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

[LionelHutz590]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

So I got the dreaded "there's a problem with your order" email from Best Buy. Tried to cancel online, but no option to do that. Called the regular customer service number to cancel and they wanted to transfer me to their mobile "back office." I told them that's fine as long as Verizon isn't involved. Sure enough, the person in the back office starts grilling me for my Verizon info so they can make sure my upgrade is restored in the Verizon system. I politely said "I believe I'll just wait for the order to cancel itself automatically. Thank you." The hoops we have to jump through...lol

Checked My Verizon today and it still shows my UDP intact and "upgrade available." Best Buy must be under pressure from Verizon to get us off of the UDP.

 

[shortwave8669]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

I used the BBM almost 2 yrs ago and was very happy to keep my UDP for another 2yrs.

My contract is up in a couple of months. Can I purchase a new device at BB early to remain under contract and keep my UDP (with the added benefit of avoiding the $20 price increase) ?

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[tx_tuff]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

I used the BBM almost 2 yrs ago and was very happy to keep my UDP for another 2yrs.

My contract is up in a couple of months. Can I purchase a new device at BB early to remain under contract and keep my UDP (with the added benefit of avoiding the $20 price increase) ?

Thanks in advance for your help

If you do the old BBM you will be in a new 2 year contract and will not be charged the $20 a month, but you will also lose your UDP.

 

[shortwave8669]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

If you do the old BBM you will be in a new 2 year contract and will not be charged the $20 a month, but you will also lose your UDP.

Thanks for the reply tx_tuff

If I sell the new device to someone else (therefore never having the new device used on my UDP) will I still lose my UDP?

 

[replica9000]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

I might buy an HTC 10 to replace my M8. They both use a nano-SIM. Can I tell a real VZW store it's a gift, so I can just swap SIMs at home? I'm assuming if they activate it there, bye-bye UDP.

 

[UDPGuy]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

I might buy an HTC 10 to replace my M8. They both use a nano-SIM. Can I tell a real VZW store it's a gift, so I can just swap SIMs at home? I'm assuming if they activate it there, bye-bye UDP.

If you buy it full price you won't lose unlimited if they activate it. The real trouble is getting them to sell it to you at full price. Be prepared to buy accessories or go to best buy

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[yeahizme]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

This will work...I did The same thing and told them to hold activation until I was "ready to give the gift."... They tried really hard to activate the phone but I kept pushing back and they didn't activate the phone and voila ...I went from a G3 to a V10 lol

 

[UDPGuy]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

This will work...I did The same thing and told them to hold activation until I was "ready to give the gift."... They tried really hard to activate the phone but I kept pushing back and they didn't activate the phone and voila ...I went from a G3 to a V10 lol

They really don't care. They get the same money either way. Having them activate it in no way affects unlimited data when bought full price

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[tx_tuff]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

Thanks for the reply tx_tuff

If I sell the new device to someone else (therefore never having the new device used on my UDP) will I still lose my UDP?

My understanding is if you do that you will not lose your UDP.

 

[UDPGuy]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

My understanding is if you do that you will not lose your UDP.

Correct. You only lose it if it's the same account.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[shortwave8669]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

DAAAAAAANG !!





My UDP acct has no upgrade until July and my contract end date is the same date.

Hopefully I am wrong-
1) does this mean I cannot buy a subsidized phone EARLY at BB (to later sell on Swappa) ?

2) if I buy early a subsidized phone does that start a new line charge on the acct right away?

My goals are to remain under contract AND keep my UDP

I

 

[jesup]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

Quote Originally Posted by tx_tuff
My understanding is if you do that you will not lose your UDP. EndQuote
Correct. You only lose it if it's the same account

If I have two lines with UDP, both with upgrades: can I upgrade both, burn the SIMs, and activate the phones on the *other* line and keep UDP? (I.e. "sell" the phone to the other line.)

I'm already paying the $20/per UDP line (out of contract). Alternatively I could bite the bullet and switch to a current plan, which (given the two $20 charges) would be a bit cheaper even with an XXL (18GB) plan; we rarely go over 6-7GB (and would be much less with a new phone for my wife; her G4 keeps dropping off the wifi at home, and we work at home).

We have one "basic" (no data) line as well, which we used in the old days for UDP updates (my father-in-law's flipphone).

 

[jesup]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

Also, if we do the dual-upgrade-and-switch idea, can we do it via Verizon, or do we have to do it at BestBuy?

 

[tx_tuff]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

Quote Originally Posted by tx_tuff
My understanding is if you do that you will not lose your UDP. EndQuote
Correct. You only lose it if it's the same account

If I have two lines with UDP, both with upgrades: can I upgrade both, burn the SIMs, and activate the phones on the *other* line and keep UDP? (I.e. "sell" the phone to the other line.)

I'm already paying the $20/per UDP line (out of contract). Alternatively I could bite the bullet and switch to a current plan, which (given the two $20 charges) would be a bit cheaper even with an XXL (18GB) plan; we rarely go over 6-7GB (and would be much less with a new phone for my wife; her G4 keeps dropping off the wifi at home, and we work at home).

