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

[guest120]

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

Since the upgrade came from the 2gb line, you can upgrade using any source.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4

Didn't think of that, thanks!

That would work. However, it is safe to activate the phone on the tiered line. This is the preferred way as it would avoid a pending activation on your account. If you activate on the tiered line, you can always log into Verizon and move phones among your lines.

When your unlimited lines become eligible for an upgrade, just transfer the upgrade to the tiered line.

Posted via Android Central App

I went to Verizon about a month or so ago and asked if the switching phones in the account method worked and they said that they stopped that and UDP will be lost. I've been doing it for years and found it odd but figured they finally caught onto it so i didn't question it but i'm pretty sure you're right and the person didn't know what he was talking about.

There are currently 3 lines on the account (2UDP and the Tiered). The person with the Tiered that i'm using to keep my UDP is out of the country and not using their phone so what i should do is just buy the phone from anywhere, turn it on to activate it on the Tiered line and then go into my Verizon account and swap (i believe by using the IMEI) my iPhone with the new phone that's on the Tiered (and then add the phone that was originally on the tiered line back)?

 

[dusoccer10]

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

Didn't think of that, thanks!



I went to Verizon about a month or so ago and asked if the switching phones in the account method worked and they said that they stopped that and UDP will be lost. I've been doing it for years and found it odd but figured they finally caught onto it so i didn't question it but i'm pretty sure you're right and the person didn't know what he was talking about.

There are currently 3 lines on the account (2UDP and the Tiered). The person with the Tiered that i'm using to keep my UDP is out of the country and not using their phone so what i should do is just buy the phone from anywhere, turn it on to activate it on the Tiered line and then go into my Verizon account and swap (i believe by using the IMEI) my iPhone with the new phone that's on the Tiered (and then add the phone that was originally on the tiered line back)?

Ignore in-store reps as they have all been coached to say that. You'll find plenty of examples in this thread with people successfully upgrading online.

As for your upgrade, you do not need the phone on hand (or even turned on) to upgrade. Just use the upgrade as normal. When the phone arrives, go ahead and activate it. After a few hours, shut down the new phone. Log into Verizon and I activate the old phone on the tiered line. Now the new phone can be added to the unlimited line. You don't have to worry about IMEI as the phones are automatically saves to your account once activated.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[guest120]

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

Ignore in-store reps as they have all been coached to say that. You'll find plenty of examples in this thread with people successfully upgrading online.

As for your upgrade, you do not need the phone on hand (or even turned on) to upgrade. Just use the upgrade as normal. When the phone arrives, go ahead and activate it. After a few hours, shut down the new phone. Log into Verizon and I activate the old phone on the tiered line. Now the new phone can be added to the unlimited line. You don't have to worry about IMEI as the phones are automatically saves to your account once activated.

Posted via Android Central App

Thanks for the quick response.

Last question - Since the upgrade is already on the tiered line do i have to order the phone online or can i go buy one from a store (i.e verizon,best buy). Not sure if they would require me to activate it on the spot if i buy it in store but even if they do based on your above response it shouldn't matter and should work ok.

 

[sweetz325]

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

Hello... so I have read pages and pages of this thread, and I can't seem to find someone with my scenario, which is...

Line 1: UDP - iPhone 5 - month-to-month (no contract) - eligible for upgrade
Line 2: UDP - iPhone 5 - month-to-month (no contract) - eligible for upgrade

I want to do the Best Buy method, and I am looking to get the Galaxy S5 for line 1, and iPhone 6 for line 2. Assuming it will work fine if I moved the SIM card from the iPhone 5 to the iPhone 6 (right??), my main question here is will I be able to use my SIM card from the iPhone 5 in the Galaxy S5?? From online research, it looks like the iPhone 5 used a nano SIM card while the Galaxy 5S uses a micro... Am I out of luck?

Will the BB method work for me??

Thanks in advance!

 

[Brian W1]

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

The sim card in the S5 is a micro sim and the iPhone uses a nano sim. Still no worries, go to Amazon and search nano to micro sim adapter. They are less than 5 bucks and work great. It won't hurt a thing and you'll never know the difference once you close the back of the phone.

 

[dss2000]

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

Thanks for the quick response.

Last question - Since the upgrade is already on the tiered line do i have to order the phone online or can i go buy one from a store (i.e verizon,best buy). Not sure if they would require me to activate it on the spot if i buy it in store but even if they do based on your above response it shouldn't matter and should work ok.

You can just purchase the phone in the store and let them activate it. When you get home put your original phone back on and put the new phone on your UDP by taking your existing SIM from your UDP and putting it in the new phone.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[dusoccer10]

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

Thanks for the quick response.

