Upgrade fee: What a load of crap, Verizon....

[Wildo6882]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

Do you have a family plan or an individual plan? I have posted 2 methods above that will show you how to keep your unlimited data plan AND get a subsidized phone.

And if you are leaving for ATT, my advice to you is to sell your UDP line if you are OK with getting a new phone number.

I would wait personally, as I think Verizon will be jumping into the price wars soon now that ATT has thrown their hat in the ring.

I'm not selling my plan because I don't want to lose my number. I've had the same phone number since 1998. It's not going anywhere. And my wife has had the same number since 2001. That simply isn't an option. Everything I've read coming from Verizon's CEO leads me to believe that they aren't changing their practice anytime soon. I won't be signing a contract with AT&T (either doing Next or picking up Nexus 5s) so if I don't like their service or if Verizon does something crazy and lower their prices for Edge phones or bringing your own phone, I can easily switch back and go to a shared plan. We are looking to add our daughter to our plan in the next few months and Verizon will be roughly $250 after taxes and everything. More data (20gb) on AT&T will be $180. Saving $840 a year for essentially the same product is a no brainer for us.

Me and my mom switched to 6GB shared and it has been wonderful. WiFi is very ubiquitous now. I use a little over a 1GB a month now. Our plan pricing is still the same because of some old lines, but once we get rid of those, our plan will be around $160-$180 compared to $260+ being paid now.

Sent from my XT1060 using Mobile Nations mobile app

Yeah, the savings is insane with some of these plans. Keeping unlimited for us just doesn't make sense anymore.

Not that I'm trying to go against whatever you said, but would just like to mention some things...

• The subsidy is still being paid, yes, but if you buy your own device from someone else, you will probably be paying less that if you go on EDGE/Next, as many times you can find a brand new, newly released phone for a decent savings (if only tax).
• Others just hate the carriers so much that they'd rather give their money to someone else (who got the phone from the carrier) rather than paying the carriers directly... But whatever lol

I used to be firmly against the early upgrade plans, but I mean, I care more about people saving money and convenience rather than worrying about the carriers making too much money. The plans are good enough for some people to save money over whatever process they were going through prior to their introduction. Carriers are still making a ton of money off them, but if some people are able to save money, or have the opportunity to spread out payments, or not have to risk meeting a stranger, then that's good.

Yeah, I agree that it could be cheaper buying a slightly used phone, and I also agree with not giving the carriers more money just because. But no matter what, especially on Verizon, the subsidy remains. $40 per line no matter what. And Edge makes sense for a lot of people. You can pay a little more a month, have the newest thing, not be under contract, and be able to swap it out for another phone in a year (or less if you want to throw them a few more dollars). You miss out on resale of the phone, but it's not the end of the world. That's just a lot easier for some people.

 

[vzwuser76]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

You are correct. Its just device switching. Switching an upgrade from a dumb phone to a smartphone to your unlimited line. Though you have to keep that extra line with its charges. That's how I got in trouble in 2012. I did this for a Droid Incredible 2 (me and my mom) and we still have until the 18th of this month until we can get rid of them. These two extra lines along with our two share everything with 6GBs, is costing $260+ a month. I want to switch AT&T, they have more devices I want and it's easy to grab a replacement phone because they are GSM.

Sent from my XT1060 using Mobile Nations mobile app

And that's why, in my case, I'm not able to get subsidized pricing and keep my UDP. This was started from a discussion from another thread with other people. I mentioned that I got a Moto X on the last sale (Moto X off contract for the $70 off till VDay + $30 off with the promo code) that it was worth it to do so since we had unlimited data and 5 lines. The problem in our case is all lines have an UDP and a smartphone on them. We have to have data on each line for a promo from around 2010 that gives each line a $20 data discount. So for us, our only options are full retail to keep not only our UDP, but just as importantly, the $20 discount per line which figures to $100 a month, $1200 a year , off our bill.

I was also told my brother shouldn't have lost UD when he upgraded. But he was on a single line, so there was no extra line to steal/borrow an upgrade from. And like in your experience, if he would've added a line simply for an upgrade, it would've been less expensive to buy a phone outright. Even going with the cheapest plan for an extra line, that's $45 a month or $1080 over the course of a 24 month contract.

