I signed up with verizon two years ago with HTC thunderbolt with a 4G Unlimited data plan. After that I have been just buying secondhand phones. Now I am up for an upgrade, but I know if you upgrade through verizon they will strip you of your unlimited plan. But I also heard that they are doing this to customers who have 3G smartphones, in order to get everyone to 4G. But if you have been grandfathered into a 4G unlimited plan, can you upgrade and still keep your unlimited plan.
I am not able to get a correct answer from anyone. Has anyone recently, who has 4G unlimited plan been able to upgrade and keep their plan.
Thank you in advance.
diljosh said:
I signed up with verizon two years ago with HTC thunderbolt with a 4G Unlimited data plan. After that I have been just buying secondhand phones. Now I am up for an upgrade, but I know if you upgrade through verizon they will strip you of your unlimited plan. But I also heard that they are doing this to customers who have 3G smartphones, in order to get everyone to 4G. But if you have been grandfathered into a 4G unlimited plan, can you upgrade and still keep your unlimited plan.
I am not able to get a correct answer from anyone. Has anyone recently, who has 4G unlimited plan been able to upgrade and keep their plan.
Thank you in advance.
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As of right now, Verizon is making everyone go to a share everything or tiered data plan. Those of us who are grandfathered in will have to switch to one those plans. But here's the kicker. This is only if we want to take advantage of subsidized phone options. For those of us who want to continue to have unlimited data will have to pay for our phones outright. So either we can enjoy phones at a cheaper pace (at least until VZW gets rid of subsidized phone options) or we can pay the 4-700 dollars for a new phone and keep our unlimited plan.
I'm keeping my plan on principle.
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looks like no upgrading for me , just keep buying second hand phones.
I upgraded from an Incredible2 3g phone to the GN2 keeping my unlimited data by adding the new phone to one of my 2 "dumb phone" lines, then moved the GN2 to my line. The Verizon store Rep offered to do this for me knowing that it is a loophole to keep your unlimited data. I'm sure eventually that loophole will be closed, by I can speak from personal experience that it works. Several others have done the same thing. Hope this helps.
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I upgraded and kept my unlimited data as well, there's three lines on my account and as long as I always transfer the upgrade to the line that doesn't have data, then after the upgrade switching phones with that line I still keep my unlimited. So in summary as long as you have a line without data in your account you can keep unlimited by doing an alternative upgrade.
Pro-tip:
Ask for an "A-List" device at the Verizon store. A-list devices are devices returned within the first 14 days they allow exchange. Mine was from someone who could not handle the power of Android and had to dumb it down to iOS, saved me a couple hundred bucks to let them borrow it and I still got a warranty :laugh:
I payed $640 out the door (Accessories+Tax) months ago for my S3. 16GB White, Car Charger, Screen Protector 3pk, UAG case, new SIM (Do not pay for sim or activation corporate stores do it free, private will too if you mention this).
Related
Ok, so I got a Droid 2 from Verizon for free (don't ask, long story). Anyways, I'm due for an upgrade though my contract doesn't end till January of next year. I want to wait for an upgrade so more LTE phones come to Verizon (SGSII) though I heard that July 7th or so that Verizon is going to start tiered pricing for data. I use about 5GB of data a month so the cheaper pricing for 2GB won't work, though I don't want to pay $80 for 10GB. Since I am still a customer with unlimited data, if I upgraded later would it effect my data and would I be forced into crappy data prices?
If it makes a difference, my brother just switched (yesterday) from Sprint to Verizon with me on a family plan.
as of now anyone who has an unlimited data plan will be able to keep it when they upgrade but they havnt said anything on how long this will last
http://www.phonedog.com/2011/06/22/details-of-verizon-s-new-tiered-data-plans-outed-once-again/
I'm worried about this too. I use quite a bit of data as I use my phone for my own business. My contract expires in September and I was told by Verizon that I "should" be able to keep my current plan with unlimited data as long as I don't alter my current contract in any way. Worst case I may switch to Sprint and pay less per month, get a better phone, but have to take a hit in call service.
Sent from my Inc using Nil's Business Gingersense. Now that's Incredible.
or u do what i do and use a verizon prl so u get verizon service even though your on sprint lol.
