I'm looking to get an enV because my phone is horrible for text messaging and I'm moving 1,000 miles away from my girlfriend and all of my friends. I'm just wondering if I'd be able to just switch phones or if I have to get a new plan. Somehow my sister pulled it off but she did it through eBay and the guy she bought it from was actually an employee that did everything for her to keep her # and on the same plan.

Hopefully someone knows all the details for me!

Changing phones does not change your plan unless of course your phone/plan is eligible for an upgrade. If your plan/phone is not eligible for an upgrade you can get any phone you want from Verizon direct, new or used from someone on eBay, etc. and just activate it with your old phone number. Easiest way to activate it and avoid any possible activation fee is to do it online through your account at http://www.verizonwireless.com, click on the links for activating a phone and just follow the easy steps (I've done it many times).

If you buy a phone from someone on eBay, make sure they relatively good feedback, ask them if they can provide you with the ESN number especially if it is a used phone, call Verizon customer service and ask them to check the ESN number to see if everything is ok because if there is a balance due from an unpaid bill, early termination fees not paid and/or it was reported lost or stolen you will not be able to activated unless all fees are paid, and if it was reported lost or stolen you will not be able to activate it at all. If the phone is still new in the box with the shrink wrapping on it then they can't provide you with that number without breaking the seal, but if the seal has been broken on the box and they are a decent seller they will provide you with this number. Do not bid until you've check everything out. Also, if it is a used phone and the seller only has a stock picture of the phone on his/her auction ask them to email you an actual picture of the phone just to make sure everything looks good, several pictures would be nice. My friend bought a used phone for his daughter that was listed as a few scratches, nothing deep, phone was in like new condition, etc. well it showed up with major scratches that were outrageously deep, it was not in like new condition and one thing that was never mentioned......the camera lense had a major crack straight acrossed it so if you took a picture you would have this line through it. All this from a stock picture, no actual photo of the phone being sold.

If you want to keep your same phone number but just change the area code, you can call Verizon's customer service department and they can do that for you. They are basically jut porting the number into the new area code. Or if your plan does not have long distance charges (I believe all of Verizon's plans are that way....free long distance), then just keep everything as is. My daughter's friends moved 40 miles north and into a different area code and kept all their old numbers & area codes. Today I met someone who has a Southern California area code that he has kept (on Verizon) and has since moved to Northern California and still has everything the same, same number, same area as he did in SoCal.

So to recap, it does not make a difference if you purchase a new phone at full retail value from Verizon or purchase a new or used phone from someone on eBay, etc., all you have to do is activate the phone, it will not change or extend your plan unless of course you want to. And make sure to activate your new phone online as you could incur an activate charge of up to $25.00. I've done everything I've told you about and it's pretty easy and simple.

Best of luck to you! And if you have any questions, just email me through yahoo answers.