[Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep (legacy) Unlimited Data on Verizon

[cg101]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

Just an update. I was going to upgrade my moms phone, but it kept showing on Verizons site that that would kill my unlimited (a different line). I checked with Verizon on chat:
Bobby: I'm showing that if you do upgrade it will change your unlimited data
Why is that
Bobby: We do not offer the unlimited data so if you upgrade then it will ask you to change the plan and on the share plan we do not have unlimited data

So, if anyone can confirm I'm correct, I'm switching to Sprint.

I am at the checkout and have gone through everything prior to checkout. I'm not seeing this message that I'm going to lose unlimited data. I attempted to upgrade my last dummy line and I cancelled the upgrade after I made my screenshot.



All I can tell you is that I'm on the Family Nationwide 700 plan. I didn't get a prompt telling me that I'd lose unlimited data, though...that much I can tell you.

 

[doyerman]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

This is an awesome thread, but it's hella long, heh. Probably redundant, but being that unlimited data is GOLD, I'm sure you guys will understand the paranoia. I'm pretty sure I got a good handle and gameplan to get this done, but I don't know if there were any BS policies that changed or whatever.

Anyway, here's my situation and if you guys could let me know if there's anything wrong with this, tell me to STOP:
- Family plan with all 5 lines taken up
- I got the unlimited plan, mom has basic phone line (both have upgrades available)
- I want the Note 3, she wants the Note 2
The guy at the Costco Kiosk was cool w/ me trying to keep my unlimited, but he didn't know how to help me out, so basically if i tell him what to do, he'll do it for me. SO this is the course of action I'm plannin on taking based on the info I got from this awesome thread:
- Buy the Note 3 using her upgrade and activate on her line, and basically deactivate it, and send that over to my line. Note 3 w/ unlimited data intact = happy me
- TRANSFER my available upgrade on verizon online to my mom's line, have her use it, buy subsidized phone, activate it on her line. Note 2 w/ new tier plan

Yay or nay? Any advice/confirmation/rejection would help me w/ this anxiety... lol thanks guys!

 

[lucasbuck]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

I finally got a rep on chat to say it wouldn't remove my unlimited (and printed it out). My one last question is, do I need to active the Note 3 on the dumbphone line and then deactivate it before moving it to replace my smartphone?

 

[cg101]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

My one last question is, do I need to active the Note 3 on the dumbphone line and then deactivate it before moving it to replace my smartphone?

1) Activate the Note 3 on the dumbphone line. Make sure the Note 3 is activated on that line.
2) Activate the dumbphone back on the dumbphone line. Make sure that dumbphone is activated.
3) Perform a device swap from unlimited data line phone to the Note 3. This is done by either swapping out the SIM and activating on the vzw website, or calling Verizon to reprogram the SIM to place on your dumbphone line or going to the vzw website and reprogram the sim yourself. But I can't stress this enough, it is DEVICE SWAP!!

 

[Simon_y7]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

1) Activate the Note 3 on the dumbphone line. Make sure the Note 3 is activated on that line.
2) Activate the dumbphone back on the dumbphone line. Make sure that dumbphone is activated.
3) Perform a device swap from unlimited data line phone to the Note 3. This is done by either swapping out the SIM and activating on the vzw website, or calling Verizon to reprogram the SIM to place on your dumbphone line or going to the vzw website and reprogram the sim yourself. But I can't stress this enough, it is DEVICE SWAP!!

Shouldn't 3) precede 2), or it doesn't matter?

 

[cg101]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

Shouldn't 3) precede 2), or it doesn't matter?

No, 3) should not precede 2).

 

[lucasbuck]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

1) Activate the Note 3 on the dumbphone line. Make sure the Note 3 is activated on that line.
2) Activate the dumbphone back on the dumbphone line. Make sure that dumbphone is activated.
3) Perform a device swap from unlimited data line phone to the Note 3. This is done by either swapping out the SIM and activating on the vzw website, or calling Verizon to reprogram the SIM to place on your dumbphone line or going to the vzw website and reprogram the sim yourself. But I can't stress this enough, it is DEVICE SWAP!!

