Yet another unlimited data upgrade scenario

[mears]

I have an unlimited data smartphone account with a single line (Galaxy Nexus). I've been eligible for an upgrade since mid-August.

I am well familiar with the loophole that is available to people with multiple lines. I have also seen older posts, where people have had success adding a brand new line to their account and upgrading, but I'm not sure if that's still possible. Given, my single line, unlimited data account will either or both of these options work?

General Question: Since both options will entail me adding a line that I want to downgrade to basic, do I actually need a non-smartphone? Is it possible to activate, say an OG Moto Droid on a basic line without a data plan?

Option 1 - Add a new line, transfer my current upgrade from current line to it and buy an LG G2
1. Can I add a second line to my existing account today and transfer my current upgrade to it? I presume, I'd have to have a phone activated on it before it was eligible for transfer?

Option 2 - Add a new line and use it's subsidized new plan price to purchase an LG G2
1. If I buy a smart phone at a subsidized price, I'm assuming I'd need to keep that line with a data plan to avoid ETF. Is that correct (would scuttle this option)?

 

[diesteldorf]

It's always hard to do this when you are on a single line plan, assuming there are no other single line plans or family plans on the same account.
If you add a second line, you can buy a new phone and transfer that phone to your UNLIMITED line and keep unlimited data.

The problem is that you will potentially have a second line you are not using that is under a two year contract, with a $350 ETF.
If you merge the 2 lines into a family plan, your monthly cost will be less, but still substantially more that it was on a single plan.

Second option is to add a second line and get a smartphone. Then transfer the upgrade from your unlimited line to the new line and get another smartphone. Activate both smartphones on the new line first, just to be safe---even though there is some discussion over whether this is necessary--better to be safe than sorry.

Then you'll have 2 smartphones with one you can keep and one you can sell, that will hopefully net you enough money to offset the cost of canceling the second line you no longer need.

 

[mears]

It's always hard to do this when you are on a single line plan, assuming there are no other single line plans or family plans on the same account.
If you add a second line, you can buy a new phone and transfer that phone to your UNLIMITED line and keep unlimited data.

The problem is that you will potentially have a second line you are not using that is under a two year contract, with a $350 ETF.
If you merge the 2 lines into a family plan, your monthly cost will be less, but still substantially more that it was on a single plan.

Your second options is something I am going to consider. Going back to this one though, if the second line is only $9.99/mo, I can deal with that since it still comes to less than the cost of buying the phone outright. If I go with your option 1, can I buy a smart phone on the new line, transfer the phone to my original line, and then remove the data plan? It seems like if you purchased a subsidized smart phone on the line, I'd have to carry the data plan for the life of the contract.

 

[diesteldorf]

You can definitely remove the data plan at will and add a basic phone to avoid the data plan on the second line. The problem with having 2 lines on the account is just the added expense.

Let's say you have a legacy single line plan with 450 minutes for $39.99. If you update that to a Nationwide 700 plan, you'd pay $50 for the plan and 9.99 for each line. You'd pay $69.98 vs. $39.99 under the single line plan. Paying $30 extra per month isn't a good deal at all.

 

[moosc]

But here's the question how do you add a second line? There is no more family plans unless your already on it. So to add a second line would be the new plans share every thing which will remove unlimited. And adding second line on those new plans is either dumb phone $20 or smart phone $30. If you really want the G2 then do the device payment plan. It'll run a extra $52 a month on your bill for one year. But you keep the unlimited data that way.

Sent from Bad Azz VZW LG G2 Cyan Tapatalk

 

[diesteldorf]

If you have a Nationwide single plan, you are not required to switch to a Share Everything plan and can still create a Nationwide family share plan.

If you open another single line plan, under share everything--so you would have 1 single line Nationwide plan and 1 single line Share Everything plan, the Share Everything plan would be priced at $30 for a basic line and $10 for the cheapest IIRC data plan--300 MB.

 

[mears]

If you have a Nationwide single plan, you are not required to switch to a Share Everything plan and can still create a Nationwide family share plan.

If you open another single line plan, under share everything--so you would have 1 single line Nationwide plan and 1 single line Share Everything plan, the Share Everything plan would be priced at $30 for a basic line and $10 for the cheapest IIRC data plan--300 MB.

So I'd be locked into a $40/month plan for 2 years just to get the upgrade?

 

[diesteldorf]

So I'd be locked into a $40/month plan for 2 years just to get the upgrade?

