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

[scipper77]

Re: Best Buy Mobile lets me keep Unlimited Data Plan on Verizon?

I bought an S5 and a Sim card cutter today. Verizon now shows I have unlimited data with a contract ending 5/7/16. Looks to me like it is still working. I'll update when I get the phone activated and let everyone know for sure that you can add insurance after the Sim swap activation.

Today I received my S5, SIM cutter, and spigen neo case. I cut the sim from my old thunderbolt, sanded the edges just a touch (precautionary) and it installed without a hitch. Verizon shows the new phone with unlimited data still active.

The problem I am having is that there is no option to add insurance to the phone through Verizon's site and There is no way that I am going to call them up to try and get it. The best plan I can come up with is to hope for another verizon open enrollment period for insurance.

So the UDP trick still works, but for those like myself who do not currently have insurance it looks like you might be out of luck. I'm open to any advice on how to gain insurance.

EDIT: I did find on verizons site where it says to call the number listed to activate insurance on a line within 30 days of purchase. That sounds like it might be pretty risky.

 

[mkelly4000]

Re: Verizon: How to keep Unlimited Data and get phone on subsidized price

So I decided to follow this path as I really do not want to lose UDP. I currently have a Droid DNA, but want to upgrade to a Galaxy S5. My phone is due for an upgrade so this seemed to be the best option.

I purchased the s5 through BB's site and was allowed to keep my current data plan. I thought I might be able to get the phone at my local store without having them activate it, and if they insisted, I would simply cancel the order. Of course no matter how much I told them I just wanted the phone they wouldn't allow it, so I told them I was going to cancel the order.

I called Best Buy mobile in order to cancel the order, which they did. I then ordered it again and took the option for ship to my home. I was later sent an email that pre-activation failed. I called Best Buy mobile to resolve the issue, and was told that it occasionally happens when a timeout occurs between Best Buy and Verizon. The CS rep told me she would resolve it by getting in touch with Verizon, and reprocessing the pre-activation, which she did and told me my order would be processed and the phone shipped quickly.

Just as a precaution I checked my Verizon account and it showed that my device was not identifiable, also my data plan was no longer UDP and had been changed to 512MB. I called Verizon to resolve the issue and was told that in order to get my UDP back I would need to contact Best Buy and cancel the order. I called Best buy only to be told that they could not cancel the order as it was being processed, that they would ship it either today (Friday) or Monday (next business day), but they would put in a request to cancel shipment and have it returned. Once they had gotten confirmation of the shipment being cancelled then they could get a hold of Verizon in order to have UDP reinstated.

Once I am able to get my account back to normal I will try this process again. I know that UDP was lost when I called back to resolve the pre-activation issue.

I know its been said in this thread before, but once a CS rep is required involved in any part of this process anything can happen.

I had this exact same problem except that I actually went through with the process all the way up to activating the phone! I lost my UDP, so I'm returning the phone to Best Buy today to get my unlimited back. Once I have it back on my account, I'm going to try again.

 

[NeedMoreFAR]

Re: Best Buy Mobile lets me keep Unlimited Data Plan on Verizon?

Thanks everyone for sharing your results. I have a problem that I haven't seen anyone else report. On Saturday I ordered 4 phones (4 separate orders) and on Sunday I receive 3 "There's a problem..." emails. I immediately called and cancelled those 3 orders. On Monday the one phone shipped, and on Verizon's website that line still shows UDP and a contract date until 5/11/2016. Monday night I tried again, ordering only one phone. Today (Tuesday) I received another "There's a problem" email. Upon calling, they asked me to confirm the last 4 SSN and billing password, then said the order was OK and would ship. Unlike LionelHutz590, they never got Verizon involved. I intended to cancel and didn't expect it to go through. The Verizon website hasn't updated anything yet but I'll be watching closely!

Not sure if it matters, but I do have a corporate discount and the one line that intially went through without issue was the primary line on the account.

 

[dss2000]

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

I want to upgrade lines 3,2,1 in that order.
Does an IPhone 4s have a sim?

1) So order smartphone on Line 5 your Mother-in-law's line
2) When you get that phone activate it on Line 3 by putting SIM from Droid Razr in that new phone
3) You'll have to wait a week for the pending activation to fall off Line 5
4) After pending activation falls off Line 5, transfer upgrade from Line 3 to Line 5 and order another phone
5) When that phone arrives activate it on Line 2
6) Wait another week for pending activation to fall off Line 5 again
7) After pending activation falls off Line 5, transfer upgrade from Line 2 to Line 5 and other another phone
8) When that phone arrives activate it on Line 1

If you don't want to wait the week for pending activation to fall off you might be able to transfer an upgrade to Line 4 instead and order another phone but I'm not entirely sure, that pending activation on line 5 might hold transfers to all the lines.

