One of my lines got cancelled and charged with ETF because I haven't turned it on in over 2 months

[yourphonemyphone]

I have been a Verizon Wireless customer for over 10 years and I was not aware of this "rule."

One of my lines has a basic phone on it. Yes, it was only used to upgrade to a smartphone. A couple of days later, I put the basic phone back on the line and the new smartphone on another one of my lines. I keep the basic phone in my car as a back-up phone and only use it once or twice a month.

My account showed that the line was cancelled and charged with ETF. I knew I never asked them to do that so I immediately called VZW to see what the heck was going on.

Apparently the VZW network had not "seen" that line for over 2 months, so they cancelled it. Yes, I haven't powered it on for over two month. Note: all my bills were paid on time every single month(I pay them as soon as the bill arrives in the mail).

A very nice VZW supervisor reversed it and put everything back as it was. She advised to me at least power the phone on once during each billing period and make a call to anywhere. She said that had been how their system worked for many years. Well... I guess you learn something new everyday. I guess they want to ensure that their customers weren't abducted by aliens or worse?

 

[anon(3092520)]

So you scam the system and then get mad when you pay the consequences? Yeah, no sympathy.

 

[Mr. Toad]

Interesting. I have an upgrade line with a dumbphone on it. I have never powered the phone on. It had been 20 months.

 

[Slashyou]

Interesting. I have an upgrade line with a dumbphone on it. I have never powered the phone on. It had been 20 months.

I dont think it will turn on the battery is destroyed.

 

[Mr. Toad]

I dont think it will turn on the battery is destroyed.

Yeah i don't even have the battery. That is reason I never turned the phone on.

 

[Slashyou]

Yeah i don't even have the battery. That is reason I never turned the phone on.

And a battery would leak/break if laying uncharged for THAT long.

 

[trucksmoveamerica#AC]

I've never turned mine on. Maybe I should, put a music line that just plays music on my friends free call list, dial it and let it listen to music. Then it will be on and be used.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

[phantomog]

So you scam the system and then get mad when you pay the consequences? Yeah, no sympathy.

How exactly is paying Verizon for a line and then not using it a "scam"? If transferring upgrades is a "scam" VZW should remove the ability.

 

[aokusman]

So you scam the system and then get mad when you pay the consequences? Yeah, no sympathy.

Please explain how he scammed the system.

 

[majorpayne]

Interesting. I have an upgrade line with a dumbphone on it. I have never powered the phone on. It had been 20 months.

I have used mine to upgrade only gong on 3-4 years. I can't even find the charger to power it on.. Wonder if the OP ungrades very very recent as in 1-2 days ago before the change in rules and they are now getting hit.. it seems Verizon wants their lbs of flesh

 

[GreenMunky]

I also have a dumb phone who's upgrades I've been transfering to other lines to upgrade more often. I've not charged or turned this phone on in over two years. I'm wondering, since the new rules went into effect, if I'll be able to use a 3rd party site such as Best Buy or MotoMaker to order a phone, have it shipped, and then turned on for the first time with an already-active SIM card without changing the data plan on my dumb-phone's line. Has anyone tried this yet?

 

[bigmatt503]

Please explain how he scammed the system.

Not to add fuel to this fire
You use an upgrade to get a smart phone then cancel the data plan and put the basic phone on that line to avoid data charges..... In some people's eyes that would be considered scamming Verizon out of 30 dollars a month.... I couldn't care less... But some people think Verizon NEEDS that 30 bucks... My opinion - - stick it to Verizon - - as of now this "scam" has been shut down by big red.....

Sent from my rooted Verizon galaxy s5

 

[Almeuit]

Not to add fuel to this fire ??????
You use an upgrade to get a smart phone then cancel the data plan and put the basic phone on that line to avoid data charges..... In some people's eyes that would be considered scamming Verizon out of 30 dollars a month.... I couldn't care less... But some people think Verizon NEEDS that 30 bucks... My opinion - - stick it to Verizon - - as of now this "scam" has been shut down by big red.....

Sent from my rooted Verizon galaxy s5

I don't see it as a scam since Verizon knew about it .. and took that long to patch it. They knew it was going on .. if it REALLY bothered them they would have patched it right away... they let it slide.

 

[diesteldorf]

Not to add fuel to this fire
You use an upgrade to get a smart phone then cancel the data plan and put the basic phone on that line to avoid data charges..... In some people's eyes that would be considered scamming Verizon out of 30 dollars a month.... I couldn't care less... But some people think Verizon NEEDS that 30 bucks... My opinion - - stick it to Verizon - - as of now this "scam" has been shut down by big red.....

Sent from my rooted Verizon galaxy s5

They probably let it go until the majority of people doing it, were doing it to maintain unlimited data.

Previously, before ME plans became more prevalent, I could see it being fairly common to upgrade to a smartphone and then back to a basic phone, where unlimited data was not an issue.

Not to stereotype, but I've seen it before where sales people or even family members will persuade grandma or grandpa to get a smartphone, using the line "you can always go back to your basic phone if you don't like it."

I don't see it as a scam since Verizon knew about it .. and took that long to patch it. They knew it was going on .. if it REALLY bothered them they would have patched it right away... they let it slide.

 

[replica9000]

I have 2 dumb phones on my plan. I don't think either one of them has been turned on in over a year. No problems from VZW.

 

[trucksmoveamerica#AC]

In a year or so when all these lines that were used to upgrade and use phone for another line start coming out of contract I imagine people will start shutting those lines off. Verizon will start seeing a decrease in revenue. I know I'll be shutting mine off, no need for it anymore

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

[Mr. Toad]

Double post

 

[Mr. Toad]

In a year or so when all these lines that were used to upgrade and use phone for another line start coming out of contract I imagine people will start shutting those lines off. Verizon will start seeing a decrease in revenue. I know I'll be shutting mine off, no need for it anymore

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

I will have 2 lines closed be the end of the year.

Unless there is a loophole to let us bypass the data requirement.

There are a lot of these lines out there. I have seen many Verizon employees recommend that people opened lines up to get replacement phones when the owner did not have insurance.

 

[trucksmoveamerica#AC]

I will have 2 lines closed be the end of the year.

Unless there is a loophole to let us bypass the data requirement.

There are a lot of these lines out there. I have seen many Verizon employees recommend that people opened lines up to get replacement phones when the owner did not have insurance.

Yeah, I think in the long run Verizon will see a loss of revenue in the next couple years. Not to mention, a lot of people didn't use places like Amazon due to the extra ETF if data was dropped, forcing people to Verizon direct, but now the playing field is even so might as well save money on your phone and use Amazon. They are taking the reasons I go direct thru Verizon away.

Like you, unless there is a loop hole yet, I have 2 lines getting shut off soon.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk