Hoping to keep my unlimited..... help!?!?

[froggyot]

Hi there,

I have been reading posts about people trying to keep their unlimited data plans and I am hoping I might fall into the possibilities.  I have a family plan with two upgrades available (one on the main (smart) line and one on a "dumb phone."   I want the Iphone 5 and my husband just wants to upgrade to a new "dumb phone."  Given what I have read I am wondering can I do the following:

          a.  Upgrade his line to the Iphone choosing the 2gb plan

          b.  When his phone arrives, call and have it transfered to my line and the data plan on his line removed

          c.  transfer my "upgrade" to his line so that he can then order a new "dumb phone"

what i am hoping for is two new phones, one i phone and one dumb phone and to keep my 30.00 unlimited data plan.... will it work?

[rcschnoor]

If you sign a new contract on the line with unlimited data, you will lose your unlimited data.

[JFazYankees]

Yes, this will work

[kaebfly]

Call VZW to make sure before you do this. I would think it should work, but the part with you transferring your upgrade may be an issue since what you're essentially trying to do i still use your upgrade without using your upgrade. If you were just using his upgrade to get the phone there wouldn't be an issue, but it's possible that with you still trying to get 2 new phones they will not let you use his upgrade then transfer yours to him so it can be done again. I may be wrong on this but it won't hurt to ask. I think most people were just using the eligible upgrade from another line, not trying to work it where the were still using both upgrades. Or they were adding a line and then just swapping the iPhone to their current line and putting a "dumb" phone on the new line.

[froggyot]

I am going to stop and visit my Verizon friends this afternoon and run the scenerio by them and see what kind of response I get.  To rcschooner, signing a new contract is exactly what I am trying to avoid at this point.  It used to be with the upgrade bonus we would have that nice 100.00 credit but since that is a thing of the past I am not in a hurry to renew my contract and keep my current plan.  I am just hoping by doing a little "Switcheroo" that i can avoid that part.  My only fears are that

a.  I wont be able to ditch the data plan for the "dumb" line when I switch it over AND

b. that I will somehow lose the second upgrade and not be able to get my husband the new phone he will need.  He doesnt want a smart phone so using my droid is not an option 😕 And his Cosmos 2 is failing.....

See what Verizon says I guess...

[kaebfly]

I'm thinking odds are you won't be able to do it the way you are trying. Like I said, the fact that you are still trying to pull off getting to new phones when the only 2 lines involved are you and your husbands...seems like asking for a bit much to be able to pull off. If you can that's awesome. But I really doubt they will let the scenario work...especially in regards to you doing it to keep the unlimited plan. Good luck!

[rcschnoor]

I don't see how this would possibly work.

Essentially, you are saying if you have 2 lines on a Family plan, you would never have to give up your unlimited data and still upgrade at the discounted rate simply by each line using the upgrade of the other line. If this works, it is only a glitch in the system and will eventually be caught by Verizon and you will most likely lose your unlimited data at that time.

According to Verizon, if you have unlimited data, you will lose it when you sign a new 2yr contract on the line with unlimited data. It doesn't matter if you transfer the upgrade for that line to another line, you are still signing a new 2yr contract on the line with unlimited data, therefore giving up your unlimited data.

[rcschnoor · Accepted solution]

froggyot wrote:

I am going to stop and visit my Verizon friends this afternoon and run the scenerio by them and see what kind of response I get.  To rcschooner, signing a new contract is exactly what I am trying to avoid at this point. 

But what you are proposing does not stop you from signing a new 2yr contract, unless you are leaving out the part where you are paying full price for 1 of the phones. THIS would work.

You could use your husbands discounted upgrade in exchange for signing a new 2yr contract to purchase the new iPhone, reactivate the basic phone on his line and transfer the iPhone to your line. You could then purchase a basic phone at full retail to activate on your husband's line. THIS should work.

If you transfer YOUR discounted upgrade in exchange for signing a new 2yr contract to your husband to purchase a new basic phone, you are signing a contract FOR YOUR LINE, not your husband's line. When you do so, you should lose your unlimited data.

[froggyot]

I know the chances are slim but a girl can dream right?  I know there are people out there who have had an upgrade on a "dumb" line and have pulled it off.  I have four lines and I have two eligible upgrades, so I was hoping to pull the "dumb" trick and then later transfer my upgrade over to him, since they let you move the upgrades around.  I wasnt thinking to do it in one fail swoop as I know that would never jive.  I guess it just kills me how expensive this has all gotten and if I can find a way to keep the plan that I have and just carry it forward as a month to month than I have got to try.  Worst thing that can happen is that they say no and I end up paying for one of their new data packages.  I guess without knowing all the nitty gritty about the data packages I have to wait and see what my local verizon guys are able to tell me... can I just drop the data plan?  can I make the upgrade later?  can I keep my unlimited if I dont sign a contract?  I know if you pay for your iphone outright you can....  worth a shot!  It just kills me to forkout that much for a phone, I have always gotten a deal..... when i got my droid 2 I bought it through walmart and paid 39.99 and then they gave me a 100.00 walmart giftcard, so essentially they paid me....  maybe my lucky streak ended on that note....

[froggyot]

your idea might just be worth it.... paying full price for a basic phone must be better than an I phone...