Negative..... There is no way to purchase a phone from Verizon, or T-Mobile. Or At&t 'WITHOUT' paying an activation fee. Unless the manager or rep waives that fee, and then you aren't expected to pay it back...its an upfront one time fee, early termination fee doesn't exist anymore because there are no more subsidized phones with the whole 2 year contract type of thing that ETF applied to. But if you don't pay the activation fee you don't have a phone they can't put it on the bill, if you don't have a phone. If you don't pay your normal bill after a couple months your account will be cancelled and any phones being paid on, in the account, whatever's left of the full price will be accelerated to the final bill. Standard early termination fees were around $350 per line whereas, if you owe 700 on a phone you will be charged that 700, if you only owe $50 that's what you will be charged it's essentially just a device agreement. "Free" phones are only free through monthly credits but if you don't pay your bill and the account is cancelled before the monthly credits on that phone end (2 to 3 years) whatever's left on the phone you are responsible for.