That's why it's better to upgrade both lines, sell one of the smartphones, and use it to offset the cost of the ETF from canceling the 2nd line.
If you have a single line, there is no way to add a second line for $9.99 per month and the cost of the second line will greatly exceed the cost of just buying a phone at full retail.

 

[cnotes2019]

That's why it's better to upgrade both lines, sell one of the smartphones, and use it to offset the cost of the ETF from canceling the 2nd line.
If you have a single line, there is no way to add a second line for $9.99 per month and the cost of the second line will greatly exceed the cost of just buying a phone at full retail.

Yes there is. You can do an AOL on a single line and it will be added as a $9.99 charge to share voice and text.

 

[mears]

That's why it's better to upgrade both lines, sell one of the smartphones, and use it to offset the cost of the ETF from canceling the 2nd line.
If you have a single line, there is no way to add a second line for $9.99 per month and the cost of the second line will greatly exceed the cost of just buying a phone at full retail.

If I start a new line and buy a smartphone on it, transfer my upgrade from my current account to it (not sure if that's possible since they'd be separate), and then terminate my contract on that line, wouldn't I pay two ETFs?

 

[diesteldorf]

No because you would still be keeping one line under a 2 year contract.

 

[diesteldorf]

Yes there is. You can do an AOL on a single line and it will be added as a $9.99 charge to share voice and text.

But if he only has a single line plan---39.99 for 450 min etc, will they let him do an AOL for a 9.99 line and keep the price at 9.99 WITHOUT making him setup a Nationwide share plan? If yes, that's awesome.

 

[dpham00]

But if he only has a single line plan---39.99 for 450 min etc, will they let him do an AOL for a 9.99 line and keep the price at 9.99 WITHOUT making him setup a Nationwide share plan? If yes, that's awesome.

You would have to move to a family share plan

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II via Tapatalk 4

 

[diesteldorf]

You would have to move to a family share plan

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II via Tapatalk 4

That's what I figured and why the increased cost of the plan would be more than just paying full retail for the phone.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[moosc]

But there is no more family plans. They only have share every thing plan only.. If you are on a family share plan u can still bounce between min plans ie go from the 1400 to 700 min plan or vise versa.

You would have to move to a family share plan

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II via Tapatalk 4

Sent from Bad Azz VZW LG G2 Cyan Tapatalk

 

[cnotes2019]

But if he only has a single line plan---39.99 for 450 min etc, will they let him do an AOL for a 9.99 line and keep the price at 9.99 WITHOUT making him setup a Nationwide share plan? If yes, that's awesome.

If you mean a share everything plan than no they won't. I have done this very thing recently via AOL. You can just call their AOL department to confirm this.

 

[diesteldorf]

What kind of a plan do you have now?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[diesteldorf]

The exception is if you already have a Nationwide single line plan and want add or AOL a line. You can combine them together for a Nationwide family share plan and are not required to go to a new share everything plan.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Simon_y7]

Didn't get a response in another thread, so I'm reposting.

Here's a dilemma. Both my wife and I are eligible for upgrades. My wife is happy with her dumb phone that I was going to use eventually to preserve my unlimited data. My son's eligibility comes up in April of next year. Now turns out he wants an upgrade to a smartphone for Christmas. What does the latter mean for making my future back-and-forth switch? If I were to transfer my wife's upgrade to my son, I can't use her line to upgrade again and to preserve my data. What happens if I transfer my upgrade to him and then use my wife's line for my new smartphone? Or transferring my upgrade to him makes me ineligible for the trick to keep unlimited data? To clarify, my concern is that by giving my son my upgrade, I'd preclude the transfer of the smartphone from my wife's line to mine.

 

[dpham00]

Didn't get a response in another thread, so I'm reposting.

Here's a dilemma. Both my wife and I are eligible for upgrades. My wife is happy with her dumb phone that I was going to use eventually to preserve my unlimited data. My son's eligibility comes up in April of next year. Now turns out he wants an upgrade to a smartphone for Christmas. What does the latter mean for making my future back-and-forth switch? If I were to transfer my wife's upgrade to my son, I can't use her line to upgrade again and to preserve my data. What happens if I transfer my upgrade to him and then use my wife's line for my new smartphone? Or transferring my upgrade to him makes me ineligible for the trick to keep unlimited data? To clarify, my concern is that by giving my son my upgrade, I'd preclude the transfer of the smartphone from my wife's line to mine.

You can transfer your upgrade to any non unlimited line(basic phone or tiered data smartphone) . Once the upgrade goes through, you should be able to transfer the upgrade to the line again. It might take a few days for things to clear your account before you can transfer to the same line.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3 via Tapatalk Pro