 

[petergriffen]

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

Thanks for all of this....please if someone can help me out here
We have a plan with 5 lines. my sister upgraded her's a while back; an ipohne 5. I am due for an upgrade. I want to take her iphone5 that is not active right now and activate it on my line. i am getting this
The device you're activating is not compatible with your current plan. Please select a Data Plan below.

and there is no unlimited choice. I am the only one left with an umlimitied on the account. Any help here

 

[funky cheese]

Re: Best Buy Mobile lets me keep Unlimited Data Plan on Verizon?

I have a company discount and it worked without issue for me.

Was it because of you company discount the pre-activation failed? I also have a company discount on my account (26% off the voice and data since I work for one of those companies that qualifies) with the unlimited data. Did anyone else who have a company discount have any problems?

 

[dss2000]

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

Thanks for all of this....please if someone can help me out here
We have a plan with 5 lines. my sister upgraded her's a while back; an ipohne 5. I am due for an upgrade. I want to take her iphone5 that is not active right now and activate it on my line. i am getting this
The device you're activating is not compatible with your current plan. Please select a Data Plan below.

and there is no unlimited choice. I am the only one left with an umlimitied on the account. Any help here

If your old phone has a 4G nano-SIM you can just put it in and it should work. If not and you have to go through the online activation process there is an initial window that says that it isn't compatible but if you scroll through the choices (both left and right) and look very carefully you should see where it still shows your unlimited line as one of the choices.

 

[petergriffen]

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

I have iphone4 now so no sim. I scrolled left and right and there is no unlimited starts with 30/m 2gn and goes up.

 

[plainbum]

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

Great explanation! thanks!
But referencing instruction 5:
"5) When that phone arrives activate it on Line 2"

I will have to activate the new phone using the sim that came with the phone, because I cant use the iPhone doesnt have a sim to give.
As I have read you lose udp IF you activate a phone with the sim that came in the new phone.
If this is true, do I need to get a separate sim from the VZW store?

 

[dbjos]

Re: Best Buy Mobile lets me keep Unlimited Data Plan on Verizon?

I too ordered a new sim card since I didn't have one on my old 3g phone. The instructions that came with the card said to install new 4g
sim card and turn on phone activation is automatic. No mention of calling Verizon to activate. Galaxy S5 will be here on Thursday
we shall see.

 

[phloker]

Re: Best Buy Mobile lets me keep Unlimited Data Plan on Verizon?

Did you have to activate the Verizon SIM in another phone before using it in the M8?

Nope, just plugged the virgin Verizon sim into the new M8 and turned it on. While activating, the phone automatically called *228, so I panicked and hung it up - twice. The third time I let it go through with the call and the activation completed. Verizon still shows UDP in effect.

 

[dss2000]

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

I have iphone4 now so no sim. I scrolled left and right and there is no unlimited starts with 30/m 2gn and goes up.

Hmmm, then as much as I try to avoid talking to CSR reps you'd probably have to call or do an online chat to have them activate it which is well in your rights to bring your own phone to activate on a UDP just like your allowed to buy at full price. If they try to scare you hang up and get a different CSR. I like chat, less going through telephone menus and there is written documentation / transcript you can save to prove you never authorize them to change unlimited if an issue comes up.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[plainbum]

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

A word of caution with activation on Line 1. The phone will arrive with a Sim (nano size?) that has already been associated with Line 2 and the data plan selected when the phone was purchased. For this reason, I would recommend trashing this Sim and getting a new one that is associated with Line 1 and the UDP. Verizon will give you one at one of their corporate stores or you can order one to be mailed to you.

I don't have much luck in the store.. would you explain how, from their website, I can have VZW send me a couple of sims in the mail?

 

[LionelHutz590]

Re: Verizon: How to keep Unlimited Data and get phone on subsidized price

I need some advice...I have UDP and took advantage of the one-day sale last week on the HTC One M8. Since it was really through Best Buy, I thought that I would be ok. I received an email that there was a problem with my order. I called up and they said that they just needed to contact Verizon to push through the upgrade since I was eligible.

Checked the Verizon site the next morning and no longer showed I had UDP, but now 2GB. Called up Verizon preparing for a fight, but I explained to rep the situation and she said the system was able to let her reinstate my UDP, and that I should refuse delivery of the new phone when it came and the Best Buy order would then automatically cancel out.

So I checked the Verizon site after I hung up and it did show my UDP reinstated, and also that my contract had been extended 2 years (had been on month-to-month). Long story short, the phone came today while I was at work and someone else signed for it. I just checked the Verizon site and it still shows I have UDP with the 2 year date extension on my current phone (Droid Razr). As a precaution, I opened up the phone (careful not to power it on) and removed the pre-installed SIM. My question is: do you think I would be okay now getting a new SIM card from Verizon (or cutting down the one in my Razr) and keep my UDP, or should I return the phone to Best Buy and try again some other time?