So if I didn't want to bother pulling the sim card, just got to the Verizon site once the old dumbphone is back on, and use 'Activate or Switch device' to replace my smartphone with the Note 3? Thanks again for the help, just trying to make sure I don't screw up.

 

[cg101]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

So if I didn't want to bother pulling the sim card, just got to the Verizon site once the old dumbphone is back on, and use 'Activate or Switch device' to replace my smartphone with the Note 3? Thanks again for the help, just trying to make sure I don't screw up.

As a matter of fact, yes, that is what you do. When you go to Activate or Switch Device, you will put the SIM card number from the SIM in the Note 3 that will replace the phone in the unlimited data line. I know this because when I sold my Note 2, I had to do that to activate the Samsung Galaxy S3 that was a placeholder until Note 3 day came. I put in the SIM card, made sure it was activated, and the S3 replaced my Note 2 for a few days.

As long as you activate the Note 3 on the dumbphone line too, the Device Swap should be easy. The reason you want to activate the Note 3 on the dumbphone line first is so that you don't "upgrade" the Unlimited Data line, and go to a 2GB line. That's what you don't want. Once the phone is activated on the dumb phone line, then you should have a new contract on that line for two years (which is normal.) When you put the dumb phone on the line, the 2GB data plan gets removed and it goes back to 9.99 plus taxes and such.

If nothing else, find my thread where I unbox my Note 3 (written on 10/10.) The first pic you see shows my Note 3 with the Verizon widget clearly showing unlimited. That should clear out some of your anxiety about not screwing anything up (trust me, I've been there...)

 

[lucasbuck]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

Thanks much, should be here Wednesday so I'll update.

 

[stl_ls1gto]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

Wow that is a lot to read. In doing so, I think I answered most of my questions, but I still have a few. Here are my plan details - main familyshare 700 line is my phone, a thunderbolt with unlimited data. The second line is an iphone 4s, also with unlimited data. We do not have a dummy phone line to use to upgrade. Both lines are eligible for upgrades at this time and are both month to month. The second line wants to upgrade to the new iphone 5s now, I might upgrade now, either to a galaxy 4 or note 3.....but I may wait till jan/feb for the galaxy 5 to come out. So my questions are as follows:

Am I able to add a new 3rd line, which would be an iphone 5s, and then transfer that phone to the second line - then just keep as a 9.99 a month non-smartphone line? Is there any way to make it a month to month, or is there automatically a 2yr contract on it? I could probably dig up an old flip phone to use to keep the 3rd line active, since I probably should not just use my wifes old iphone 4s on the 3rd line we will not be using so there are no data charges.
2. If this does work, how will I be able to upgrade my phone say in january/feb with the galaxy 5 comes out? Can I transfer my upgrade to the 3rd line, upgrade that, and then switch it to the 1st line?

3. If I can add a line, is that something I can do on the verizon website before going into a bestbuy store to get the phone? Should I just activate the 3rd line using an old flip phone I have?

4. can I get the phone at the apple store and make this work? I just have a $150 giftcard to use there.

thanks for your help, let me know if you need clarification of anything.....dont want to loose unlimited data

 

[cg101]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

Am I able to add a new 3rd line, which would be an iphone 5s, and then transfer that phone to the second line - then just keep as a 9.99 a month non-smartphone line? Is there any way to make it a month to month, or is there automatically a 2yr contract on it? I could probably dig up an old flip phone to use to keep the 3rd line active, since I probably should not just use my wifes old iphone 4s on the 3rd line we will not be using so there are no data charges.