Until Verizon pries our plan from my cold dead hands, we'll continue to buy off contract or used through other places. Once that happens though, we'll definitely start shopping around. Although it seems that other than T-Mobile, all the options are the same. And we don't have T-Mobile anywhere near our area, so they're not an option.

 

[Cozume]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

You are correct. Its just device switching. Switching an upgrade from a dumb phone to a smartphone to your unlimited line.

No, that is NOT what it is. It is an upgrade transfer FROM an UDP line TO a dumbphone line. You don't understand the process at all so stop putting out misinformation. I suggest anyone who is curious about this read the threads I have posted and do not pay attention to those who don't understand the process.

Though you have to keep that extra line with its charges.

But the extra line comes with a subsidized phone, so you get subsidized phones for all of your UDP lines AND an extra subsidized phone which you can sell to recoup the cost of the extra line. In my case, I netted $450 for the iPhone 5s I sold, which not only recouped the cost of the extra line for the life of it's 2 year contract, but I made a profit of $136 for my time.

Again, you do not understand the process outlined in that thread and are spreading misinformation. Either read the thread and get your facts straight or stop posting misinformation.

 

[vzwuser76]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

Then that process wouldn't work for you because of your unique data promo.


You are reading that thread correctly. However, the second thread shows a new way in which you can use the upgrade on the UDP line directly without transferring the UDP line's upgrade and without having a dumbphone line on the account. But you can only buy from Best Buy online or Moto Maker and have the phone shipped directly to your home for that to work. You need to use a previously activated SIM card for the activation of the new phone. Only 1 poster so far has posted screen shots of this method showing it worked for him.

And Verizon is well aware of the best buy glitch so do this while you can because who knows how long it will last.

As I understand it though, if you go through Motomaker, and select upgrade, it's the same as upgrading through Verizon, is it not? When you select upgrade (instead of new contract or off contract) you are obligated to extend your contract, and since they no longer offer UDPs, you'd have to switch to a shared data plan, correct?

As far as Best Buy, as I recall, they have the same clause when you go through them as with other places like Wirefly, Amazon, Walmart, etc. The clause I'm referring to states that any warranty for a certain period has to be handled through them, not Verizon, usually six months I believe. Also, if you were to make any changes to your plan or cancel your account during that period, you incur an EFT, which is usually enough to recover the full retail cost of the phone.

 

[Cozume]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

And that's why, in my case, I'm not able to get subsidized pricing and keep my UDP.

Yes you are if you use the Best Buy/Moto Maker process outlined in the second thread I posted.

Seriously, guys, if you don't understand the processes, stop posting misinformation. READ the threads and post on those threads and your questions can be answered there.

 

[Cozume]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

As I understand it though, if you go through Motomaker, and select upgrade, it's the same as upgrading through Verizon, is it not? When you select upgrade (instead of new contract or off contract) you are obligated to extend your contract, and since they no longer offer UDPs, you'd have to switch to a shared data plan, correct?

NO, no, no, no, no, AND NO AGAIN.

And AGAIN READ THE THREAD. Post your questions on that thread. I will not respond to you here again. Go to that thread if you have questions.

As far as Best Buy, as I recall, they have the same clause when you go through them as with other places like Wirefly, Amazon, Walmart, etc. The clause I'm referring to states that any warranty for a certain period has to be handled through them, not Verizon, usually six months I believe. Also, if you were to make any changes to your plan or cancel your account during that period, you incur an EFT, which is usually enough to recover the full retail cost of the phone.

You couldn't be more wrong. Go to the thread and READ IT.

 

[Cozume]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

I don't think he wants to sell his line. Losing your number can be very hurtful personally if you have had it for years. I have had the same number since 2011 and I could have sold my unlimited line but, losing my number was not worth it.

To each his own. I can't imagine feeling hurt by losing a phone number, but I don't form sentimental attachments to phone numbers. People, pets, items given to me by loved ones, sure, but a phone number assigned to me by a wireless carrier, um no.

 

[Cozume]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

I'd question whether it's drivel

It's drivel.

 

[A895]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

To each his own. I can't imagine feeling hurt by losing a phone number, but I don't form sentimental attachments to phone numbers. People, pets, items given to me by loved ones, sure, but a phone number assigned to me by a wireless carrier, um no.

Since I have had the same number for years, everyone who wants to contact me has it and if I switch numbers no one I knew could contact me. Obviously you formed a sentimental attachment to that unlimited line of yours or else you would have gotten rid of it.

Sent from my XT1060 using Mobile Nations mobile app

 

[A895]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

NO, no, no, no, no, AND NO AGAIN.

And AGAIN READ THE THREAD. Post your questions on that thread. I will not respond to you here again. Go to that thread if you have questions.


You couldn't be more wrong. Go to the thread and READ IT.

Also, relax. Its the internet you come off as stressed.

Sent from my XT1060 using Mobile Nations mobile app

 

[Cozume]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

Also, relax. Its the internet you come off as stressed.

I'm not. Actually I am entertained by all of this. It is amazing to me how dense some people are. I wonder how some of the people I "meet" on the internet are able to function in their daily lives if the way they behave online is any indication of that.

 

[Cozume]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

Since I have had the same number for years, everyone who wants to contact me has it and if I switch numbers no one I knew could contact me.

Because if you sold your UDP line, your brain would be removed from your head and therefore you would have no way to contact them and tell them your new phone number since you were now brainless? Seriously, how would selling your UDP line stop you from contacting people and telling them you had a new number?

Remember back a long, long, long, time ago, all the way back to 1995 before the FCC required the carriers to allow porting and every time you changed carriers you had to *gasp* tell people you had a new phone number?

Or if you moved into a new house you had to *gasp again* tell people you had a new landline number?

It was barbaric!!!!!!

Obviously you formed a sentimental attachment to that unlimited line of yours or else you would have gotten rid of it.

Um, no, it is a utilitarian attachment in that my UDP line allows me to have access to wireless data anywhere in the US I need it as long as Verizon has coverage in that area or has an agreement with a roaming partner in that area for a FLAT FEE OF $30/mo. Nothing sentimental about that at all, but it is an amazing deal that I won't give up willingly.

 

[bigrobi24]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

But no matter what, especially on Verizon, the subsidy remains. $40 per line no matter what.

Maybe only a couple days ago they now have a limited-time offer to have a single line, with unlimited talk/text AND 250mb of data for $45. You can also up it to 1gb for $60 a month. I will be upgrading next week and starting my own plan (finishing college and time to move off my parent's plan... bye bye unlimited data). $60 is definitely better than the $90 it used to be (the $40 per line then $50 for 1gb data).

Oh, and to the OP, that print doesn't look small or hidden. Seems legit.

 

[Cozume]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

. I will be upgrading next week and starting my own plan (finishing college and time to move off my parent's plan... bye bye unlimited data). .

WAIT! You don't have to lose your UDP. What you do is split your current line with UDP off of your parent's plan by doing an assumption of liability. You keep your phone number and your unlimited data plan.

Now it will be at the nationwide individual plan rate for whatever amount of minutes you choose and you may encounter reps who will say they don't know how to do it, but the AOL department does. You just need the code for the individual plan that corresponds to your family plan.

 

[Relgoshan]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

My phones is on an Everything Data plan from Sprint, I've pulled up to 15GB per month thru it (mostly torrented linux operating system images). No problems with throttling or ominous warning calls from corporate. I just got a Tab 3 7.0 LTE thru them, it was $0 for the device with 0 tax and 0 activation. I put it on their 2GB plan for $15, which actually added $16 to my monthly bill. Overage will be $0.015/MB, that is $15/GB billed per meg. I can drop it all the way down to a $5 sleeper plan tho, at any time. Changing plans without re-signing a contract - upward or downward - is a nice perk.

Sprint's big gimmick is unlimited data on phones but NOT unlimited for tethering or tablets. You could possibly root your phone and bypass the tethering lock, people say it's worked for years without them getting cut off. But for larger screens they know more people would use an unlimited plan more aggressively....oh well.

 

[vzwuser76]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

NO, no, no, no, no, AND NO AGAIN.

And AGAIN READ THE THREAD. Post your questions on that thread. I will not respond to you here again. Go to that thread if you have questions.


You couldn't be more wrong. Go to the thread and READ IT.

JC, the reason I didn't read thru ALL the threads is that, the first one is 60 pages long, and the second one took me to a specific post that was referring to the upgrade switch, so I didn't take it any further since it appeared to be in the same thread.

As far as BB, the last time I looked at them for upgrading, the DID have an ETF, so I'm sorry that I didn't stay absolutely current with what every single retailer is offering. I don't live on these forums, so I don't catch every little thing. I always try to research when making a purchase, but lately there is so much BS to wade through that I'd rather not waste the time.

