all switched to smartphones (HTC Thunderbolt 4Gs). To be honest, I loved some of the smartphone features but detested the touch screen keyboard. My dog got hold of my phone and chewed it up enough that it wasn't worth repairing and I was about a year out from a new phone on the plan. I resurrected the trusty env2 and was able to drop the data plan on my phone.

I'll probably go back to a smartphone next year, but the env2 works fine, better battery life (even for a phone in year 4!) than a smartphone and good call clarity. Yes, we're on Verizon.