Contacts Permanently Removed After Transferred From Postpaid to Prepaid

[MC2030]

I switched from postpaid to prepaid plan, the contacts stored on Verizon Cloud permanently removed within a month.  I got shocked to find out the phone couldn't restore the contacts from Verizon Cloud after factory reset.  When I was a postpaid client who didn't have a premium cloud account, the contacts could be restored after factory reset.  I even asked sales agent in Verizon who helped me to transfer the plan if the contacts would be kept on the cloud after the plan transferred.  I was told it was no problem.  I've contacted Verizon prepaid and postpaid tech support for two weeks, no one could help!

As a loyal VZW client for nearly two decades, now my faith on VZW is gone.

[acraftylady2]

If they were also backed up to Google they should restore from Google.  Mine back up to both.  Mary

[SerenaRay]

Verizon is going downhill especially for those on a prepaid plan. I've been prepaid for a decade and they are effectively removing all features for prepaid online. I used to be able to manage my contacts online in case I accidentally deleted someone I hadn't messaged in a while. I could go online and find the number now they have removed that features along with online messaging in case I forget my phone at home. Makes you want to switch services doesn't it?

[richs007]

My guess is when you switched to prepaid you did it with a new phone?

If you used the postpaid phone, the contacts should have backed up to the prepaid cloud account.  When you disconnect the postpaid service to sign up for a new service the application has no way of knowing if the prepaid you is the same as the postpaid you.  Everything is based on phone number and that phone number could be reassigned to another customer so to protect your data, if you put the prepaid SIM in the postpaid phone, the contacts from the postpaid service should now show up in the postpaid cloud.

[acraftylady2]

But if they log into the new phone with Google shouldn't their contacts still transfer providing they had Google turned on to back up?  I have been through several phones and am always able to load my contacts from Google when I get a new phone.  We'll only have Android phones so Apple i have no clue.

[richs007]

Ah, you truly are a crafty lady @acraftylady2 .

Yes, if they were using google contact syncing on the postpaid phone and they turn on contact syncing for the prepaid phone, the contacts should have come down to the phone again.  I don't think it would work if one of those phones were an apple device.

Another way around it is to turn wifi on the postpaid phone, sync the contacts to google then force a sync on the prepaid phone.  That should bring them over to the prepaid phone.

[acraftylady2]

That's what I thought.  Have had several android phones over the years and Google always loaded my contacts even when I went to T-mobile then back to verizon.  

[vzw_customer_support]

We know how crucial it is to get this corrected, and we want you to know that we will definitely be here for you to get this resolved. We will be standing by in case you happen to need any additional assistance. DavidR_VZW