You can add up to 3 more lines, if you want. I personally added two (a couple of weeks prior to getting my Note 3.) I had a third line that is my Verizon MiFi on unlimited data...(yeah, that's right... ) You cannot add a line and not have a phone on it (i.e. switching a phone back and forth.) There must be a device that has a valid (clean) ESN at all times on a line. (The device doesn't even have to work.) But yes, it is best to find a dumb phone off of craigslist, eBay, etc. When you bring your own device into a new line, the line is automatically month-to-month. That's what needs to happen for the alternate upgrade.

2. If this does work, how will I be able to upgrade my phone say in january/feb with the galaxy 5 comes out? Can I transfer my upgrade to the 3rd line, upgrade that, and then switch it to the 1st line?

According to tx_tuff, after you upgrade the dumb phone, you should be able to transfer an upgrade from either unlimited line and then repeat the alternate upgrade process and not lose unlimited data. I believe once that is done, the UL data line and the upgrade line (dumbphone) have new 2 year contract dates. However, the transfer should not make you lose unlimited data.

3. If I can add a line, is that something I can do on the verizon website before going into a bestbuy store to get the phone? Should I just activate the 3rd line using an old flip phone I have?

For both of my dumb phones, I called VZW directly. You're just giving the rep the ESN from your dumbphone and making a new line active. That's it. I would not advise upgrading the line at this point...I'd wait at least a couple of days or something...72 hours tops.

4. can I get the phone at the apple store and make this work? I just have a $150 giftcard to use there.

If you're just going to upgrade the dumbphone, then yes, I can't see why not. Then when you leave the store, go on the website and make the switch...you can reprogram the SIM in the iPhone. MAKE SURE THOUGH THAT YOU PUT THE DUMBPHONE BACK ON THE DUMBPHONE LINE FIRST THOUGH...call Verizon and get that done...this way you don't keep the 2GB plan...then you can do the device swap I've mentioned over and over again.

 

[stl_ls1gto]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

So the first thing I should do is get a dumb phone, and call verizon to activate the 3rd line for $9.99, month to month. Are you saying then, I will automatically be eligible for an upgrade on this line? So after a day or two, go to the apple store, and get an upgraded 5s on this line, with the 2gig data package. Go home, call verizon, and have them put the dumb phone back on this line, and make sure the data is cancelled. Then have the new iphone 5s added as the phone on the unlimited line 2 - which I should be able to do online right?

Assuming all that goes smoothly for that phone, what is the exact procedure in order to switch the upgrade from one smartphone to the 3rd line dumb phone in order to get that line upgraded?

 

[yaerinie]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

As most of the posters here seem to, I also think that I have a good feel for what I need to do to keep my unlimited plan, but as I am still a bit paranoid, I'm posting my line situation here. If anyone can confirm that what I did was right, that would be great!
So I have 5 lines on my family plan, and everyone is on a 2gb tiered plan except me. I am the only unlimited plan. I am also the only one with an upgrade. So what I did was transfer my upgrade to my mother's 2gb line, purchased the Note 3 via her line. All confirmation pages/emails state that phone was purchased on mother's line. Now my question is, when I receive the phone, I'm supposed to activate the Note 3 on to my mother's line first right? Then reactivate her phone, and then the Note 3 is free for me to activate on my line right? But my question is, how do I activate my mother's iPhone after activating the Note 3 on her line? I'm confused because iPhones don't have SIMS. I'm also a bit confused because I chatted with a Verizon Rep who told me that as long as I purchase the phone on my mother's line, I can simply activate the Note 3 onto my line without first activating in on my mother's line. She stated that I would not lose my unlimited data even if I just directly activated the Note onto my unlimited plan.

Can someone please clarify:
a) Is the rep right in saying I don't need to activate on my mother's line first?
and if not, b) how do I activate an iPhone again after first activating the Note 3 for my mother? (I live across the country from my mom so I'm hoping I can do all this online.)

Thanks in advanced to anyone who can help me out!