So I call AT&T before ordering on amazon, and the rep tells me that I'll be able to call back and switch my data plan to the "5GB Unlimited." I inquire as to how the plan works, she says that if I go over 5GB, I get charged, because it is not unlimited. But then she confirmed that I'll be keeping the grandfathered data plan.
Is this consistent with what other people are getting? Just want to make sure I'm not screwing myself over. Thanks!
It is not called 5GB unlimited. It is LTE unlimited and you will never be charged for overage. What happens is you will be throttled (300k to 500k speed) when you use over 5GB.
You will have to call AT&T to switch back to your unlimited plan after you received your phone from Amazon.
You will probably want to follow up with AT&T after you get your phone to make sure you are actually keeping your grandfathered unlimited plan and that you have not actually been switched over to the 5GB plan.
I had to convince the at&t rep when ordering over the phone that I should have unlimited grandfathered plan.
It is always worth checking to make sure they didn't take it away from you.
While on the phone and on web chat, I asked this specifically with radioshack rep several times that i want to keep my grandfathered unlimited data and they say yes it will be possible. I told them why on my receipt it shows mt dataplan got switched to the 5gb+tether for $50, they said this is only for initial processing, but after approval, everything will go back to the way it was. I made sure to get them to confirm this before I purchased and after i purchased haha.
We will see if this is still the case when I finally get my phone. If not, sucks I might have to cancel and return the phone. unlimited data is pretty valuable especially when you get to go all the way up to 5GB before being throttled in LTE.
When I placed my pre-order through AT&T, I specifically had the option to add the "LTE Unlimited Personal" data package. I was pretty tempted by RadioShack offering it at $50. But given all I read about them farqing things up for pretty much everybody they sell things to, I paid the whole $200 through AT&T. I am willing to pay extra to make sure nobody screws up my unlimited data plan. But that's just me.
I kept my smartphone unlimited plan. AT&T had no problem letting me keep my plan
Keeping my unlimited data plan is the sole reason I always upgrade through ATT. Sure the Radio Shack and Amazon prices are always lower but I never fully trust that ATT will put unlimited data back after I get the phone...
snvyas said:
Keeping my unlimited data plan is the sole reason I always upgrade through ATT. Sure the Radio Shack and Amazon prices are always lower but I never fully trust that ATT will put unlimited data back after I get the phone...
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Agreed. Spending more in the store is worth it to me rather than running the chance of losing the unlimited data plan.
SR4 said:
Agreed. Spending more in the store is worth it to me rather than running the chance of losing the unlimited data plan.
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Even if somehow they screw your data plan up. You can always get your unlimited data plan back. As long as you can:
-Prove that you've had it
-Say that it was changed without your knowledge / consent.
I cannot add them back in the store. You will have to call 611 to get it added back to your account if it was messed up by some other retailer. It's always worth checking your account online to make sure. Or dial *3282#. That will tell you what data plan you currently have.
The type of data connection doesn't matter either. If you are just now moving to your first LTE device, the amount of data you are allowed to transfer before the throttle increases to 5gb from 3gb. The cost is the same and it is still unlimited. Meaning no overage costs.
If you have any specific questions or if customer service gives you any trouble. Please message me and I can help resolve it.
My contract just ended and I have the $30 unlimited data grandfathered. I've always been able to keep it when upgrading by speaking to customer service. But this time I don't want to upgrade for another 2yr contract. I've been a customer forever and would like to have the freedom of no contract for a little bit. I'm currently using a 3g samsung captivate but want to get the s3. I found a really good deal on craigslist. Will at&t let me keep unlimited data without upgrading? I'm just worried that they tell me yes when I call, then after I buy the phone they say no you gotta upgrade. That would suck..
Just swap the sim card into the new phone.
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hugebulge said:
Just swap the sim card into the new phone.
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I believe the GS3 is a MicroSIM, and the Captivate is a "regular" SIM. So the person can get a MicroSIM from AT&T. If you call for one, I think they charge you $15. But in store, they will often give it to you for free to AT&T account holders.
