I just don't get the whole phone thing

There are some things in life I dread, and one of them is trying to figure out technology that I don't understand. So when I decided Hubby should get on the bandwagon and get a new phone, I tried to do it in the easiest way possible. I went online and checked the Verizon website to see if I could add a line to my account without having to actually step foot into a Verizon store. I was surprised to see that I was due for a phone upgrade. I figured....why not? I could give the new phone to Hubby, and not have to buy one for him. I looked through the phones online and picked what looked like the easiest, least complicated phone and ordered it. It came in the mail a few days later. I really, really hate going to the Verizon store in the mall because it's a complete zoo, but someone told me Best Buy had a Verizon kiosk, so Hubby and I went there to add on his line and activate his phone. That was a good move.....we got to sit down with a Verizon person, Eilin, right away. Eilin informed us that when we added a new line, we'd get a free phone, so I might as well keep the new phone I got online for myself and Hubby could have the new phone we got as a result of the new line. Sweet. Until Eilin, the representative, tried to activate my new phone. "It says this phone is already in use". WTF???? "It's probably a refurbished phone and they didn't de-activate it". ARE YOU KIDDING ME? First of all, a refurbished phone? And second of all, how could they not de-activate it? I was pretty pissed off. I decided my best course of action was to take that phone back home, call Verizon, scream and yell at them for a while and insist they take back their stupid re-furbished phone and let me go into the Verizon store and get a brand new phone for my upgrade. We got home and I called Verizon right away. I got a very sweet-voiced lady named Barbara. Barbara asked me my phone number and I told her what my problem was. "I can see here on your account that you were given an new phone and it's ready to be activated". Huh? Ready to activate? "Was this a brand new phone or a refurbished one?" I asked. "It's new", says Barbara, "and there's no problem to activate it." okaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy. And she did. Quickly, efficiently and without losing the swee tone in her voice. I have no idea what pipe Eilin was smoking, but she had no idea what she was doing. I personally think when she looked up the phone, what she saw was that it was already in use because it had already been assigned to me when I bought it! Anyway, all's well that ends well. Hubby has a new phone and is on our account....no more going out and buying prepaid phone cards for him. And I have a new phone as well. Now we just have to figure out how to use them.