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

[Luke Darthwalker]

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

Thanks for your reply. So I need to request to convert my unlimited data individual line to the family nationwide share plan? I assume by doing so my unlimited data stays the same and both my lines will share text and minutes and I select a separate data for the 2nd line? So initially I can get the S4 at discount by adding a 2nd line and converting the plan and then transfer upgrade from unlimited line to the 2nd line and do another upgrade? After all said and done, I put a dummy phone and 2nd line and drop data on it but still be on nationwide share plan?

 

[Aquila]

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

Thanks for your reply. So I need to request to convert my unlimited data individual line to the family nationwide share plan? I assume by doing so my unlimited data stays the same and both my lines will share text and minutes and I select a separate data for the 2nd line? So initially I can get the S4 at discount by adding a 2nd line and converting the plan and then transfer upgrade from unlimited line to the 2nd line and do another upgrade? After all said and done, I put a dummy phone and 2nd line and drop data on it but still be on nationwide share plan?

Yeah I'm really hoping one of the Verizon experts jumps in here with the how to on that. I suspect it might be a process where you start another single line and then combine the accounts afterwards, but customer service would be able to help you do it, however it is done.

Just to be clear, do you have an upgrade on your unlimited line?

If you do, I think you'll want to get a dumb phone with the new line, then transfer the upgrade to it, etc, etc. like the rest of the process.
If you do not, that's where I think we're getting sticky and I'd like some help with the exact procedure on that.

 

[Luke Darthwalker]

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

Yes, my unlimited line is currently out of contract. Whether I get a 2nd line as a dumb phone or smartphone (S4), it is still same process sorta right? Meaning I add a 2nd line and specifically request to go to nationwide share plan? 2nd line will obviously be on contract. And then transfer upgrade from unlimited to 2nd line and upgrade to another S4? Thanks again for all your help.

 

[Aquila]

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

Yes, my unlimited line is currently out of contract. Whether I get a 2nd line as a dumb phone or smartphone (S4), it is still same process sorta right? Meaning I add a 2nd line and specifically request to go to nationwide share plan? 2nd line will obviously be on contract. And then transfer upgrade from unlimited to 2nd line and upgrade to another S4? Thanks again for all your help.

If you create the 2nd line with a smartphone, I think the requirements are that you keep a data plan on it, which would cost you another $30/month. I think to minimize costs you want to do it with a dumb phone. Otherwise you have two lines, both with smartphones, both with data plans. As far as I know, any line that has a smartphone on it requires a data plan.

 

[tvue83]

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

Successfully upgraded to a droid dna while keeping my unlimited data. This thread rocks.

Sent from my DROID DNA

 

[IndecisiveWhippet]

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

Unfortunately after attempting to do this process in a corporate store the employee helping me informed me that he wouldn't be able to do it in store because they log his actions and prevent him from doing this since it is used explicitly as a loop hole. I'm not entirely certain if this is true or if he was just lying to me because he was told that he shouldn't do it. In the employees defense he seemed like he wanted to help me and he was happy that I was going to try to keep my unlimited but he said there was nothing he could do. I'm inclined to believe him because he was quite familiar with the process and new exactly what I wanted to do and looked like he wanted to help. Now one last question; if I order my new phone on Wednesday with 2 day shipping do you guys estimate that it will arrive on Friday or Saturday? Thanks anyways!

So ultimately, you might not be able to do this in a store, although I'm not sure if this is a universal rule or if the employee was lying to me.

 

[Aquila]

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

Unfortunately after attempting to do this process in a corporate store the employee helping me informed me that he wouldn't be able to do it in store because they log his actions and prevent him from doing this since it is used explicitly as a loop hole. I'm not entirely certain if this is true or if he was just lying to me because he was told that he shouldn't do it. In the employees defense he seemed like he wanted to help me and he was happy that I was going to try to keep my unlimited but he said there was nothing he could do. I'm inclined to believe him because he was quite familiar with the process and new exactly what I wanted to do and looked like he wanted to help. Now one last question; if I order my new phone on Wednesday with 2 day shipping do you guys estimate that it will arrive on Friday or Saturday? Thanks anyways!

So ultimately, you might not be able to do this in a store, although I'm not sure if this is a universal rule or if the employee was lying to me.

