Verizon refuse to upgrade phone unless I upgrade service

[RWNYSN]

I have been on Verizon for 25 years now. I want to upgrade my phone. The problem is I have "Unlimited 55+ Loyalty plan", and they will not allow me to upgrade the phone and stay on my current plan. I have to upgrade both phone lines to the "Unlimited Ultimate" plan and that will cost me about $60 to $70 more per month. 

The upgrade offer will give me $1000 for my S22 but will cost me more than $2200 over the next 36 months. It is not worth it. So for me to upgrade I am being forced to change my plan for both phoned. My wife upgraded to the Z5 Flip with the same $1000 offer beginning of this year and did not need to change our plans.

So, in order for me to upgrade my phone to either the z6 flip or S24 Ultra plus I will need to by the phone at full price and then move my SIM over from my current phone to the new phone in order to stay on my plan. Verizon does not take care of long-term user seeing how I have been on Verizon for 25 years. So maybe it is time to start looking for a new phone vendor see how I am being treated by them.

[vzw_customer_support]

Hey there, RWNYSN, we greatly appreciate your loyalty over the last 25 years and want to make sure you have the phone you really want! As far as your upgrade, are you referring to changing plans in order to be able to take advantage of a particular trade-in promotion? When attempting to process an upgrade, can you let us know where you're seeing that your plan must be changed? 

-Lauren

[SynthpopAddict]

I'm just another customer, but I hang out here a lot.  Can you see if Verizon will let you set up a financing deal for a new phone?  Then you wouldn't have to lose your legacy plan and don't have to pay the entire cost of the phone upfront.  If they won't do that, try checking at the manufacturer's website to see if you can get a deal from Samsung directly.  The one catch with buying direct from the manufacturer is that it's probably going to be a factory unlocked model, so won't have all the Verizon features on it (and Verizon specific apps other than My Verizon won't work). 

As for your other concerns:

-All the major carriers have their phone deals tied to either the highest or maybe the highest and middle level current unlimited plan.  Legacy plans would not qualify.  The Blue Logo Place has IMO a sneaky way of wording it even where they say the deals only come with plans costing at least X amount monthly.  Every company gives you a multi-line discount if you have more than 1 line.  So if you come in with 2 or more lines, you're not paying X amount on the plan...which maybe means you don't qualify for a phone deal then?

-If you switched carriers you would be a new customer there, so would have to get some current unlimited plan with them to keep the level of service you're accustomed to.  Based upon what the websites say, all the big guys charge in about the same ballpark, so leaving will likely increase your phone bill.

-"There's no such thing as a free lunch."  I've posted about this elsewhere in the forums, but based upon what I've read from others regarding trade-ins, I firmly feel that not everyone gets $1000 for a trade-in.  The ads ought to say UP to $1000.  The value of your trade-in is determined by whomever assesses your trade-in when it is received at the warehouse, not by the salespeople in the stores.  If everyone could get a grand for any trade-in, I'd have already brought in my budget smartphone and gotten free money from Verizon...my phone doesn't sell for anywhere near $1000 brand new.  Same thing goes if you bring in a busted phone or something very old which can only be recycled for the rare metals or random parts.  Can't see how someone is going to get $1000 for something like that.

[dawnburrough]

I have been on Verizon for 25 years now. I want to upgrade my phone. The problem is I have "Unlimited 55+ Loyalty plan", and they will not allow me to upgrade the phone and stay on my current plan. I have to upgrade both phone lines to the "Unlimited Ultimate" plan and that will cost me about $60 to $70 more per month. 

The upgrade offer will give me $1000 for my S22 but will cost me more than $2200 over the next 36 months. It is not worth it. So for me to upgrade I am being forced to change my plan for both phoned. My wife upgraded to the Z5 Flip with the same $1000 offer beginning of this year and did not need to change our plans.

So, in order for me to upgrade my phone to either the z6 flip or S24 Ultra plus I will need to by the phone at full price and then move my SIM over from my current phone to the new phone in order to stay on my plan. Verizon does not take care of long-term user seeing how I have been on Verizon for 25 years. So maybe it is time to start looking for a new phone vendor see how I am being treated by them.

[dawnburrough]

Can the rest of the family get the same plan and upgrade just like I did it should be available for everyone that way we are still with Verizon and able to pay all of the hospital bills piling up which is the reason why my husband would not allow me to upgrade until didn’t have to pay a fee to pay off the rest of our phones before we purchased 4 brand new phones

[vzw_customer_support]

Great question dawnburrough. We can take a look at the account for plan, offers, and upgrade options. We hope you and your family are doing ok with the hospital bills. Plese reply to the following private note and we will start with more details.

-Deb