Keeping Unlimited Data with only 1 phone on plan

[RipTide]

I know this has probably been asked before, and answered but only in a "Family shared plan" has it been answered as I have seen. I currently have a GNex, which is a beast still running custom kernal, radio, rom, and more. My upgrade date is coming up soon though (5/16/13) and am still on the market for a more powerful device obviously. I was hoping for more news on the rumored Nexus X mainly because of the Nexus experience I have come to love using the GNex, but an S4 if we are getting it wouldn't be the end of the world either knowing I can rom it to run like a Nexus device.

So basically the question I have is how, if possible, I can upgrade my phone while keeping my unlimited data instead of having to buy a new phone at full price. I had to do that with the GNex when my Bionic decided to destroy it's own screen, wasn't pretty. As noted before, I only have one phone on my plan atm, I'm worried that adding a new one will change my plan to a Family Share Plan and screw with my Unlimited data.

Thanks in advance.

 

[diesteldorf]

I feel your pain....
You need a 2nd line and I had a couple single lines with unlimited data that I wanted to upgrade in the future, with no desire to put them in a family share plan.

I was able find someone online with a 5 month contract that they were looking to get rid of to avoid an ETF. With Verizon's current, but soon dead, upgrade policy, allowing people to upgrade 20 months into a 24 month contract, the line had to have at least 5 months left, since you can't transfer upgrades to a line that is already eligible for an upgrade.

I currently have this line suspended without billing. You can do this for up to 2 90 day periods, 6 months total, per year. It currently has a basic phone on it. After I upgrade all of the lines that have unlimited data, I'll take the basic phone off and add a Home Phone Connect, since the service plan for that device, $19.99 per month, is cheaper than paying for a basic phone line I don't need.

At $19.99 per month + tax for 5 months, it'll cost me around $110 to complete the 5 month contract and then cancel it, but I'll be using it for 3 upgrades, so it's worth it for me in order to keep unlimited data on 3 lines.

M y only problem now is that the line has been suspended since the last week in March. I need something good to be released in the next 6 months, around the end of September, before I'll need to begin paying for that line again. If I don't use it before October, it'll have less than 4 months left on the contract and will no longer be able to accept transferred upgrades from my unlimited lines.

So, I'm really hoping the Motorola X phone gets released by then.....or even the Note 3.

 

[androidluvr2]

and will no longer be able to accept transferred upgrades from my unlimited lines.

I don't get this. I thought the new Verizon policy was that you can't transfer upgrades from a line with a tablet or other non-phone device to a line with a phone on it. But as long as both lines have phones on them, you still can transfer upgrades between the lines.

 

[androidluvr2]

As noted before, I only have one phone on my plan atm, I'm worried that adding a new one will change my plan to a Family Share Plan and screw with my Unlimited data.

Adding a line to an individual nationwide account changes it to a nationwide family share plan, but that does not screw with your unlimited. What screws with your unlimited is changing your plan to a share everything plan. A nationwide family share plan is not the same thing as a share everything plan.

So basically the question I have is how, if possible, I can upgrade my phone while keeping my unlimited data instead of having to buy a new phone at full price.

If you use the unlimited data line's upgrade on your unlimited data line and then activate the new subsidized phone on your unlimited data line, you will be switched to a 2GB data plan. Period. The only reason those of us who have a family plan can get away with keeping unlimited data is because we are not using the unlimited data line's upgrade on the unlimited data line. We are transferring it to a line that doesn't have unlimited data and purchasing/activating the new subsidized phone on that line without unlimited data.

As I stated above, if you use your unlimited data line's upgrade on your unlimited data line and activate the new subsidized phone on your unlimited data line, you will be switched to a 2GB data plan and the only hope you have is to convince a rep to switch you back to unlimited data within 14 days or reverse the upgrade by returning the phone within 14 days. Some have been able to convince reps to switch them back to unlimited data when they upgraded through bestbuy.com online because when you upgrade through bestbuy.com, although it tells you that you will lose unlimited, you can continue through the checkout process without actually selecting a new plan and your invoice will say keep current plan.

However, when you go to activate your new phone purchased at bestbuy.com on your unlimited data line, you will be switched to the 2GB plan. You then have to argue to be switched back to unlimited data since you never selected the 2GB plan. Some reps will do it, some won't. You have 14 days to get this accomplished. If you can't, then you need to reverse the upgrade by returning the phone to best buy to get your unlimited data back before the 14 days is over. It doesn't matter that best buy has a 30 day return period for the phone. Your contract is locked at 14 days so if you return the phone 15-30 days after you purchased it, you will get your money back from best buy but you will have forever lost your unlimited data without any hope of getting it back.

You can add a line to your current individual plan and this will convert it to a family share plan and you will not lose unlimited data on your original line. However, if you have unlimited texting and want to keep it, that added line will likely not be cost effective even if you sell the 2nd subsidized phone to recoup some of the costs of the new line.

If you can give up unlimited texts or live with 700 voice minutes, there might be a way to make it cost effective to add a line assuming you are going to sell the 2nd subsidized phone to recoup the costs of the added line.