There are still the online and phone routes! I'm also sure that they're told about policies to avoid this, but it can still be done. Typically 2 day shipping is referring to transit time, ie. order on the 1st, ships on the 2nd, arrives on the 3rd or 4th. It really depends on how far it's going, how many stops on the way, etc. If it's from Verizon, they've been very fast in my experience. I'd recommend trying again with the customer service on the phone or doing it yourself online, just treat every part of the process separately. No need to reveal the entire game plan at once to the same person

 

[IndecisiveWhippet]

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

Yeah I'm definitely going to try it online, if not in another store tomorrow haha, not going to let this road bump prevent me from keeping my unlimited. That makes sense about the shipping.
If I were to go to a store tomorrow should I just tell them that I want to upgrade my basic line to a smartphone using the subsidized upgrade? Then when that's all done I could just take the phone home, reactivate the old basic phone myself online and continue with all the other steps? That should work right?

 

[Aquila]

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

Yeah I'm definitely going to try it online, if not in another store tomorrow haha, not going to let this road bump prevent me from keeping my unlimited. That makes sense about the shipping.
If I were to go to a store tomorrow should I just tell them that I want to upgrade my basic line to a smartphone using the subsidized upgrade? Then when that's all done I could just take the phone home, reactivate the old basic phone myself online and continue with all the other steps? That should work right?

Yep, transfer upgrade (you can do that online), upgrade the phone (can be done online or in the store), activate the new phone on the line you bought it on (the dumb phone line), reactivate the dumb phone on that same line (de-activates the new device), then you have the new device not tied to anything, the dumb phone on the "dumb" line, all that's left is to remove the data plan from the dumb phone line and activate your new device on the unlimited line. Lots of posts with the specifics of the process. Good luck!

 

[Cares]

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

I might have missed this...but am I able to transfer my upgrade to a tiered data line and use an Amazon.com upgrade? Then can I take the phone and use it back on the unlimited line without any sort of ETF issues with Amazon? Or does Amazon not even let you use transferred upgrades in the first place? I could not imagine they would be able to tell that it was transferred or not.

 

[kcic707]

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

Ok, so I just did the loophole. Went to verizon store, transferred an upgrade to the basic phone line, bought the S4 with a basic 2g data plan and had them activate it. Came home, reactivated the old basic phone back onto the basic line, then activated the S4 onto my unlimited line. so far so good. in my payment summary it is charging me $10.00 for 75MB data package with personal email for the basic line now. is that going to have to be a just a new payment that i will have to live with or is it something i can get rid of? Aka is it possible (since the phone is a basic phone theoretically on a basic plan) to get the basic phone plan back to the pay per use data? (which would in turn be $0).

 

[tvue83]

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

Ok, so I just did the loophole. Went to verizon store, transferred an upgrade to the basic phone line, bought the S4 with a basic 2g data plan and had them activate it. Came home, reactivated the old basic phone back onto the basic line, then activated the S4 onto my unlimited line. so far so good. in my payment summary it is charging me $10.00 for 75MB data package with personal email for the basic line now. is that going to have to be a just a new payment that i will have to live with or is it something i can get rid of? Aka is it possible (since the phone is a basic phone theoretically on a basic plan) to get the basic phone plan back to the pay per use data? (which would in turn be $0).

You can remove that data off the basic line. Just call and tell them to remove it. They'll usually just do it with no questions asked.

Sent from my DROID DNA

 

[tvue83]

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

I might have missed this...but am I able to transfer my upgrade to a tiered data line and use an Amazon.com upgrade? Then can I take the phone and use it back on the unlimited line without any sort of ETF issues with Amazon? Or does Amazon not even let you use transferred upgrades in the first place? I could not imagine they would be able to tell that it was transferred or not.

Amazon charges you an etf for deactivating your new phone. Best buy, costco and verizon are the only ones that do not charge.

Sent from my DROID DNA

 

[kcic707]

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

You can remove that data off the basic line. Just call and tell them to remove it. They'll usually just do it with no questions asked.

yeah i just called and had them remove it. no problems. seems like everything is good to go.

 

[pdx_nate]

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

My new S4 came yesterday. As described on this thread, I activated it on our extra line, then activated an old flip phone on the extra line (selecting the pay per mb data option), then activated the new S4 on my current unlimited line. This was pretty easy to do all online.

Everything looks right on our account. My wife's Note II and my S4 have unlimited data. The flip phone has no data plan, just a 9.99/month access for our nationwide talk 700 plan. I kind of like having that old dumb phone available for emergencies or something (its battery lasts forever). All contract end dates look right too considering we used 2 upgrades. The Note II line ends this summer, and my line and the flip phone line end on 5/20/15 and 4/02/15 respectively.

