$200 Trade In Gift Card Offer with Verizon Edge

Question

I was informed by two Best Buy associates that I could trade in any working smartphone for a $200 gift card that could be applied toward a purchase of a Galaxy S5 or a Note 4.  Both associates told me that the gift card could be used for a two year contract renewal or the Verizon Edge program.  If I chose to go with Verizon Edge then the gift card and any cash that I wanted to put toward the retail cost of the phone would be applied before the net difference was spread over a 24 month period and would reduce the monthly amount payable to Verizon for the phone cost.  . 
I bought a black Note 4 last week and renewed for two years at that time but the Edge program was offered at that time and I was told it would be reduced with the $200 gift card from the trade in.   I went back to my local Best Buy store to return it because they now had a white phone in stock which they did not have last week.  Also, since last week Verizon has also reduced their data plans and I now have a 10GB plan so wold qualify for the $25 discount per phone line instead of $15 with the 6GB plan.   When I went to return the phone I told the representative what I wanted to accomplish and they said it would be no problem to apply the gift card, cash and change to the Edge plan. 
When it got to the point to apply the gift card from the return and the cash I had previously paid they told me they could not do that and I would have to either pay the full retail price for the phone or spread the $749.99 cost across 24 months. They showed me on their screen that they did not have the capability to apply the payment. 
Why was I told by two other associates that this was possible and was the representative tonight correct in saying it is not possible to apply the reduction.  She did say that if I had bad credit and Verizon required a down payment  that she could then accept a payment to reduce the cost of the phone but becuase I had good credit she could not do so. She then offered to put the price of the phone on a credit card which I would then have to pay monthly.   
Please advise.   

Answer 1

Greetings djcarree,
I realize this may not be the answer you were hoping for, but avm5689 is correct: Best Buy gift cards cannot be applied as payment towards devices on Verizon Edge, AT&T Next, or Sprint Easy Pay plans. To apply any gift card to the purchase of a mobile phone, customers must purchase the device as a traditional upgrade (incurring any applicable activation fees) or as a replacement device at its full retail price. Full details on how Verizon Edge plans work can be found here:
Common Questions About Verizon EDGE
That said, it's disappointing to read you may have received misinformation regarding available payment options during your initial visit. We rely on our in-store reps to provide accurate and detailed information on our partner's services and our own policies, so it's disconcerting to learn of situations where that expectation may not have been met.
If you're still in need of assistance and have not already done so, I'd encourage you to return to your local store when the have the chance. As I mentioned above, you'll need to re-purchase your Note 4 as either a replacement device or traditional upgrade in order to apply your trade-in gift cards towards the sale. Please also note that mobile phones can only be returned or exchanged within 14 days of the purchase date, and that additional carrier restrictions may apply.
BestBuy.com > Help Center > Return & Exchange Promise
http://bbyurl.us/RTE
Thank you for your understanding, as well as for taking the time to post.
Aaron|Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate
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