How to upgrade phone without account manager

[Linder1000]

I'm asking this for my girlfriend, who has a messed up family situation right now, but wants to upgrade phones.

Under Verizon's new policy, in order to upgrade phones, an account manager must be present. Well the only two account managers on her plan are her mother, and former step-father. Who both have restraining orders against them and are court ordered to not have any contact with my girlfriend. They are also both awaiting trial for various crimes. It is also illegal for them to drop her from the plan, she is protected through child services so her mother is not allowed to drop my girlfriend's phone, insurance, etc.

So how would my girlfriend be able to upgrade phones when both account managers are court ordered to not have contact with her?

[sprmankalel]

Is she over 18?

She can't do anything unless the account owner lists her as an account manager. They don't have to speak with her they just have to call Verizon Wireless and put her on. She then can show ID at a store and get a new phone. Provided that she is 18 or over, of course.

[Linder1000]

She is over 18. However she has no way to contact the account owner/managers/her mom. And even if she did have a way to speak with her, after everything that happened, we highly doubt they would list her as an account manager.

[tikibar1]

She could 'bring her own phone' by buying one from someplace like swappa.com and then just swap SIM cards (assuming the phones use the same size SIM card).

[sprmankalel]

She wouldn't be able to do anything on the Verizon account through a Verizon store or retailer if she isn't authorized.

Maybe you should try to get her a new number and phone on your account. She could also try opening an account with VZW or any carrier in her own name. She would have to get a new number.

[Linder1000]

So you're pretty much saying she's [Removed]? She gets assaulted by her step-dad, and her mom knows and does nothing about it. So the court takes them away. But yet she still can't get a new phone without them. That's a little messed up if you ask me.

Trying to avoid putting her on her own plan because no 18 year old college student with no parent can afford today's outrageously expensive phone plans.

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[Ann154]

Perhaps a prepaid plan would work better.

She can also petition the courts to force the parent who is the account owner to to release her phone number in order for her to take over the financial responsibility of that line. That's if she wants that phone number and is able to pay for the deposit should it be required.

Considering what has been said about the situation, I'm not entirely sure I would personally want to keep the phone number if I was a similar situation. A new phone number would allow her to complete break contact from that family and prevent them from harassing her by calling her since they wouldn't know the new phone number.

[Linder1000]

If she could afford to get her own number and plan, she would.

[sprmankalel]

Then it seems like she's stuck with her phone or to purchase a gently used one from a site as suggested like Swappa.

[Linder1000]

Well that's a pretty crappy policy on Verizon's part if you ask me. Thanks to everyone who chimed in though.

[deloused]

Just a heads up- the policy regarding who is authorized to upgrade or perform any changes to an account is not new, it's always been this way, and is the same for all carrriers (plus most industries). Imagine a world where anyone could just alter someone else's account details, whether upgrading phones, changing features, plans, charges, setting, or access info on an account that legally belongs to another person when the owner of the account wasn't aware, and never authorized the person to be able to do so. Besides the extreme confusion, anger and time that it could cause the customer it would certainly open up any company that allowed such practices to occur to legal action.

But on a positive note, if she has enough money to upgrade a to a new phone with Verizon she certainly has enough money to get her own account/number/service to avoid that complicated family situation as even the cheapest phones are a couple hundred dollars at least.

Anyone with legitimate low income would qualify for a free wireless phone & service from the government however, so that may be something worth looking into-  http://www.obamaphone.com/

[Linder1000]

When I was in my local Verizon store two database, they told me it was a new policy. I'm not an account manager and I used to be able to upgrade phones myself without an account manager present.

I'm in no way saying that anyone should be able to change someone else plan, charges, settings, blah blah blah. I'm saying if YOU have a phone, YOU should be able to upgrade it yourself.

[sprmankalel · Accepted solution]

The problem is that the person who owns the account (the one who put their SSN on it) is financially responsible for the account. They get to make all decisions on an account.

You should NEVER have been able to upgrade without being the account owner or an authorized account manager. This is NOT a new policy. For as long as I have been a Verizon Wireless customer (2011) they have been checking identification. If you cannot prove you are who you say you are and you're not authorized they won't even tell you the upgrade date on the account. It's just that simple.

You can argue it all you like but just because you hold a phone in your hand does NOT give you carte blanche. It simply means the account owner was nice enough to let you have and use a phone in their name and be financially responsible for it.

We have provided the options available. There is nothing more that can be done.

[Linder1000]

Well [Removed]

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[JSZon1]

I can 100% confirm that last year I upgraded to a new phone, and put it on my own personal CC using the Verizon app and selected store pickup and was able to get my phone without the account manager being there, and obviously I am not the account manager

I just went to a store today and tried to the same thing, and was given the "oh we can't do that..."

I asked the guy at the store to give me some instructions so I could help my dad (who is currently in the hospital) add me as an account manager, and they said they didn't know how to do it, they said I should "just google it" 

I eventually figured it out, you can't do it using the iPhone app (for some reason) you have to use the actual Verizon Wireless website 

[PatchesC]

I (wife to the main account holder) was able to purchase a new phone using my own login information. If they won't allow phone activation they shouldn't have allowed me to even purchase a phone upgrade for my number. I didn't know this was going to be an issue until I tried to activate my new phone. And as a spouse, I would also be held financially liable. I've upgraded twice before and NEVER had to have my husband's pin to activate the phones.

[vzw_customer_support]

PatchesC, congrats on your new phone. Security is one of our top priorities. While you can order a phone via your my Verizon account as an Account Manager to call in and activate the phone the account PIN is needed. There is only one account PIN per account. 

-Tionna

[rcschnoor]

Linder1000 wrote:

When I was in my local Verizon store two database, they told me it was a new policy. I'm not an account manager and I used to be able to upgrade phones myself without an account manager present.

I'm in no way saying that anyone should be able to change someone else plan, charges, settings, blah blah blah. I'm saying if YOU have a phone, YOU should be able to upgrade it yourself.

It's not a new policy, an account owner or account manager has ALWAYS had to give approval for a new phone purchase. They didn't have to be "present" but had to give approval, in person or by phone.

If "YOU" upgrade a phone on someone else's account then "YOU" are changing their "plan, charges, settings, blah blah blah".

You can purchase new phones or like new phones via a site such as swappa.com. This would get around any approval an account manager or owner would have to provide as your girlfriend would be the one paying for this device.

[JSZon1]

"It's not a new policy, an account owner or account manager has ALWAYS had to give approval for a new phone purchase. They didn't have to be "present" but had to give approval, in person or by phone."

As of 2019, I'm pretty sure it's different.  Now, at least at the store I went to, they said the account manager has to be there, in person.  No Facetime calls, even if they have their ID and can show it over Facetime or Skype -- I specifically asked this, and they said no.  My suggestion for anyone currently experiencing problems with this would be to try a different store, or see if you can get yourself added as an "account manager" --- if you have the online password, you can just add yourself.