Last question - Since the upgrade is already on the tiered line do i have to order the phone online or can i go buy one from a store (i.e verizon,best buy). Not sure if they would require me to activate it on the spot if i buy it in store but even if they do based on your above response it shouldn't matter and should work ok.

You can do the tiered upgrade in store if you want as that won't affect your unlimited lines.

When you get home, you can move the new phone to your unlimited line by either switching the SIM card or using my Verizon online. Do the online method if there are different SIM sizes. You will need to go online eventually to put the old phone back on the tiered line.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[sweetz325]

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

Thanks! So, I'd be good to go doing the BB method on both phones?

my previous post read....

"Line 1: UDP - iPhone 5 - month-to-month (no contract) - eligible for upgrade
Line 2: UDP - iPhone 5 - month-to-month (no contract) - eligible for upgrade

I want to do the Best Buy method, and I am looking to get the Galaxy S5 for line 1, and iPhone 6 for line 2. Assuming it will work fine if I moved the SIM card from the iPhone 5 to the iPhone 6 (right??), my main question here is will I be able to use my SIM card from the iPhone 5 in the Galaxy S5?? From online research, it looks like the iPhone 5 used a nano SIM card while the Galaxy 5S uses a micro... Am I out of luck?

Will the BB method work for me??"

 

[tgp]

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

Thanks! So, I'd be good to go doing the BB method on both phones?

my previous post read....

"Line 1: UDP - iPhone 5 - month-to-month (no contract) - eligible for upgrade
Line 2: UDP - iPhone 5 - month-to-month (no contract) - eligible for upgrade

I want to do the Best Buy method, and I am looking to get the Galaxy S5 for line 1, and iPhone 6 for line 2. Assuming it will work fine if I moved the SIM card from the iPhone 5 to the iPhone 6 (right??), my main question here is will I be able to use my SIM card from the iPhone 5 in the Galaxy S5?? From online research, it looks like the iPhone 5 used a nano SIM card while the Galaxy 5S uses a micro... Am I out of luck?

Will the BB method work for me??"

The answer to the nano SIM to micro SIM difference is in many of the posts in this thread; get an adapter. SIM card size is never an issue.

Otherwise you're all good.

 

[jmk32]

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

Please keep us in the loop as to when and how long it took to go away, if it does that is.

My pending activation warning notice in red writing on the Activate or Switch Device page finally disappeared after 30-40 days after using the BB method to get my Note 4 to my upgrade eligible unlimited data line.

However on this Switch Device page, I now see a small disclaimer on the bottom 'Note: Some lines may be ineligible for this transaction due to suspended service or pending order.'

 

[guest120]

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

You can do the tiered upgrade in store if you want as that won't affect your unlimited lines.

When you get home, you can move the new phone to your unlimited line by either switching the SIM card or using my Verizon online. Do the online method if there are different SIM sizes. You will need to go online eventually to put the old phone back on the tiered line.

Posted via Android Central App

Thanks for the reply.

I called Verizon to verify again and was told that if it was 6 months ago it would 100% work but now they are unsure since even if works Verizon is manually auditing all upgrades and will likely take everyone's upgrade away who has done this in the last 6 months.

Thoughts on this?

 

[dusoccer10]

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

Thanks for the reply.

I called Verizon to verify again and was told that if it was 6 months ago it would 100% work but now they are unsure since even if works Verizon is manually auditing all upgrades and will likely take everyone's upgrade away who has done this in the last 6 months.

Thoughts on this?

This is the other "coached" topic that reps say to scare unlimited customers. Hypothetically, Verizon could audit your account. However, all you did was use an upgrade on a tiered line and activate the phone on the tiered line. Your tiered line costs at minimum $30 (unlike the unlimited at $29.99). You'll be fine doing this method. If you want to see more success stories go to Upgrade and keep your Unlimited Data with Verizon 05-29-2014 - Slickdeals.net

I would just purchase the phone online so you don't have to deal with Verizon reps.

 

[dj1807]

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

First of all, thanks to all the dedicated people on this thread providing help. After following the thread for quit a long time, I was able to use my wife's upgrade on a tierd data line to purchase the Droid Turbo for 1 dollar...A Best Buy deal. Activated the phone in store and then came home and put the old s3 back on the 2g line. This freed up the Turbo for my unlimited data line. This was the first time time I had switched devices online. Verizon

So here is my question. In both cases, when I put the old phone back on the 2g line and when I put the Turbo on my unlimited line I had to provide the SIM card number to get the phones activated. Is this typical?

 

[dusoccer10]

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

First of all, thanks to all the dedicated people on this thread providing help. After following the thread for quit a long time, I was able to use my wife's upgrade on a tierd data line to purchase the Droid Turbo for 1 dollar...A Best Buy deal. Activated the phone in store and then came home and put the old s3 back on the 2g line. This freed up the Turbo for my unlimited data line. This was the first time time I had switched devices online. Verizon

So here is my question. In both cases, when I put the old phone back on the 2g line and when I put the Turbo on my unlimited line I had to provide the SIM card number to get the phones activated. Is this typical?