What is your current individual plan and how many minutes and texts do you need per month?

 

[diesteldorf]

I don't get this. I thought the new Verizon policy was that you can't transfer upgrades from a line with a tablet or other non-phone device to a line with a phone on it. But as long as both lines have phones on them, you still can transfer upgrades between the lines.

You're 100% correct about the change in policy, but the foundation of the loophole is based on transferring an upgrade from Line A (the one that has Unlimited) to Line B (Not Unlimited) and activating the new phone on Line B. Line B chooses the tiered data plan and A, the Unlimited Data line, has the contract extended for 2 years but keeps unlimited data.

When Line B transfers the already activated phone back to the line with Unlimited Data, it will still have unlimited data.

The problem is when you have 2 lines that are both eligible for upgrades in their own right, the system won't let you transfer upgrades between them because they already are eligible.

My suspended line currently has 5 months on the contract, but after a month in, it will be eligible to upgrade in it's own right and won't be able to accept upgrades from other lines. If I use its upgrade, I can get a smartphone but I'll also have extended the contract on a line I don't want.

The beauty of transferring upgrades between lines is that the Line with unlimited data will get their contact extended while the line accepting the upgrade gets the new device and the "benefit" of being on a tiered data plan.

I'm not trying to say that either contracts or tiered data is a good thing, but if you have to have them when you upgrade, I would much rather put the contract extension on the line I value most and the tiered data on the one I value least.

 

[androidluvr2]

I was able find someone online with a 5 month contract that they were looking to get rid of to avoid an ETF. With Verizon's current, but soon dead, upgrade policy, allowing people to upgrade 20 months into a 24 month contract, the line had to have at least 5 months left, since you can't transfer upgrades to a line that is already eligible for an upgrade.

I currently have this line suspended without billing. You can do this for up to 2 90 day periods, 6 months total, per year. It currently has a basic phone on it. After I upgrade all of the lines that have unlimited data, I'll take the basic phone off and add a Home Phone Connect, since the service plan for that device, $19.99 per month, is cheaper than paying for a basic phone line I don't need.

I don't get this. So you did an assumption of liability on an individual line that is 5 months away from its contract expiration date and that has a basic phone on it and you are keeping it suspended for 6 months.

How can you transfer the upgrades from the unlimited lines to this basic line unless they are in a family share plan together?

 

[diesteldorf]

I don't get this. So you did an assumption of liability on an individual line that is 5 months away from its contract expiration date and that has a basic phone on it and you are keeping it suspended for 6 months.

How can you transfer the upgrades from the unlimited lines to this basic line unless they are in a family share plan together?

In order to transfer upgrades between lines, they just have to be on the same account, not on the same plan or family plan. Before I did the assumption of liability, I knew I could also have transferred an upgrade between my two single lines, but doing so would've sacrificed unlimited data on one of them.

I was lucky because when I did the AOL, the person also had a line with Unlimited Data that they wanted to get rid of, since they wanted to ditch Verizon all together. I didn't really have a need for it, but I knew that I could always AOL it later on or give it to a family member etc, so I took it.

The basic line and other Unlimited Data line formed a family share plan with 550 minutes. Both are currently suspended. I also have my two single lines with unlimited data that I am still using and plan to keep.

At the end of 6 months, or at the time whatever phone I want is released, I'll unsuspend the basic line, transfer the upgrades from the Unlimited Lines to the basic line---not all at once of course--and eventually cancel the basic line when its contract is run out.

 

[androidluvr2]

I was lucky because when I did the AOL, the person also had a line with Unlimited Data that they wanted to get rid of, since they wanted to ditch Verizon all together. I didn't really have a need for it, but I knew that I could always AOL it later on or give it to a family member etc, so I took it.

Where did you find this person online? If that is TMI, no worries.

 

[diesteldorf]

Where did you find this person online? If that is TMI, no worries.

You can go to:

cellswapper.com
trademycellular.com
celltradeusa.com

I got mine through celltradeusa.com. I knew going in that I would probably tale anything between 5-8 months. Obviously, the longer the contract, the more it would cost me to finish it. Take $22 (the cost of Home Phone connect + Tax) and multiply that by the number of months on the contract and divide by the total number of unlimited lines I'll get to keep unlimited data on.

It actually works out OK. Plus, when you do an AOL, you don't have to pay a $35 activation fee. I had to be somewhat persistant because short contracts are more desirable than long contracts and lines with unlimited data are also becoming hard to find. As I said previously, the basic line was what I wanted most, but the Unlimited Data line was too much of a bonus to pass up.

 

[androidluvr2]

Take $22 (the cost of Home Phone connect + Tax) and multiply that by the number of months on the contract and divide by the total number of unlimited lines I'll get to keep unlimited data on.

So the key is the ability to switch the line to a home phone connect line?

 

[diesteldorf]

So the key is the ability to switch the line to a home phone connect line?