Usually when I try to give someone info, rather than jus sending them a link, I give them a brief overview and then the link if they want to read further. In this case, I'd say "If you go through either BB or MM, select an upgrade, have it shipped to your home, and when it arrives, remove the Sim that comes with it, and put the Sim from the old phone in the new one". While you covered most of that, the part about using your old Sim rather than the one that came with it is the key to why it works and you can apparently keep unlimited data. Either way I probably still wouldn't have gone with it since this is a glitch and with my luck it would've been gone by the time I had done it.

And as far as just sending it back and have them reverse it, you'd said in some cases they wouldn't let you have UDP back if you use to much. While in our case we're nowhere near what that guy was using (160GB average), between the 5 lines were using around 30GB a month, which is still a lot. My line and another don't hardly use it since were on WiFi 95% of the time, but the others use around 10GB each. So again, it's not worth the risk for us. The way I figure it, with the promo in place we save $2400 over a normal contract period, that's like getting a line for free in many cases. Another way to look at it is that it's like not getting the discount, and being able to upgrade 4-6 times during that period, and still have UDP to boot.

I understand it can be frustrating when someone doesn't get your point, but as others have said you do come off fairly aggressively. Right or wrong, it may irritate an already frustrated person to say F this and not take your advice. I used to deal with people directly a lot, and while they can be frustrating, you have to remember that they probably don't deal with this very much, or have a lot of time to spend to learn about it. I was at fault by not reading all the way through the second thread you posted. But as I said, when I clicked on it, it took me to posts that were essentially echoing what was said in the first thread, so I didn't take it further. Again sorry.

 

[vzwuser76]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

I'm not. Actually I am entertained by all of this. It is amazing to me how dense some people are. I wonder how some of the people I "meet" on the internet are able to function in their daily lives if the way they behave online is any indication of that.

And this is what I was talking about. You do realize people lived and survived before the internet right? Saying someone couldn't function IRL because of how they are on the internet? I know plenty of people who sharp as can be, but are easily baffled by certain things on the internet. And I also now people who are whizzes on the internet and are clueless IRL. Being proficient at one doesn't necessarily you will be with the other.

 

[Cozume]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

As far as BB, the last time I looked at them for upgrading, the DID have an ETF

Best Buy has never had the secondary ETF for dropping a data plan. Never. As for Verizon's ETF if you cancel a line before its contract expires, well, yes, they have an ETF if you cancel a line before it's contract expires, but that is an ETF charged by Verizon and it happens no matter whom you buy the phone from.

Usually when I try to give someone info, rather than jus sending them a link, I give them a brief overview and then the link if they want to read further.

I am referring you to those threads because this thread is not about this issue and the answers here are being buried in a thread that is entitled "Verizon is Full of Crap" or whatever this thread is entitled amid people spouting off that Verizon is involved in some big conspiracy to hide the upgrade fees from its customers.

If you post in the other threads that are specifically about keeping your UDP while still getting a subsidized phone, the answers will be somewhere that people trying to find the information can easily find it.

There are several very knowledgeable people on those threads who spend quite a bit of time helping others through the process. And we are encouraging people to post screen shots of this new process in return for our help so that we can all be reassured that it works and the people posting are legit. Those threads are the best place to discuss it and get help.

 

[Wildo6882]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

Maybe only a couple days ago they now have a limited-time offer to have a single line, with unlimited talk/text AND 250mb of data for $45. You can also up it to 1gb for $60 a month. I will be upgrading next week and starting my own plan (finishing college and time to move off my parent's plan... bye bye unlimited data). $60 is definitely better than the $90 it used to be (the $40 per line then $50 for 1gb data).

Oh, and to the OP, that print doesn't look small or hidden. Seems legit.

Ah, yeah, I think you are correct. But for me and my family, we can't do that without splitting us all up. And 1gb of data each isn't enough. I'd still like to be on a 10+gb plan for all of us.

 

[Paul627g]

Re: What a load of crap, Verizon....

@ All,

Can we get back on track with the topic or have we exhausted the usefulness of this thread? Also any further smug remarks to one another will also mark a reason to just close this thread up, we don't need the unnecessary drama.

Thanks

Paul
Moderator Team Leader @ Android Central.