Keeping grandfathered unlimited data question

[KParks24]

Hey all. I'm currently on a family share plan 2000 I believe it's called with 2 other people I still have my legacy unlimited data plan, well the other 2 are leaving and getting their own plan. has anyone been able to switch plans and keep the old unlimited data plan? I keep getting different answers ranging from I'd have to solo the family plan and pay 200+ a month to being able to change to something called a unlimited talk text share plan for 50$ plus my data price so about 100$ total. Thanks for the advice!

[Benitez147 · Accepted solution]

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@KParks24 wrote:

Hey all. I'm currently on a family share plan 2000 I believe it's called with 2 other people I still have my legacy unlimited data plan, well the other 2 are leaving and getting their own plan. has anyone been able to switch plans and keep the old unlimited data plan? I keep getting different answers ranging from I'd have to solo the family plan and pay 200+ a month to being able to change to something called a unlimited talk text share plan for 50$ plus my data price so about 100$ total. Thanks for the advice!

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If you are the primary account holder, I would move my phone line (the one with the legacy unlimited data plan) to a sub account by its own. I wouldn't trust those two other lines to port out and then let the Verizon system automatically change your plan. Currently your account has a shared plan and you need to get a standalone plan for 1 line. DO NOT DO anything online as it will prompt you to change your plan to a newer "unlimited" plan. Contact a customer service representative by calling 1-800-922-0204 or by dialing *611 from your verizon wireless cell phone. Inform them that you are switching from a shared 2000 plan to a standalone plan by yourself. The current standalone minute plans are:

73436 Nationwide Voice Individual 450 Minutes/$39.99

73442 Nationwide Voice & Messaging 450 Minutes/$59.99

73571 Nationwide 300 - single line 300 anytime minutes, unlimited night and weekends, no mobile to mobile/$34.99

89736 Nationwide Unlimited Talk Text with gUDP to Feature Code - 30 min Loyalty Plan for $15/month

Not sure if the 73442 Nationwide Voice & Messaging 450 Minutes/$59.99 code still works as that plan has been retired from the Verizon system a long time ago. I also don't have the 700 or 900 minute codes and I think those minute plans are for 2 or more lines on an account.

If I was you, I would put my standalone line on code 89736, 30 minute Loyalty plan for $15/month. This plan will require you to be put on a 1 year contract. Buy a 4G LTE jetpack and put your sim card inside that jetpack and use your Verizon Messages app to make calls with your verizon number and send text messages. A neat trick I found out is that all calls you make and receive using the Verizon Messages app will NOT count against your limit, so essentially you will have "unlimited" minutes. Don't give Verizon the satisfaction it wants by eliminating your grandfathered unlimited data and let's stick to it to them for making those lame plans and trying to get us with true unlimited data to use them also.

Good luck 

[Benitez147]

There are several advantages to doing what I told you. You're bill should be around $65 before any taxes and surcharges for one line. One big plus is that employment discounts work with these grandfathered unlimited data plans (assuming you have an employer who has a contract with Verizon). You don't have to run your internet as a internet service provider as someone else stated. It means your internet will not get deprioritized while other users are using their smartphones. You will be able to watch a YouTube video at 12 p.m. or 5 p.m. and still have good internet speed. By doing what I suggested, you can connect your smartphone, iPad, laptop to the MiFi device and not have to worry about overages on your account since it is truly unlimited. This is what Verizon truly hates and that is why they are actively trying to get people to change their plans to these new "unlimited" data plans. Read other responses on these forums of people being on those other "unlimited" plans not being able to watch videos or use their phones at certain peak hours. Don't be a sucker and be influenced by what other people post on this.

If you are not the account owner, Mami23dogs is correct. You might lose the unlimited data. DO NOT let a verizon representative try to AOL your line as you might lose the unlimited data as Verizon reps have been instructed to not let anyone with the grandfathered unlimited data do an Assumption Of Liability. You might have to play Customer Service Representative roulette until you find a knowledgeable representative that knows their stuff. Not sure if Verizon can just create an account for you to have your own line with a Nationwide Plan if you are not the account owner of your current plan or without.

[KParks24]

Thanks yall for the responses, yes i am the account holder so sounds like that will work in my favor so im going to vzw in the morning to get the 2nd line off my account that will leave me alone with the family plan.. im going to see if they can get me on one of the plans you mentioned above if not ill try customer support thing. any idea what this unlimited talk text share plan they quoted me was? chat told me that was 50$ for that plan but cant find no info on it. im assuming the numbers before the plans you were telling me about are the codes for the plans correct? very helpful information! ill be there at 10AM est in the morning so any addtitional info try to let me know before then also ill let yall know how things go. thanks again.

[Benitez147]

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@KParks24 wrote:

Thanks yall for the responses, yes i am the account holder so sounds like that will work in my favor so im going to vzw in the morning to get the 2nd line off my account that will leave me alone with the family plan.. im going to see if they can get me on one of the plans you mentioned above if not ill try customer support thing. any idea what this unlimited talk text share plan they quoted me was? chat told me that was 50$ for that plan but cant find no info on it. im assuming the numbers before the plans you were telling me about are the codes for the plans correct? very helpful information! ill be there at 10AM est in the morning so any addtitional info try to let me know before then also ill let yall know how things go. thanks again.

