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

[JulesJam]

Re: Verizon How to Both Get a Subsidized Phone and Keep Unlimited Data after 8/24/14

Right but do I need to activate it on the other line first or can I just activate it directly on mine? Seeing conflicting reports of saying I can skip that step and you cant

If you don't activate it on the line it was ordered on, that line will be stuck with a pending activation on it and the account owner will not be able to make any changes to the account until that falls off. How long it takes to fall off seems to be inconsistent and some people have to call and get tier 2 tech to get the pending activation off the line.

 

[Almeuit]

Re: Verizon closing the transfer upgrade loophole?

No one knows how network optimization will effect VZW Unlimited Users in actuality, until after October 1. Assuming coverage is not an issue, I would argue that Unlimited Data with Verizon is also more valuable than unlimited with AT&T. It's also why Verizon probably is trying so hard to get people off it.

With Verizon, I can take my phone sim and put it in any 4G capable device and carry on. AT&T wouldn't allow this for long and I know there are already many reports of throttling with AT&T.

Value is really dependent per person and their area. AT&T does throttle at 5 GB on unlimited.. The difference is you can sign two year contracts.. Upgrade phones.. And keep it. For some.. The price they're paying.. They get 5 GB then throttle after so no overages.. Could be very worth while.

As for Verizon unlimited being more valuable? Just depends where the person lives and travels.

 

[JulesJam]

Re: Verizon to close the upgrade to smartphone then downgrade to basic phone loophole

So you have no intensions of upgrading you basic line first then transfer your UDP upgrade as has been suggested?

My basic line is not eligible for an upgrade until 2015. Remember, you cannot transfer an upgrade to a line that is currently eligible for an upgrade.

Sounds like you are in the same predicament as I am...

no because my basic line is not currently eligible for an upgrade.

So what is the rumored release date of the iPhone 6?

9/9/14 - which is exactly why Verizon is implementing this change ahead of that date.

 

[CopperWires]

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

Does anyone else see a problem with trying to continue with this workaround given my particular situation?

 

[SPD]

Re: Verizon to close the upgrade to smartphone then downgrade to basic phone loophole

So what are you're plans? Based off of JulesJam's advise, I think I may upgrade the dumb line for the daughter today, she wants an iPhone : /
Let that transaction go thru then transfer my UDP upgrade to her line, maybe get a G3, I already have an M8 (I wanted to wait for the Note 4 but I’m not confident enough the transfers will be around or work accordingly at that time) , activate it on her line the switch her’s back to the iPhone then activate the G3 on my UDP line. UGHHHH! This shouldn’t bee so damn stressful! : )

I'm trying to figure it out. I'm thinking of just doing the basic line loophole upgrade before this new policy kicks in. I've been wanting the G3 anyway and it's only $99 right now. If something better does come out, guess I can sell on swappa and buy the new device. I just don't want to be SOL with my UDP after the 24th. I really wanted to see the iphone 6 and what the next moto x and nexus will be, although after all I've been reading the G3 is a solid device that will be hard to beat.

 

[EvilAnt]

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

Hello. This thread has been very helpful. I do have one question where I am not 100% clear.

My plan is to use the BB method as I have a single line that is upgrade eligible and UDP. My existing phone is old and is only 3G. In order to avoid trying to buy an old 4G phone, can I simply purchase a new micro-sim and then place this new sim into my new phone I get from BB? Will this work or do I need to first activate this new micro-sim on my existing account first?

Thanks for all the great information!!

 

[JulesJam]

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

My plan is to use the BB method as I have a single line that is upgrade eligible and UDP. My existing phone is old and is only 3G. In order to avoid trying to buy an old 4G phone, can I simply purchase a new micro-sim and then place this new sim into my new phone I get from BB? Will this work or do I need to first activate this new micro-sim on my existing account first?

you don't have to purchase a sim card if you are a current verizon customer.... You can just call verizon and ask that one be mailed to you. Tell them a friend is giving you a 4G LTE phone and tell them which phone it is so they can mail you the right size sim card. Most of the newer phones take nano sims, not micro sims. Do it BEFORE you order from best buy so that they won't see the pending order on your account.

Don't go to a store - they will require that you bring the phone in to get a sim card.

 

[shortwave8669]

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

Hello. This thread has been very helpful. I do have one question where I am not 100% clear.

My plan is to use the BB method as I have a single line that is upgrade eligible and UDP. My existing phone is old and is only 3G. In order to avoid trying to buy an old 4G phone, can I simply purchase a new micro-sim and then place this new sim into my new phone I get from BB? Will this work or do I need to first activate this new micro-sim on my existing account first?

