Contract end date...
ctorri
Newbie

I have a Verizon family plan with four phones/lines and one of my family members doesn't want his phone any longer--he wants to get his own plan with another carrier.  His phone/line is the only one left with a contract end date--the other three are month to month.  I asked to have the contract end date switched to one of the other phones/lines on my family plan so I can get rid of that phone/line since the number will be ported to another carrier anyway and was told it can't be done.  I don't understand this and wasn't given any good answers as to why this can't be done.  It really doesn't make any sense to me since I would still be paying for three phones/lines anyway if I dropped one of the month-to-month phones/lines and I would have to pay until the end of the contract because it would still be attached to one of the other three phones/lines on the family plan.  There didn't seem to be any problem with switching phone/line contracts around when applying a month-to-month phone/line discount to another phone/line to get a new phone free or at a discounted price.  Can anyone seriously explain this without it sounding completely vague or ridiculous?  "Just because that's the way it is" is not a valid answer.

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26 Replies
Not applicable

I'm not sure I totally understand this either, but a contract is associated with a line of service.  That line of service has a phone number associated with it and usually has a phone.  You cannot transfer a contract to another line of service.  I ran into this when I bought a new Droid on a new line and later wanted to move an old phone number for an old line of service I no longer needed to this new line and couldn't do it.  Whether or not there is some technical, valid reason I don't know, but it's not going to change.  This comes up frequently.  So, "just because that's the way it is" is a valid answer, although you might not like that answer.

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spitxfire
Contributor - Level 3

Yeah, you can't switch contracts like that, as the previous person stated it's per line of service.  If you extend a contract to get a phone at a discounted price but put it on another line, it's for the line of service you used the upgrade to get that phone.  It's something that's just not possible.

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vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

I'm sorry to learn one of your lines is leaving VZW and going to another carrier ctorri. Is there a reason why? As jimfitzgerald & spitxfire mentioned, the contracts are per line. Because the lines that are currently out of contract are not getting new phone, or renewing service, we're not able to just extend that contract. (Or transfer contract from another line.) How much longer does that line have a contract for? If its better for you, you can send a Direct Message with this information. I look forward to your response.

Thank you,
VanessaS_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

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bakobs
Newbie

A retail Verizon store here DID allow another member on my family plan to take MY upgrade (I was on month to month) to get a new phone on her line, WITHOUT my consent. I have been trying to get my contract terms restored but they say they can't unless she returns the phone, and within in the 14 day trial. I have talked to CS, fraud dept (their solution, not mine), CS again, Retail mgr, Corporate, and no one will fix their mistake. Next I'll contact retail store supervisor... but they didn't have his phone number! If anyone can help I need to resolve this by Sat. Thanks.

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Not applicable

You need to contact your local police and press charges against the other person on your plan.  This has nothing to do with Verizon.

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bakobs
Newbie

This was not done maliciously by the person on my plan, but at the suggestion of the Verizon manager, who knows she is not the account owner or an account manager. It has everything to do with Verizon!

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Not applicable

Why didn't she say "I need to ask the account owner first, it's his upgrade."

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Not applicable

it can be

if the person is moving to a place without verizon service it violates federal law to charge early termination

if you are charged please file a "formal FCC complaint" and a "formal complaint" with your state's "public utilities commission"

part of the PUC formal process strongly suggests you warn verizon in writing of your intention to file with PUC if they do not remove the illegal fee

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androiduser123
Contributor - Level 1

I'm not sure where you got  this information. But that is incorrect. If the person leaves verizon for any reason, they have to pay the early termination fee. If they are moving outside of the coverage area, they can't port their number anyways since they don't have a service agreement there. So they have to pay the fee.