Yes, this is typical. By putting in the SIM numbers, Verizon recodes them to fit the plans. When the Turbo was activated on the tiered line, the SIM inside became associated with the 2GB plan. When moving the phone to the unlimited line, the SIM needed to be changed to meet the new plan.

The same thing is true with the old s3. The SIM in that phone became unattached to any plan once the new Turbo was activated. By inputting its number, the old SIM became re-associated with the 2GB plan.

The only way to have avoid providing SIM numbers would be to swap SIMs between the phone. However, it sounds like that in your case you were dealing with mismatched sizes. So, unless you planned to cut and/or buy adapters, providing SIM numbers was always going to happen.

 

[dpham00]

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

Thanks for the reply.

I called Verizon to verify again and was told that if it was 6 months ago it would 100% work but now they are unsure since even if works Verizon is manually auditing all upgrades and will likely take everyone's upgrade away who has done this in the last 6 months.

Thoughts on this?

This is a typical response. They said this to people who were getting unlimited data through the hotspot loophole years ago too... Yet don't know of anyone who was audited and lost unlimited.

As always is a risk(albeit a low one) ,if you want the safest Route, buy the phone off contract.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4

 

[rdjr74]

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

My pending activation warning notice in red writing on the Activate or Switch Device page finally disappeared after 30-40 days after using the BB method to get my Note 4 to my upgrade eligible unlimited data line.

However on this Switch Device page, I now see a small disclaimer on the bottom 'Note: Some lines may be ineligible for this transaction due to suspended service or pending order.'

Interesting. When I did the BB method back in April (2014) I used my wife's line, then activated the phone on my line using my sim card. Fast forward to this past Dec. I transferred my upgrade (UDP) to my daughters TDP line. While moving the phones around, I got to my wife's line and attempted to have them send me a new sim card I was presented with a pop up saying your order is not compatible with the current data plan and that I would need to select a new data plan. I wasn't having any of that so my solution was to cut her current sim card down and use it, which worked just fine. All lines are showing the current phone icon on myverizon and we still have our UDP's.

I'm wondering that because I used her upgrade back in April (using the BB method) but didn't activate the phone on her account that the system remembers that thus the reason for the pop up. Thankfully I am informed enough (thanks to this thread) to know I could cut down her existing sim card also cutting thru the gold areas, to make it work. I am a bit worried about new sim cards in case I need to replace one in the future and how this will work. Guess time will tell. : /

 

[drew0823]

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

It's not. Because you are on a tiered plan, it is extremely simple for you to upgrade your phone. Just do the following:

1) Log onto Verizon and transfer your UDP line's upgrade to a TDP line;
2) Order the new smartphone you want on the TDP line;
3) When the new smartphone arrives, activate it on the TDP line using the SIM card that ships with the phone;
4) Wait at least an hour and make a few calls/text from the new smartphone to make sure it activated OK;
5) Log onto Verizon and put the TDP line's old smartphone back on the TDP line; and
6) Log onto Verizon and put the new smartphone on the UDP line.

This method is proven to work and you don't have to deal with SIM-swapping or pending activations. It's the preferred method to upgrading an unlimited data plan. You can do it all online and completely ignore talking to Verizon. If you prefer to purchase from Best Buy, you can do steps 1 and 2 on their website.

Guys, been creeping here for quite some time and just wanted to say thanks. Scored myself a Note 4 and kept my unlimited data using the above method. Did everything online, Verizon shipped phone overnight and activation/switching phones went smooth.

 

[rdjr74]

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

Guys, been creeping here for quite some time and just wanted to say thanks. Scored myself a Note 4 and kept my unlimited data using the above method. Did everything online, Verizon shipped phone overnight and activation/switching phones went smooth.

What does your contract end date on your line say? I just did this the 25th and it still says month to month. Only thing I see changed is the tiered line I transferred to has a required data term on it.

 

[fishfan86]

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

Hi, everyone. I asked this question elsewhere, but got conflicting answers. Here's my situation: I have an iPhone 4 (no removable SIM card) and I'm looking to upgrade to the iPhone 6. I'm out-of-contract and have unlimited data. How can I get the iPhone 6 for $200 and keep my UDP? I think my confusion lies in the SIM card. Do I have to use someone's 4G phone with a removable SIM before I can do this, or can I just ask Verizon for a card? A detailed, explain-it-like-I'm-an-***** response would be much appreciated.

 

[drew0823]

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

What does your contract end date on your line say? I just did this the 25th and it still says month to month. Only thing I see changed is the tiered line I transferred to has a required data term on it.

Mine still says month-to-month as well.