Thanks for all the great information!!

You have to have a working 4G SIM active on the line with UDP for the BB method to work. So you may need to borrow a friends old unused VZW-compatible 4G phone if you don't have one.

I had a 3G phone. So I borrowed a friends old unused 4G phone. Went to my VZW store and they provided a 4G SIM and handled the switch from my iPhone 4 to the 4G device. A few days later I ordered a a new 4G phone from BB and did the SIM swap, easy peasy.

 

[JulesJam]

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

You have to have a working 4G SIM active on the line with UDP for the BB method to work.

ok, if that is true I will edit my post above.

 

[rdjr74]

Re: Verizon to close the upgrade to smartphone then downgrade to basic phone loophole

I'm trying to figure it out. I'm thinking of just doing the basic line loophole upgrade before this new policy kicks in. I've been wanting the G3 anyway and it's only $99 right now. If something better does come out, guess I can sell on swappa and buy the new device. I just don't want to be SOL with my UDP after the 24th. I really wanted to see the iphone 6 and what the next moto x and nexus will be, although after all I've been reading the G3 is a solid device that will be hard to beat.

I may take JulesJam approach and get the 6. Then maybe sell it and get the Note 4 when it comes out. I want a HUGE phone! It all depends on when they release the Note 4 and if the transfer upgrade stuff still works as is. I guess typically the Note(s) have been released around October?.... So it's not to far off from the 6 release thus I may just wait for it.

 

[JulesJam]

Re: Verizon to close the upgrade to smartphone then downgrade to basic phone loophole

I may take JulesJam approach and get the 6.

but I don't have a basic line upgrade available right now and will be transferring a udp line's upgrade to my basic line to get the iPhone 6. I am presuming that when I do, that will extend the udp contract by 2 years and the udp line will be the line with the 2 year data requirement (which is OK with me). I am presuming this because that is how things work now, but really, we will see what happens after the 24th when someone tries this.

If I had a basic line upgrade available now, I would use it before the 25th because after the 24th, you will be stuck with a 2 year data plan commitment on the previously basic line.

 

[cnotes2019]

Re: Verizon to close the upgrade to smartphone then downgrade to basic phone loophole

I think the writing is on the wall for transferring upgrades from udp lines, but how soon they are going to pull the plug on this, idk. I think they are going to try throttling first but who knows.

I will be transferring an upgrade from a udp line to a basic line as soon as best buy has the iPhone 6 available for shipping and will report back how it worked.

I wouldn't be surprised if bb doesn't allow such phones for shipping as it is doing with the iPhone 5s and g3 (verizon) now :/

 

[JulesJam]

Re: Verizon to close the upgrade to smartphone then downgrade to basic phone loophole

Here is my situation:

Line 1 - UDP line eligible for an upgrade now
Line 2 - basic line eligible for an upgrade early 2015
Line 3 - UDP line eligible for an upgrade late 2015


So my plan was to transfer UDP Line 1's upgrade to basic Line 2 when the iPhone 6 is released. That should extend UDP Line 1's contract by 2 years and impose a 2 year data commitment on UDP Line 1, which given the throttling of off contract UDP lines, I want.

The problem I am realizing I will have come early 2015 is that my basic Line 2 will now be eligible for an upgrade. I won't be able to use it without having a 2 year data commitment imposed on that line, which I don't want, so I won't be upgrading basic Line 2. And when UDP Line 3 is eligible for an upgrade, I won't be able to transfer UDP Line 3's upgrade to basic Line 2 because basic Line 2 will still be eligible for an upgrade.

I would have to do the Best Buy or Flying Arrow methods with UDP Line 3's upgrade but that assumes that these methods will still be around in late 2015.


One other option I have been considering is to go ahead and transfer UDP Line 1's upgrade to my basic Line 2 on the 17th and get an iPhone 5s from verizon online for $100. Then on the 20th add another line (Line 4) and get another iPhone 5s for $100 but drop the data plan. Then sell both iPhone 5s. After my upgrade/swappa/paypal/shipping fees and tax, I should be able to net enough to pay for the added line for 2 years and leave me $200+ to put towards the purchase of a Moto x+1 or Nexus 6 (should the N6 come to Verizon).

Then I would have:

Line 1 - UDP line upgrade eligible 8/17/16
Line 2 - basic line upgrade eligible early 2015
Line 3 - UDP line upgrade eligible late 2015
Line 4 - basic line upgrade eligible 8/20/16


Then when basic Line 2's contract is up in early 2015, I would cancel the line leaving me with:

Line 1 - UDP line upgrade eligible 8/17/16
Line 3 - UDP line upgrade eligible late 2015
Line 4 - basic line upgrade eligible 8/20/16

I would still be able to transfer both UDP line's upgrades to basic Line 4 once they are eligible. And when basic Line 4's contract was up, I would cancel the line.