You can also cut the SIM to make it work, using guides online. But its probably easier to just get a free new one from the store.
jsmizzle said:
My contract just ended and I have the $30 unlimited data grandfathered. I've always been able to keep it when upgrading by speaking to customer service. But this time I don't want to upgrade for another 2yr contract. I've been a customer forever and would like to have the freedom of no contract for a little bit. I'm currently using a 3g samsung captivate but want to get the s3. I found a really good deal on craigslist. Will at&t let me keep unlimited data without upgrading? I'm just worried that they tell me yes when I call, then after I buy the phone they say no you gotta upgrade. That would suck..
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Dont' worry, they can't make you upgrade, you can use whatever hardware you want (as long as its compatible with their network).
If you don't presently have LTE on your account, and the phone you are buying is compatible with AT&T's LTE bands, you can get it added to your account w/o an upgrade and w/o a new contract. But you have to go through AT&T to do it (either by phone or in an AT&T store). Simply tell them you want to keep unlimited data, and add LTE. They technically have to change you to a "new" data plan that is unlimited data with LTE, but its really just the same - unlimited data, but with LTE capability added and no extra fee (its just what they do to make it work in their system). Just make sure they do it right before you leave the store or hangup the phone. Its not completely straightforward, it took them about 15 minutes to get it right for me at my AT&T store, and the rep had to bring the manager into it, and they were really trying. But its worth the hassle, since if they screw it up and take unlimited data off your account, its a real pain to add it back.
And this is the only way to add LTE to your account, if the S3 you are buying has LTE.
Thanks guys for the replies. Apparently, the LTE microSIM is different from the 3g microSIM. Even though they're the same size the coding is different. So i'm gonna need to visit the store to get the LTE card. AT&T customer service did tell me that my unlimited data won't change and I won't need to upgrade. So that's cool.. Now it's about choosing which phone to get. I'm still thinking the S3 but I just looked at the demo models at best buy. Damn this is hard. The one x is a beauty and even the atrix hd looks great too. I might just wait until the iphone 5 release on the 12th so all the other phone prices will drop. But that's a whole different thread..
Before everyone flips out on me... give me a second. So I told my dad he was going to lose his unlimited data if he didn't upgrade his phone by today. Which of course he ends up waiting until today to do. Come to find out that he had to upgrade before today in order to keep his unlimited data. We are on a family share plan and only me and my dad have unlimited data, but my brother and sister, who are also on it, have the 2GB data cap.
So I told him to try to transfer his upgrade to one of them and get the subsidized price and just upgrade it on his line. So he tries to pre-order the SGSIII on my brother's line and this pops up.
"The existing plan Nationwide Account Level Talk & Text Family Share 2000, is not compatible with the new device." So it either chooses new individual plan or new share voice and data plan.
What's confusing though is that under smartphone data packages, it doesn't have the new family data plan pricing. It still has 2 GB for $30, 5GB for $50, and 10GB for $80 and under plan shares summary on the left side where the totals are, it does say "Nationwide Account Level Talk & Text Family Share 2000". So I'm confused as F*CK right now and I want my dad to keep his unlimited for at least another 2 years, but I also don't want to lose mine and get screwed over with this new family data share plan. Not to mention that fact that I'm not sure whether they are actually forcing us into this new data share plan or not.
Thoughts? Can anyone who has a family plan with an upgrade vouch?
If I may interject, this is why I'm on Straight Talk AT&T. I can't deal with confusing carrier pricing schemes. I know it doesn't help your situation, but thought it would be worth mentioning. Same service, lower price, none of the confusion. Anyways, I hope you get your answer bud.
I've been with Verizon before there were smartphones when they came out jumped on and got one, I always had unlimited Data on my phone and my wives, last year when I upgraded I was told I couldn't get the unlimited plan but reading on this and many forums people are still getting unlimited plans, I just don't understand how some are still getting unlimited data, I even called Verizon customer service they told me they no longer offer unlimited data
phatreno said:
I've been with Verizon before there were smartphones when they came out jumped on and got one, I always had unlimited Data on my phone and my wives, last year when I upgraded I was told I couldn't get the unlimited plan but reading on this and many forums people are still getting unlimited plans, I just don't understand how some are still getting unlimited data, I even called Verizon customer service they told me they no longer offer unlimited data
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There are some loopholes, but once you give away unlimited data there is no way to get it back.
A Verizon rep is supposed to tell you that it's no longer available. They also aren't going to tell you the loopholes.
