Switching to Verizon iPhone? 3 Ways to Shave the Termination Fee

The Verizon iPhone is due in stores soon, but AT&T customers aching to switch face one nasty hurdle: the early-termination fee.

Many AT&T customers who bought an iPhone are still stuck in two-year contracts, and they’d have to pay a hefty price to get out. AT&T increased the early-termination fee last June from $175 to $325. (The ETF is reduced by $10 for each month you’re on contract.)

So that means switching to a Verizon iPhone would require buying a new phone and paying the termination fee, which would set you back at least $500. Yeowch.

Pre-orders for the Verizon iPhone 4 begin Feb. 3, and if you just can’t stand the thought of sticking with AT&T any longer, here are a few simple ways to help subsidize the switch.

Sell Your iPhone on Gazelle

I’ve sold a number of devices on Gazelle, an electronics trader, with no issues. Hop over to Gazelle, type in iPhone 4 and answer a few questions about the condition of the phone. Right now Gazelle is quoting a perfect-condition iPhone 4 for $360. Not bad at all ? that covers more than the termination fee.

After you opt to sell your iPhone 4 to Gazelle, you enter your information in the site, and then Gazelle will send you a free box with a shipping label to stuff your iPhone 4 into. Drop it off at your nearest FedEx location, and wait a few weeks for the money to roll in. You can choose to receive payment in the form of check, PayPal payment or Amazon gift card.

I like this option, because you can get a quote first and mail your iPhone to Gazelle after buying a new one, so you won’t be left phoneless for a few days.

Sell on Craigslist

This solution is obvious: Put your iPhone 4 on Craigslist and wait for the fish to bite. There’s a good chance you’ll get more money than you would from Gazelle, if you’re willing to put up with often-flaky Craigslist buyers. Some iPhone 4 listings on Craigslist are going as high as $600.

If you take this route, we recommend erasing all data from the device and removing your SIM card before handing it off to a stranger.

Trade It In to Verizon

Verizon has a trade-in program, where you can swap your AT&T iPhone for a Verizon Wireless gift card, which can go toward your purchase of a Verizon iPhone. To get a quote, visit Verizon’s trade-in program website, and enter your iPhone model.

If you choose to sell the device, Verizon will mail you a self-addressed prepaid envelope. Drop it off at a mailing center and wait for that gift card. Verizon is currently quoting the 16-GB AT&T iPhone 4 at $212.

Photo: Sam Gustin/Wired.com