After that I would have to rely on the Best Buy or Flying Arrow methods, but who knows how long they will be around. Sigh.

Any flaws in my reasoning?

 

[JulesJam]

Re: Verizon to close the upgrade to smartphone then downgrade to basic phone loophole

I wouldn't be surprised if bb doesn't allow such phones for shipping as it is doing with the iPhone 5s and g3 (verizon) now :/

I thought that was an inventory problem?

Regardless, if you are transferring upgrades you can still order thru verizon online.

 

[rdjr74]

Re: Verizon to close the upgrade to smartphone then downgrade to basic phone loophole

but I don't have a basic line upgrade available right now and will be transferring a udp line's upgrade to my basic line to get the iPhone 6. I am presuming that when I do, that will extend the udp contract by 2 years and the udp line will be the line with the 2 year data requirement (which is OK with me). I am presuming this because that is how things work now, but really, we will see what happens after the 24th when someone tries this.

If I had a basic line upgrade available now, I would use it before the 25th because after the 24th, you will be stuck with a 2 year data plan commitment on the previously basic line.

Yes but if you go this route you will be required to place a data package on what was once your basic line. Sure the new 2 year contract will go to your UDP line but you will now have a new tiered data plan. Or am I missing something....

Ehhh you summed it up pretty good above.

BTW the Best Buy method is different then it was when I used it a few months ago when getting my M8. There were two back to back screens that gave you the option to keep your existing plan. Now the screen says keep existing plan but defaults a selection to a 2gb tiered plan. So I'm not so sure it will work anymore. I suppose once you confirm your purchase, check myverizon and see if it switched your plan. If not then the the whole swapping out sim cards should still work, maybe... I don't know it seems to risky now. I checked amazon it gave me basically the same screens.

 

[JulesJam]

Re: Verizon to close the upgrade to smartphone then downgrade to basic phone loophole

Yes but if you go this route you will be required to place a data package on what was once your basic line. Sure the new 2 year contract will go to your UDP line but you will now have a new tiered data plan. Or am I missing something....

none of us knows for sure. I am assuming that you will still be able to drop the data plan since the upgrade was transferred to the basic line because when you transfer an upgrade from a UDP line to a basic line and purchase a phone on the basic line using the transferred UDP upgrade, it is the UDP line's contract that is extended NOT the basic phone line's contract.

I am presuming this based on the leaked verizon memos. Here are copies of the leaked memos.

Am I right about that? We will see come August 25th if someone tries this. All I can do is go with what the leaked memos show.

It seems to me that it is only if you use an upgrade that originated on a basic line (i.e., not an upgrade transferred to a basic line) should you be stuck with the 2 year data commitment on the previously basic line.

 

[JulesJam]

Re: Verizon to close the upgrade to smartphone then downgrade to basic phone loophole

BTW the Best Buy method is different then it was when I used it a few months ago when getting my M8. There were two back to back screens that gave you the option to keep your existing plan. Now the screen says keep existing plan but defaults a selection to a 2gb tiered plan. So I'm not so sure it will work anymore.

The key is to not activate the phone with the sim it ships with because that completes the switch order. People on slick deals have done it successfully as recently as yesterday.

It works with costco and amazon, too, but with amazon you run the risk of the $400 secondary etf. The main difference b/t BB and costco/amazon is that with costco/amazon the customer agreement shows you selected a 2GB data plan as opposed to with BB the customer agreement shows keep existing plan. That may be different now if it defaults to a 2GB plan. But you should still end up with keeping UDP if you do not turn the phone on with the sim it shipped with in it.

I am sure verizon is working on a way to change this.

 

[EvilAnt]

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

OK, so to confirm; I will have to activate a sim card on a 4G phone prior to completing the BB method and I cannot simply order a a new sim for my new phone which would be the S5 and then activate?

 

[rdjr74]

Re: Verizon to close the upgrade to smartphone then downgrade to basic phone loophole

That may be different now if it defaults to a 2GB plan. But you should still end up with keeping UDP if you do not turn the phone on with the sim it shipped with in it.

Yes that is the key and always has been. Let's keep hope alive!

 

[JulesJam]

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

OK, so to confirm; I will have to activate a sim card on a 4G phone prior to completing the BB method and I cannot simply order a a new sim for my new phone which would be the S5 and then activate?

I thought someone had done it before without activating the new sim card first, but I can't find the post.

So it is best not to try this b/c we don't know what would happen with a pending activation on the account.