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Loopholes and people like me who preordered the phone a week before they cut off unlimited data.
ThePagel said:
Loopholes and people like me who preordered the phone a week before they cut off unlimited data.
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I actually upgraded when I was supposed to get a 2gb plan, but somehow I didn't get switched over. It was last summer, that wouldn't happen now.
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Got to love falling through the cracks. Lucky!
Or.....buy your phone outright (eBay, etc) and activate on verizonwirless.com. Been month to month for a LOONNNG time and plan to never get a phone any other way.
skeeterpro said:
Or.....buy your phone outright (eBay, etc) and activate on verizonwirless.com. Been month to month for a LOONNNG time and plan to never get a phone any other way.
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Sorry for being dumb...how does this get you unlimited data? This intrigues me but I couldn't see a plan that got you where it sounds like you are.
doncaruana said:
Sorry for being dumb...how does this get you unlimited data? This intrigues me but I couldn't see a plan that got you where it sounds like you are.
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Buying the phone outright is a way to keep an unlimited data plan, not get one. If you were on an unlimited data plan, you could keep it by buying a phone for full retail price through Verizon or buy a phone from somewhere other than Verizon then activate it on your account.
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Well, I just upgraded again last July and as long as i didn't change my plan, I could keep unlimited data.
Keep unlimited
The way I kept my unlimited data plan was by getting my wife a smartphone, using her upgrade for my phone, and getting her a new plan. She had a dumb phone, so when we went to get us both upgrades, her 2 year upgrade was used to get my S3, it was transferred to my account, and her account was setup with the standard 2GB plan. It was a bit of work for the rep, but he was really awesome and did it for us.
From what I heard, this can also work if you add another line to account.
doncaruana said:
Sorry for being dumb...how does this get you unlimited data? This intrigues me but I couldn't see a plan that got you where it sounds like you are.
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Sorry for not being clearer! Sometimes what's in the head doesn't come out the fingers when typing.
I have bought my last 4-5 phones on eBay. Best way I know to KEEP the plan I have.......so far. I'm sure one day, VZW will just say "no mas" and completely rid themselves of the unlimited plan. FWIW I have never gone over 3GB a month but it's more the principle of the thing.
I currently have 3 lines with VZW. My first line is my grandfathered unlimited data plan that I've bought full retail phones for over the past several years, and currently have a Note 3. The second line is my wife's 6gb/mo $30 plan. We share Unlimited Text/MMS and a 700 min per month voice package. Recently, I added a third line for my daughter, bought her an S5, and she was supposed to also share the 700 min and my wife's 6gb a month. I got an alert that my daughter was at 75% of her usage after only a week, so I went online to find out a few things:
They didn't share the data but gave her a separate 2gg/mo plan for $30
They told me they can't share data between certain lines, and data can only be shared if all lines on the account are sharing
My bill is now $270 per month
I am seriously considering ditching Verizon since $270 is absurdly high. What would you all suggest? I figured that everyone here is probably similarly familiar with what I'm going through and might be able to offer some kind of advice or recommendations.
Thanks in advance,
Jesse
Yeah, $270 is extremely high. I guess the biggest factor is the amount of data to get.
You probably need to consider things like whether you need unlimited data or not, and try to figure out how data you and your family members need. If you are looking to get as much data as you can for the money, the best value is T-Mobile. The family does not share the data, but each get a pool of data for themselves and unlimited talk and text are included. So for a family of 3 like yours, you can EACH get 5gb of data for $150/month + fees/taxes. Heck, even unlimited data for all of you guys would only cost $180/month+fees/taxes. You can keep your phones and just bring them to T-Mobile, assuming they are all 4G LTE capable. You can pick and choose the plans on their website: http://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans/family.html
Also, if you live in a city or metro area, T-Mobile has very decent coverage.
Hope this helped. Good luck!
Was in the same situation had my grandfathered unlimited with Verizon. I pushed the HTC rezound as far as I could, but couldn't justify having 5 different phone plans with data as I have my wife and I plus the in laws on our plan. I ended up sacrificing my unlimited for a family share plan. With the specials they were running I went with edge with 17 GB shared data plan and my bill runs about $230 and I get new phones again so far I'm happy.
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