Has anyone upgraded phones through Amazon? The deals look fantastic, but the next steps made me worry I'd sign up for features I didn't want (and which would cost me buckets more). [Rambling and ranting inside]→[More:]
My wife and I have been Verizon members for years, and we have a family plan that includes her three sisters. I get a discount on the whole kitten caboodle through my work, which is why I'm the "head of the household" in this family plan.

My wife's phone "leaks" and won't stay charged for much more than a day when she's not using it, so she's quite keen on getting a new phone. I'm a minor geek about the technology in the phones, so I've been eying the Droid 4, but have figured out a Droid 3 is probably the best deal for its contents ... if I can get it soon, and for less than $200.

$200? Yes. The local Verizon store still hasn't discounted their almost-outdated phone, though it's $100 less through Verizon online. WTF #1.

And then there's Amazon, offering the same phone for $19.99 to existing subscribers (WTF #2), but it's back-ordered (Oh Bother #1), and I didn't think I'd have to re-negotiate all the calling, text and data plans (Oh Bother #2). I'm concerned I'll lose whatever goodness I might be grandfathered into, being that I've had the phone for a few years now.

So, has anyone had luck with Amazon's "beta" Wireless store/thing? Or does the backordered status imply I should look elsewhere? Or is there a way I could convince a local Verizon store to sell me two Droid 3s for (significantly) less than $200? The sales rep was actually surprised to see that the online Verizon store was offering the phone for $100 less than in-store, and I didn't bother asking to talk to a manager.