Expert: DebiN - 1/22/2010

Question
Hi
I'm a verizon costumer and I recently decided to upgrade my phone. I'm nor due for an upgrade so I decided to purchase a blackberry tour from eBay. What I didn't notice was that the blackberry I bought did not come with the verizon SIM card. I called verizon to see if they could send me one so I can activate the phone, but they told me they couldn't because the SIM cards are pre-installed in the blackberry. So does this mean my phone is useless and I will not be able to activate it with verizon?

Answer
Fortunately, you do not need a SIM card to activate a BlackBerry Tour. If the Tour you bought is clear, i.e., the person who had it previously does not have an outstanding balance with Verizon and did not report the phone lost or stolen, Verizon can activate it for you. When you call them back, tell them that you want to transfer your number to your new phone and they will ask for the ESN number of the BLackBerry. When you provide that to them, they will either allow you to activate the device or they will tell you that they are not able to (if the ESN is not clear or the phone is lost/stolen or not in the Verizon database). The SIM card is only used for people who travel outside of the US so that they can roam on Vodafone's GSM network abroad. It is not required or necessary in the US. Be aware that Verizon will only activate a BlackBerry with both a voice and data plan, so if you are not willing to pay $30.00 a month extra for data, I wouldn't bother trying to activate the BlackBerry. I hope this helps. Thanks. DebiN