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Not applicable

burgesssimile wrote:

it can be

if the person is moving to a place without verizon service it violates federal law to charge early termination

if you are charged please file a "formal FCC complaint" and a "formal complaint" with your state's "public utilities commission"

part of the PUC formal process strongly suggests you warn verizon in writing of your intention to file with PUC if they do not remove the illegal fee

Please provides LINKS as proof to what you are saying. I call bull hockey on this. Also the OP didn't say this person was moving to a non Verizon area. Which are very few an far between by the way.

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Not applicable

I've offered the knowledge to those who would wish to pursue the remedy.  I see no benefit to me to expend the entire effort.  Do your homework.

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Not applicable

burgesssimile wrote:

I've offered the knowledge to those who would wish to pursue the remedy.  I see no benefit to me to expend the entire effort.  Do your homework.

No homework to do because you lie which is why you won't provide PROOF.

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Not applicable

ctorri wrote:

There didn't seem to be any problem with switching phone/line contracts around when applying a month-to-month phone/line discount to another phone/line to get a new phone free or at a discounted price.  Can anyone seriously explain this without it sounding completely vague or ridiculous?  "Just because that's the way it is" is not a valid answer.

When you got the discount you didn't switch lines. Example: two lines A and B. B wants a discount but can't get it on its own line. A can get discount so allows line B to use his discount. Line A is the one who gets his contract extended not B even though B is getting the discounted phone. Why? Because the original discount was tied to line A.

Contracts are tied to a line. When that line signed a contract that line agreed to have service for 24 months or be subject to an ETF. What part of that is hard to get? If the person with that line so desperately wants to not be on Verizon so much they can't wait until the end of the contract they can pay the ETF.

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ctorri
Newbie

I didn't say it's "hard to get."

I said the explanations are ridiculous and vague.

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Not applicable

I just explained it to you.

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ctorri
Newbie

I have read all these replies and there still doesn't seem to be good explanations as to why I can't have the open contract switched to one of the other phones/lines when I am the account holder of ALL the phones/lines.  You all keep answering my question with the same vague language that Verizon uses to obfuscate the issue when legitimate questions are raised.  Here is the SIMPLE part:  I have a family plan with Verizon which has (4) phones/lines on the plan;  I pay for all of the phones/lines;  (3) phones/lines have contracts which have expired and are month-to-month now;  (1) phone/line needs to go away--for whatever reason;  I asked for that open contract to be switched to one of the other phones/lines on my family plan that are not going away--which means that as the account holder I will still be responsible for the remainder of the contract... which is fine.  I just need to drop that phone/line because there is no sense to pay for a phone/line which isn't being used.

But... and this is a big but; Verizon loves to play games and bully people and play with language that may seem to make sense on the surface, but is just a game of language.  So they tell me that it isn't possible because the contract is "tied to a line."  I do understand that but it doesn't make any sense because there is information missing as to WHY.  Which gets back to a reason of "just 'cause..."  Just 'cause I said so, just 'cause that's the way it is, just 'cause that's what the contract states, etc.  I got all of that.  I really do.  But the game still plays out with no valid reason why they won't allow me to get rid of one phone/line while keeping the rest AND the contract since I am the account holder.

Understand better now?

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Not applicable

Companies have policies.  Verizon's policy is a contract is tied to a line of service.  Their policy does not allow a contract to be swapped to a different line of service.  That is the reason.  That is all you need to know and all you will ever know.  Verizon is not going to explain to you the internal reason for that policy.  There may be some technical reason or it might be somewhat arbitrary, but that is the answer.  Maybe it's as simple as they don't want to make it easy for people to do exactly what you are attempting to do.  They want you to fulfill your promise to pay 24 months for the line in question.

ctorri
Newbie

Wow... nice reply.

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Not applicable

Verizon is not going to change this policy because you don't understand it.  Why don't you simply cancel one of your other lines and swap phones around?  And don't tell me because you don't want to.  That is not an acceptable answer.

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ctorri wrote:

Wow... nice reply.

It actually is a great reply. And 100% accurate. May not be the answer you want. but I Suspect his assessment is Right On.

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