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DO NOT EVER go to a Verizon corporate/authorized store to do a plan change. Those leeches will mess up your grandthered unlimited data. Keep in mind that these leeches are geared to sell you poop you don't need. Call 1-800-922-0204 or *611 from your verizon wireless number. Do the plan change with a KNOWLEDGEABLE customer service representative. If you get one who doesn't seem to know what they are doing, hang up and call again until you get a KNOWLEDGEABLE customer service representative. Yes, those are voice minute codes that the customer service representative should know if they will make the plan change to your account. I think that is the Start getting fisted by Verizon "unlimited" data. Don't let yourself get suckered into letting them change you into that plan. They can depreoritize your data at ANY time the local tower is congested. Try seeing a video at lunch time without it buffering on you on that lame plan. Get the 30 minute plan and put your SIM card in a 4g LTE MiFi device. You can make calls and send text messages through Verizon Messages app. Just make sure you keep your MiFi device close to you at all times and your phone's, iPad,  inspector gadget watch will work with the WiFi signal that your MiFi device throws out. Your MiFi device will throw out a stronger signal I believe than a smartphone and all the functions will work except the built in phone and messages app, but you can use Verizon Messages to do that with your regular Verizon wireless number. Ask the customer service representative to change you into whichever minute nationwide plan that you want into a sub-account.

[KParks24]

I'm going to the store tomorrow to move my sister off my plan so they can put her on my brother in law's plan. My plan should remain unchanged. Then I can call the support line that way everything should also be recorded from the conversation. That portable hotspot thing is a good idea but I'm definitely not the kind of person to carry something like that around I'd rather pay a little more, something like that Nationwide 450 with messaging would be more up my alley even though it cost way more. Not sure I can move her to his plan without us both being present at the store

I believe the plan I had before we went with the family plan was in fact that 450 individual plan not sure if it matters but that was on my account at some point but it was years and years ago.

[Benitez147]

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@KParks24 wrote:

I'm going to the store tomorrow to move my sister off my plan so they can put her on my brother in law's plan. My plan should remain unchanged. Then I can call the support line that way everything should also be recorded from the conversation. That portable hotspot thing is a good idea but I'm definitely not the kind of person to carry something like that around I'd rather pay a little more, something like that Nationwide 450 with messaging would be more up my alley even though it cost way more. Not sure I can move her to his plan without us both being present at the store

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Go with the warning that SALES representatives have REMOVED grandfathered unlimited data plans in store. Once they remove the unlimited data plan from your account,  it is hard to get put back on to an account. As long as you know this beforehand. Your plan should remain unchanged, but there have been instances were it was removed. That plan might be really hard to get as it has been retired many years ago. Most likely they will offer you the 450 minute plan and the 1000 messages to anyone plan for $10 or unlimited texting for $20. Mobile hotspot to grandfathered unlimited data plans is an additional $30. Your bill is already creeping up over $100 already.

[KParks24]

I think I was paying right around $100 a month with the family plan so as long as I can keep my unlimited data plan I'm fine with $100 or a little over I also get 15% off from my job if the plan allowed it. My work phone has a hotspot plan so I dont need the hotspot for my personal phone. I definitely do need the unlimited messaging tho.

[Benitez147]

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@KParks24 wrote:

I think I was paying right around $100 a month with the family plan so as long as I can keep my unlimited data plan I'm fine with $100 or a little over I also get 15% off from my job if the plan allowed it. My work phone has a hotspot plan so I dont need the hotspot for my personal phone. I definitely do need the unlimited messaging tho.

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Oh ok. Great, good luck and post back results of how everything went.

[KParks24]

As far as I know everything went through ok, I got the Nationwide talk text 450 min with my 15% discount and I also got my lagacy unlimited data for 49.99 and my 12% discount for my data plan may or may not carry over she said it wouldn't but when I look at my plan it's still there so idk. The woman I talked to was extremely helpful for once lol

[Benitez147]

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@KParks24 wrote:

As far as I know everything went through ok, I got the Nationwide talk text 450 min with my 15% discount and I also got my lagacy unlimited data for 49.99 and my 12% discount for my data plan may or may not carry over she said it wouldn't but when I look at my plan it's still there so idk. The woman I talked to was extremely helpful for once lol

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That's good to see. I'm surprised that the code for 450 talk and text worked. Why doesn't the %15 discount carry over to your unlimited data?  My %22 discount carries over to voice and data plan. Keep in mind that we're stuck using 4g LTE devices as I'm not sure if we'll have the same protections we have if we upgrade our devices to 5G. No one here knows and other posters are speculating also. 