While our extra line was setup successfully by a Costco rep so as to keep my wife's unlimited data when she upgraded to the Note II, I would not have known to ask about doing this if I hadn't previously read this thread. Prior to going to Costco I had asked at Best Buy in late March and the person who helped me there had said it was no longer possible. I'd suggest to people interested in keeping their unlimited data to not give up if the first person you ask doesn't know how, or just do it online.

Many thanks to the OP chuckawd, and others replying to questions like NothingIsTrue and Eclipse2K.

 

[HappyClam]

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

Ok folks...here it is. I was able to switch phones and keep my unlimited plan. Here's how it went down....I went to the local Verizon store today and just as I was going in, the FedEx lady was coming out of the store. I asked if they had the new GS4 in, and they said it had just been delivered! Whoop whoop! They opened the boxes and I got the first one!!
So, I told the guy working the counter I wanted it for my wife. She has a dumb phone. Her phone is due for an upgrade.
I have a Thunderbolt with unlimited data plan. My phone is also due for an upgrade.
We have a shared 500 plan.
I told him not do anything with the phones because I wanted to do it myself online....so I left with the phone and went home.
Got online with Verizon, and activated the new phone to her phone line (number). Pretty easy...somewhere on the page it says "activate new phone". Just follow the online instructions. They do get a little convoluted....but it's still pretty easy.
As soon as that was done, I made sure the GS4 was working and it showed up as a new phone on the Verizon website. (the GS4 is now shows up as her phone)
I then activated the old phone back to her line (number). It automatically removes the new GS4 and asks you to pick a data plan (it won't let you pick one that isn't compatible with the phone) so it was lowest plan on the list.
Next, I went back in and selected my Thunderbolt phone and clicked on the "activate new phone" (I did NOT click the upgrade button). I went through the same process, switch phone and I was able to choose the GS4 since it had been previously activated. It showed up automatically on the list of phones.
And, that it all. I still have the unlimited data plan. The GS4 is now under my phone number and the dumb phone is the same as it was before I even started!

So, the loophole still works. Just follow the online instructions and hope for the best!!

 

[canderoc]

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

Here's a strange case. My "dumb phone" line seems to meet all the criteria: it is due for upgrade and it is "month to month" - aka no longer on contract. HOWEVER, there is no real device activated on it, it's actually a dummy device set up by a previous VZ employee with a dummy device ID (13800000400), which costs $9.99 a month. I believe I can still use this line to upgrade to GS4 because I've started the process online and it's all waiting in my cart. MY QUESTION: After I get the new phone and activate it on the dummy-dumb-phone line, how am I going to de-activate it since I don't have an actual dumb phone to put back on the line? Do I need to go find one a actual dumb phone? If so, will my $9.99 monthly rate for a line with a dummy device go up because now there's going to be a real device on it? Or, could I try to use the dummy device ID to put the dummy back on the line (I have a feeling that only VZ employees can use the dummy device ID)?

 

[Aquila]

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

Here's a strange case. My "dumb phone" line seems to meet all the criteria: it is due for upgrade and it is "month to month" - aka no longer on contract. HOWEVER, there is no real device activated on it, it's actually a dummy device set up by a previous VZ employee with a dummy device ID (13800000400), which costs $9.99 a month. I believe I can still use this line to upgrade to GS4 because I've started the process online and it's all waiting in my cart. MY QUESTION: After I get the new phone and activate it on the dummy-dumb-phone line, how am I going to de-activate it since I don't have an actual dumb phone to put back on the line? Do I need to go find one a actual dumb phone? If so, will my $9.99 monthly rate for a line with a dummy device go up because now there's going to be a real device on it? Or, could I try to use the dummy device ID to put the dummy back on the line (I have a feeling that only VZ employees can use the dummy device ID)?

That's incredibly weird. You might want to pick up a cheap verizon throw away device from ebay or something for $2 or see if a friend has an old one. It doesn't have to work.

 

[tnmurdock]

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

Just got back from verizon with new S4. Checked online and unlimited is still there. Thanks to this forum I pulled the trigger and the S4 is mine. Thanks a million

 

[Aquila]

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

Just got back from verizon with new S4. Checked online and unlimited is still there. Thanks to this forum I pulled the trigger and the S4 is mine. Thanks a million

Make sure you guys are all keeping an eye on it throughout your billing cycle to make sure it doesn't revert. If it DOES change, get on the phone with them immediately. It's rare, but it has happened.