 

[cg101]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

So the first thing I should do is get a dumb phone, and call verizon to activate the 3rd line for $9.99, month to month. Are you saying then, I will automatically be eligible for an upgrade on this line?

Yes. That is what I said. When you bring your own device in, it's a month-to-month line. I had two flips with clean ESNs, so I know. One is now on contract til 10/2015 thanks to my Note 3.

So after a day or two, go to the apple store, and get an upgraded 5s on this line, with the 2gig data package. Go home, call verizon, and have them put the dumb phone back on this line, and make sure the data is cancelled. Then have the new iphone 5s added as the phone on the unlimited line 2 - which I should be able to do online right?

You're not adding, you're swapping. And yes, you should be able to do that online.

Assuming all that goes smoothly for that phone, what is the exact procedure in order to switch the upgrade from one smartphone to the 3rd line dumb phone in order to get that line upgraded?

Before you start these steps, write down the SIM ID (long number) that's on the iPhone. You are also going to need to follow these instructions:

Option 1
Dial *#06#. The number should display on your screen.

Option 2
Find your iPhone or iPad serial number, IMEI, ICCID or MEID in the About Screen on your device.


From the Home Screen, tap Settings > General > About and scroll down. The number will be displayed.

1) Login to your vzw.com account.
2) Where you see "My Devices" you should see a blue hyperlinked statement that says "Activate or Switch Devices" on the right of that. Click it.
3) Choose the line/phone that has unlimited data that you're gonna switch. Then click Next below.
4) You need to make sure that "Activate Device" is checked. You also need to check "I am activating a device that I have not used with this account." Also, that second number you got earlier (the serial number, IMEI, ICCID, etc.,); you're going to input that in the box that says "Enter the Device ID."
Click Next.

Unfortunately, that's all I can give you, without performing these steps myself. I don't remember what happens after that, but I do remember that it was straightforward. I can promise you that you will be more than half way done and you'll have all the information you need to complete the transfer. But I can tell you that once the transfer is successful, the wife will have a new iPhone on her unlimited data plan.

 

[stl_ls1gto]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

thanks, you have made it much clearer. Do you happen to know how I would go about upgrading my phone in the future, assuming I do not want to add a 4th line? How do you transfer an upgrade from one phone to another, does a rep in a best buy/costco have to do it?

 

[cg101]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

thanks, you have made it much clearer. Do you happen to know how I would go about upgrading my phone in the future, assuming I do not want to add a 4th line? How do you transfer an upgrade from one phone to another, does a rep in a best buy/costco have to do it?

Read this: http://www.droid-life.com/2013/09/17/keep-unlimited-data-verizon-upgrade/

 

[lucasbuck]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

I have an 'out of curiosity' question. What happens if you just switch sim cards? Does the phone still appear to Verizon (and on their site) as the one that originally had that simcard, or does it know it's the different model?

 

[cg101]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

They have to be the same size.

 

[jlmorris]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

I am at the checkout and have gone through everything prior to checkout. I'm not seeing this message that I'm going to lose unlimited data. I attempted to upgrade my last dummy line and I cancelled the upgrade after I made my screenshot.

All I can tell you is that I'm on the Family Nationwide 700 plan. I didn't get a prompt telling me that I'd lose unlimited data, though...that much I can tell you.

Not sure I understand what you are saying, your screenshot clearly shows that your plan is the 2GB Data Bundle with Personal Email?

 

[cg101]

Re: [Instruction]How to Keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

Not sure I understand what you are saying, your screenshot clearly shows that your plan is the 2GB Data Bundle with Personal Email?

You need to read the preceding posts that I was responding to. I was upgrading my 2nd Dummy line (or rather pretending to before I cancelled.) The discussion was that if I proceded to go through with the alternate upgrade, I would lose unlimited data on my lines, but I didn't get the message those guys were talking about.

If you look for my Note 3 unboxing thread, you will see that my phone does have unlimited data. And loving every GB of it.