 

[aflamin24]

Re: Best Buy Mobile lets me keep Unlimited Data Plan on Verizon?

Anybody have any suggestions on how to get around the "preactivation failed" bs that Best Buy is giving me. I got an email stating that my order would be cancelled within 48 hours if I do not call the phone # in the email. I called and the rep started to transfer me and I hung up b/c I didn't want to go any further. I looked at my order, which I placed around 12:00 EST on 5/13/14, on BestBuy.com and I dont have the option to cancel the order. Not real sure how to proceed. I have a discount through my employer, not sure if this matters. I know Mechan88 has encountered this, but I don't see what his resolution was.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[dss2000]

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

I don't have much luck in the store.. would you explain how, from their website, I can have VZW send me a couple of sims in the mail?

I think a pre-assigned SIM is more a problem using the Best Buy method. I think what causes one to lose UDP is if you exercise the upgrade on an UDP line and then activate the phone on that line.

How to lose UDP:
UDP Line1 (Upgrade) => Order phone with upgrade select non UDP plan => SIM associated with Data Plan => activate phone with SIM on Line 1

Methods to keep UDP interrupt this sequence in one way or another. In the Best Buy method they are bypassing the last step by putting another SIM into the phone on Line 1. If you put the SIM in that came with the phone it automatically activates completing the last step.

With the "transfer upgrade to an dumb phone method" you interrupt the first step. I'm not sure currently in this upgrade is the SIM pre-associated with the dump phone line or is it a virgin SIM. But even if the SIM is pre-programmed for the Dumb phone line all that would happen is that it associates with the dumb phone line when you plug it in, it won't change the UDP line. So when you go to activate it on your UDP line it will ask you for the number of the SIM and the MEID of the phone. If it is a virgin SIM it will associate itself with your UDP line and you're good to go. If is says the SIM is already associated with the dumb phone line you'll have to call Verizon to have them disassociate it from that line and they will.

 

[mechan88]

Re: Best Buy Mobile lets me keep Unlimited Data Plan on Verizon?

Anybody have any suggestions on how to get around the "preactivation failed" bs that Best Buy is giving me. I got an email stating that my order would be cancelled within 48 hours if I do not call the phone # in the email. I called and the rep started to transfer me and I hung up b/c I didn't want to go any further. I looked at my order, which I placed around 12:00 EST on 5/13/14, on BestBuy.com and I dont have the option to cancel the order. Not real sure how to proceed. I have a discount through my employer, not sure if this matters. I know Mechan88 has encountered this, but I don't see what his resolution was.

Thanks for any advice!

I cancelled my order through on phone with the BestBuy rep. I didn't want to take any chances since the rep told they had to contact Verizon since the code on my existing plan did not match anything Verizon had. LionelHutz had the same thing and ended going through with Verizon which ended up getting the unlimited plan changed but was lucky enough to get it back so quickly. It took me over a week to get back my unlimited data plan on my main line, on the first try that I screwed up on. I reordered the phone for my main line just today, so far I just got the email that they have received the order but nothing that my phone has been shipped. I really hope I don't get the same "problem with my order" message. If this works I am going to try again on my wife's line for an S5. What really sucks is that when I ordered my wife's phone I got $100 bucks off the S5 making it $99 bucks (mother's day promotion) but I had to cancel the order since I got that "problem with my order" message. Now the promotion is over and they are only offering $50 BB gift card with a purchase of Samsung phone. I tried to get them to price match Verizon wireless (selling for $99) or amazon ($112.50) but that failed miserably... lol

 

[mechan88]

Re: Best Buy Mobile lets me keep Unlimited Data Plan on Verizon?

I guess that's a possibility (I think I have a 23% discount), but if that's the reason, they didn't mention it to me.

Just got notice that the phone shipped today. Since my UDP was reinstated on the Verizon website, anyone think I SHOULD keep the phone and just swap out the SIM card? Or should I not tempt fate again and just refuse delivery?

Hmm.. tough call. but since you did get your unlimited data plan back and the new phone is coming your way, I don't see how they can change it again, and if everything works when you put your old sim card in the new phone. I would go for it.

 

[scipper77]

Re: Best Buy Mobile lets me keep Unlimited Data Plan on Verizon?

Just for informational purposes, I just successfully did the upgrade yesterday and I have a 22% discount on my line through the university I work for. So in my case the upgrade still worked and the discount was never a factor.

Does anyone think I can call verizon and have insurance added without losing UDP? I'm tempted to as I would be very upset if broke my phone without insurance. In that case I would have rather just given up my UDP.

 

[petergriffen]

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

I will try to get it through the chat. Being that I am due for an upgrade and I already have a phone what should I do with my upgrade?