We have one "basic" (no data) line as well, which we used in the old days for UDP updates (my father-in-law's flipphone).

My understanding is this will work, and is something I will be trying down the road when I have upgrades available. And yes, it should not make a difference if you use Verizon or not.

 

[jldroidnyc]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

Hi all, just wanted to confirm if my plan would still work with all of the changes that happened with VZW.

L1: contract expired, upgrade available, UDP, Samsung S5
L2: contract expired, upgrade available, TDP, Samsung S5

I would order from VZW a S7 Edge (what both lines will ultimately want) with the 2 year discount on L2 and after receiving it, cut down the sim from L1 S5 and move it into this S7 Edge. Activate it on L1. Then transfer L1's upgrade over to L2 and re-order another phone again. I did this 2 years ago (without cutting SIMs) to get the S5 upgrade without losing UDP so not sure if this would still work.

Thanks!

 

[yeahizme]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

Yes, it will work ......I have done this multiple times in the past....Verizon really doesn't care so long as there's a phone activated on the line...I even took the sim out of my LG G2 that had unlim data and cut it down and put it in a Verizon jetpack lol...no problems ....

 

[jesup]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

I ordered a pair of upgrades on my two UDP lines from BB - price for G7's dropped from $199 to $99 for upgrades - and still includes a free 32" Samsung (720p) TV. Order summary states "Verizon Wireless - Keep Existing Plan". I plan to swap the phones onto the other lines, and cut down the current SIMs from the G4's, or get replacement SIMs - where's the best place to get those? There are BestBuys and Verizon Wireless stores all around; when I got the G4's 3 years ago I went to a Verizon store and got them give me new SIMs for my G4's to replace the full-size SIM from the G3's.

 

[jldroidnyc]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

So update from my end... I received the new S7, cut down the SIM from the S5 and installed it on the new phone and everything worked like a charm. UDP is still there. However when I go transfer my upgrade to L2 I'm getting this warning here:

"This buddy/alternate upgrade will extend the contract of the providing line. Any discounts on the providing line due to currently being out of contract will be removed once this transaction completes. Loss of those discounts are not reflected in the summary on this screen."

As it is right now, my line with the new S7 is still out of contract and month to month with an Upgrade available. L2 has the new 2 year contract and the old S5 still. Can anyone confirm if this removes the UDP on my line (I'm assuming it shouldn't since it only talks about discounts but better safe than sorry by asking)?

 

[tx_tuff]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

So update from my end... I received the new S7, cut down the SIM from the S5 and installed it on the new phone and everything worked like a charm. UDP is still there. However when I go transfer my upgrade to L2 I'm getting this warning here:

"This buddy/alternate upgrade will extend the contract of the providing line. Any discounts on the providing line due to currently being out of contract will be removed once this transaction completes. Loss of those discounts are not reflected in the summary on this screen."

As it is right now, my line with the new S7 is still out of contract and month to month with an Upgrade available. L2 has the new 2 year contract and the old S5 still. Can anyone confirm if this removes the UDP on my line (I'm assuming it shouldn't since it only talks about discounts but better safe than sorry by asking)?

All that is telling you is that line 1 will be under a new 2 year contract. The discounts for being out of contract you don't get with a UDP anyway so nothing will change. The discount is not referring to the UDP itself.

 

[jesup]

Re: [Instruction] How to get a new phone and keep Unlimited Data on Verizon

(I have two lines with unlimited and ready for upgrade, happen to be out of contract - $50/month).

Ok; I received both phones from BestBuy. Since my old phones were S4's (microSIMs), I also ordered two verizon 4G nanoSIMs from Amazon ($7.43, free shipping): "Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Nano SIM Card 4FF" - http://www.amazon.com/Verizon-Wirel...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU5208524

Took phone 1 out, remove SIM without powering on, replace with SIM from Amazon. Call Verizon to active the new SIM for my line -- not the one this phone IMEI was purchased as an upgrade to!!! (saying I'm borrowing a phone temporarily that needs a nanoSIM). CSR gets mildly confused and activates it for the S4, which can't use it. She fixes that and adds the S7's IMEI to my line. All is well.

Do the same the next day with the other phone (original SIMs held in sealed envelopes for later destruction). Note: after entering the phone number, at the main menu hit 0, don't go into the menus where you might accidentally "Finish" the upgrade! This time tried to do both at once (new SIM, new IMEI) - system says "SIM not compatible". After butting heads with that for 5 minutes, re-checking SIM and IMEI numbers, I suggest doing what worked yesterday - activate on S4, then add new IMEI in place of S4. Works like a charm.

Both lines show 2-year contract update. Both show XXXXMB of Unlimited. In "Change your Plan" it shows Unlimited for both lines.

So, with minor hitches around updating both SIMs to nano-SIMs and new phones on the lines at the same time, the double-BestBuy method works like a charm. Bonus: I delayed until Memorial Day Weekend, and BB dropped the S7 upgrade price for the weekend to $99 - still with the free 32" smart HDTV. :-D