[KParks24]

No clue she said it automatically kicked it off and she doesn't have a option to add it back but when I look at my updated bill for next month with the new plan it's still on there. Yeah I'm cool with 4g it's plenty fast, whats the point of 5g if they're gonna cap your data and streaming quality lol

[Benitez147]

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@KParks24 wrote:

No clue she said it automatically kicked it off and she doesn't have a option to add it back but when I look at my updated bill for next month with the new plan it's still on there. Yeah I'm cool with 4g it's plenty fast, whats the point of 5g if they're gonna cap your data and streaming quality lol

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Oh ok. As long as it's still there. You got the right idea my friend. Once more people start migrating to the 5G, they will leave more free bandwidth for us on 4G. Which means faster speeds for us in 4G. That is prrecisely what Verizon does to make people pay more. That is why Verizon dislikes customers like us. 4K video requires at least 25 mbps and 4G speeds already surpass those speeds so we are in the clear. 

[KParks24]

Looks like my bill will be right around 110$ then whatever device payment and stuff. Still high but not to bad I guess seeing how that new unlimited would run me pretty much the same price

[Benitez147]

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@KParks24 wrote:

Looks like my bill will be right around 110$ then whatever device payment and stuff. Still high but not to bad I guess seeing how that new unlimited would run me pretty much the same price

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Great. One big advantage you have is that your data is not deprioritized. 

Good luck 

[KParks24]

Plus the new data plans cap your streaming quality at 720p lol Glad we all got these power hungry screens so we can watch sub par quality videos, our legacy plan has no limits no caps or anything that was another huge deal.

[vzw_customer_support]

One of our main goals is to make sure you are in the best plan for your needs. Glad you got to keep the plan you love. Please don't hesitate to reach out for further assistance.

MariaV_VZW

[ao2000]

Maria,

My plan recently changed a few days ago and I seemed to have lost my grandfathered nationwide unlimited data plan. I have called numerous times and each representative stated they were unable to reinstate it with the same pricing. They stated they could reinstate it with an additional $40/mo and I could request a "reimbursement" but I would have to call in each time for the reimbursement, which is naturally a ridiculous, unnecessary hassle.

As a customer of about 20 years now, how can I get in touch with a "knowledgeable" CSR who knows and understands how to handle our grandfathered unlimited data plans?

I have been calling back, speaking with supervisors, etc. It has been an EXTREMELY AGGRAVATING experience talking to CSRs who are completely unfamiliar with our data plans.

Any advice on how we can speak to a knowledgeable rep would be GREATLY appreciated.

[Benitez147]

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@ao2000 wrote:

Maria,

My plan recently changed a few days ago and I seemed to have lost my grandfathered nationwide unlimited data plan. I have called numerous times and each representative stated they were unable to reinstate it with the same pricing. They stated they could reinstate it with an additional $40/mo and I could request a "reimbursement" but I would have to call in each time for the reimbursement, which is naturally a ridiculous, unnecessary hassle.

As a customer of about 20 years now, how can I get in touch with a "knowledgeable" CSR who knows and understands how to handle our grandfathered unlimited data plans?

I have been calling back, speaking with supervisors, etc. It has been an EXTREMELY AGGRAVATING experience talking to CSRs who are completely unfamiliar with our data plans.

Any advice on how we can speak to a knowledgeable rep would be GREATLY appreciated.

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ao2000,

Why did your plan change a few days ago? Did you purchase a device? If so, you have 14 days to return that device. When you return that device, make sure your upgrade eligibility is reinstated on that line. At this point, you have to call customer service at 1-800-922-0204 or *611 from your verizon wireless cell phone. You can find out a knowledgeable representative if you mention that you have a Nationwide plan and that it got changed. If he/she knows about those plans then it would give an indication that they know about those plans. Tell them to file an Inactive Pricing Request, that is the only department at Verizon that is allowed to reinstate your grandfathered unlimited data plan back to  your plan. Provide the customer service representative the Unlimited Data Plan code which is 73715. The only thing is that you keep calling and make sure you get a representative who knows about those nationwide plans and you can provide them that code and hopefully submit an IPR on time and get your unlimited data back on your plan. 

Hopefully your plan was not changed from a Nationwide plan to one of the new More money out of your pocket plans. That will be another issue on it's own.

Good luck and post back results.

[vzw_customer_support]

KParks24, we are glad to see that you were able to make the proper adjustments on your account to keep the legacy unlimited data plan. After your new invoice releases and you may have any questions pertaining to your Employee discount please reach out to us here as we are always here for your assistance.

SylviaT_VZW

[POOLCUETI]

I just wanted to add that it is possible to put the grandfathered unlimited data plan as a SEPARATE PLAN on your account.  This is the way that I've had mine for years. This is the only way I can preserve it and be certain that it won't be changed "by accident".  I have had this plan changed "by accident" while trying to add a line and it took me MONTHS and months of talking to Verizon reps , being passed on and on and repeatedly being told that there is nothing else they can do because that plan is no longer active and they cannot change it back.  I got lucky one day after umpteen hours spent on the phone trying to correct the "accident" and found a rep that was willing and fairly confident he COULD fix it and also set my data up so that I wouldn't have any overages because he would automatically bump it up as needed until he got it resolved. It took a few more weeks and a lot of work on his part but I got my grandfathered plan reinstated.  We generally use 100 +Gb monthly so it was important to get it back. I believe I'm stuck with 3G but I'm going to look into it because I'd like to have 4G service although what I have is fast enough to stream movies and music.