Buying a refurbished cellular phone can be a great way to save yourself some money while still getting the phone you’ve wanted for a while. However, you may find yourself dealing with a few issues, even if you remembered to purchase an unlocked cell phone. Most cellular service providers do not leap at the opportunity to pick up customers who already have their own cell phone – they end up losing a lot of money up front. Cell phones are not cheap, and even though service providers cut their customers a deal when they sign up for a plan at the same time they purchase a phone, they are still losing a couple hundred dollars every time someone comes to their company with their own unlocked cell phone.

Connecting cell phones unlocked by manufacturers or third parties to your current mobile service isn’t too hard, as long as they are willing to cooperate. Most modern cell phones use a technology called a SIM card, which stores all of your cell phone’s information on one small chip. As long as your current cell phone has a SIM card, and your used cell phone has a slot for a SIM card, you can switch your cell phone without your phone company ever knowing. Just put your old SIM card in the used cell phone’s slot, turn it on, and your used cell phone should work seamlessly with your current service.

If you don’t have a SIM card, the process may take some more time. Call your customer service line and speak to a representative to let them know you want to switch your current service to a new cell phone. They should be able to walk you through the process. Beware that they may try to talk you into purchasing one of their phones – you are not required to, and you should tell them you know this. Point out that you have already purchased one of the readily available unlocked cell phones, and if they aren’t willing to provide you service, they are violating your mobile contract, and you can move to a new provider without penalty.