As far as I know, the Home Phone Connect is the cheapest standalone service that you can add when you don't have a Share Everything Plan or a Family Share plan. Once I've transferred all the upgrades from the Unlimited Lines to the Basic Line, I'll have to pay for the basic line for 5 months or pay the ETF.

I could have any device I wanted on there. It's just that the Home Phone Connect is cheaper than paying for a single phone line or a single smartphone line. However, tablets, jetpacks, and home phone connects will no longer be able to transfer upgrades to/from smartphones, so I'll wait until all the upgrades are used before activating the home phone connect.

 

[RipTide]

You can add a line to your current individual plan and this will convert it to a family share plan and you will not lose unlimited data on your original line. However, if you have unlimited texting and want to keep it, that added line will likely not be cost effective even if you sell the 2nd subsidized phone to recoup some of the costs of the new line.

If you can give up unlimited texts or live with 700 voice minutes, there might be a way to make it cost effective to add a line assuming you are going to sell the 2nd subsidized phone to recoup the costs of the added line.

What is your current individual plan and how many minutes and texts do you need per month?

Sorry for the late reply, I am currently running 450 min/unlimited text which I do use so I can't easily give up the texting. As far as adding a new line, I would just be adding a dumbphone to it correct, could I not just get them to reactivate my old LG enV2. Not sure how much that would add to the cost of my plan, kind of on a tight budget at the moment.

 

[androidluvr2]

I am currently running 450 min/unlimited text which I do use so I can't easily give up the texting.

If you are on a 450 min/unlimited texts individual plan then you are paying $60 for voice and text. The lowest price family plan is a loyalty family plan with 550 minutes for $60 + $30 for unlimited texting = $90, which is $30 more per month than you pay now. Upgrades are now every 24 months, so $30 x 24 months = $720 extra to move to the lowest price family plan and then you have to tack on the taxes and fees.

You could sell the second subsidized phone you get with the second line to recoup some of that extra money but you would have to pay at least $200 + tax + $30 upgrade fee to get the second subsidized phone. And if you didn't sell it locally and sold it instead on ebay or swappa, you would have to pay for shipping + ebay/swappa fees + paypal fees when you sold it. You could save the ebay/swappa fees if you sold it here but I still don't think it is likely to be cost effective.

So in your situation, I think you are better off just paying full price for a phone unless you need the second line. If you need the second line then it is different.

 

[dpham00]

Sorry for the late reply, I am currently running 450 min/unlimited text which I do use so I can't easily give up the texting. As far as adding a new line, I would just be adding a dumbphone to it correct, could I not just get them to reactivate my old LG enV2. Not sure how much that would add to the cost of my plan, kind of on a tight budget at the moment.

If you are willing to use Google voice for text, you can save a bit of money. A bit inconvenient at first, but it has worked out great for me

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II

 

[anon(3653)]

If you are willing to use Google voice for text, you can save a bit of money. A bit inconvenient at first, but it has worked out great for me

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II

I second that.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2

 

[RipTide]

I kinda felt that was going to be my only option, hopefully the next Nexus won't be so expensive on the Google Play store I guess. Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[androidluvr2]

I kinda felt that was going to be my only option, hopefully the next Nexus won't be so expensive on the Google Play store I guess.

I doubt Google will sell a CDMA Nexus on the Play store. A used device is probably going to be your best bet.

 

[dpham00]

I doubt Google will sell a CDMA Nexus on the Play store. A used device is probably going to be your best bet.

And it can't be activated on Verizon anyway, unless Verizon sanctions it, and updates go through Verizon. Which I doubt is going to happen again.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II

 

[androidluvr2]

I kinda felt that was going to be my only option

There may be one other option but it would take a lot of effort/time.

if you can find someone who wants out of their contract but doesn't want to pay the ETF, you could merge their line with your individual plan and form a family plan. The reason this is helpful is because you wouldn't have to pay for the family plan for a full 2 years.

So here is how it could work. A few months before your upgrade date you go to one of these websites where people try to get out of their contracts and try to find a contract with less than a year left. Then assume liability on that line and merge it with your individual plan to form a family share plan with 550 minutes and unlimited texts. You keep your unlimited data and drop whatever data plan might be on that line by putting a basic phone or the ghost ESN on that line. That will mean you pay $30 more per month than you are now. Hopefully you can find a plan with 6 months or less on it so you would pay $180 + taxes and fees for this line which is probably about $200 or so depending on where you live.

Then when your upgrade comes due, transfer your upgrade to the line and get your smartphone. Then terminate the basic phone line when its contract ended and return to your individual plan.

That would mean your subsidized phone if it costs $200 would now cost $400. It could cost less if you can find a contract with less than 6 months on it. Even $400 is better than $650 if you had to pay full price retail.

 

[Hosehead]

This whole thing is quite annoying. I have another 2 weeks before my upgrade date, and want a new device, but I cannot stand the thought of losing unlimited data. I am sure it will hardly impact my cost, but there are times when I tether for my iPad and I don't want to have to pay and arm/leg to have that ability.

I am almost tempted to hold out and change carriers, but the service is great where I live/travel. ATT and the rest suck in those areas.

Wish there was another way out.