Verizon Data Question

A way around it is if another line on your account has an upgrade, you can get that and just use the phone on your own number.

Otherwise the only way is to pay full price as far as I know.

Unfortunately, there is not. If you want unlimited data on Verizon, you cannot upgrade the line that it is on. Leaving you to either buy at full retail, buy used, or possibly use the add a line work around if you're already on a family plan. Otherwise you'll either have to stick with your current phone, forfeit unlimited data for the upgrade, or change carriers.

angiethemonster said:

Hi guys.
So I'm currently out of contract and wanting to upgrade my Droid 3. I had originally been grandfathered into an unlimited data plan, but now that I want to upgrade, I was told that I will no longer have unlimited data and only be able to use 2GB per month, while I use 3-4 GB; 7 combined with my SO.
My only options, according to him were to just deal with the limited data or buy a phone at retail price.

Is there an alternate way to deal with this, as in another option or if Verizon offers a data plan with more data?

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Besides what others above have told you, you should be able to purchase a plan that allows more data usage. Like 4GB or 5GB or even more. 2GB is just the minimum I beleive. :smokingsomb:

A more economic way is to hold the urge of getting the newest phone. Example: the original, none-HD Droid RAZR Maxx is released in Jan 2012 for $299 with 2-year contract, or $321 if you count 7% tax. Today, you can get one in mint condition for 300-350 from eBay or Craigslist. By waiting 9 months, you can get a phone off contract for the same price as signing a 2-year contract.

In general, android phones loses value at very rapid pace. If you wait a little bit, you can save a lot.

Another way is what I call "the iPhone switch". If you preorder the new iPhone and sell it in the first week on eBay, people would pay 800-850 once they realize that it's sold out and will not new in stock for another 2-3 weeks. Your cost would be 199+tax for the iPhone, and $13 a month for adding a line(put a basic phone on it) times 24 months, which is about $530 total.

After eBay and paypal fees, your profit will be $200-250. You can then buy whatever you want either on eBay or through Verizon.

In speaking with a Verizon customer rep, my understanding is adding a line under the existing grandfathered "unlimited data" plan is not an option, nor purchasing a phone at retail keeping the "unlimited data" plan. We currently have 4 phones on our family plan w/unlimited data, 2 are 4G LTE phones and 2 are 3G phones (both are now out of contract and up for renewal). We're being told that neither of the two 3G phones can be replaced under our current unlimited data plan. We looked at both adding a new line and purcasing a phone at retail, and were told neither would preserve the unlimited data plan for tese two phone lines.

ralbertina said:

In speaking with a Verizon customer rep, my understanding is adding a line under the existing grandfathered "unlimited data" plan is not an option, nor purchasing a phone at retail keeping the "unlimited data" plan. We currently have 4 phones on our family plan w/unlimited data, 2 are 4G LTE phones and 2 are 3G phones (both are now out of contract and up for renewal). We're being told that neither of the two 3G phones can be replaced under our current unlimited data plan. We looked at both adding a new line and purcasing a phone at retail, and were told neither would preserve the unlimited data plan for tese two phone lines.

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This is common thing I have heard from other people trying to do the same thing. It's fairly dirty that some reps say that it can't be done, but other's have been successful at doing so. I would try calling again and see if you can get another rep that can do it, and if not, try elevating the call to tier 2. They will try to do anything they can to get you off of unlimited even if it means lying to your face.

Check the price for the Shared plan with your total data use. Many people save money over the unlimited.

ralbertina said:

In speaking with a Verizon customer rep, my understanding is adding a line under the existing grandfathered "unlimited data" plan is not an option, nor purchasing a phone at retail keeping the "unlimited data" plan. We currently have 4 phones on our family plan w/unlimited data, 2 are 4G LTE phones and 2 are 3G phones (both are now out of contract and up for renewal). We're being told that neither of the two 3G phones can be replaced under our current unlimited data plan. We looked at both adding a new line and purcasing a phone at retail, and were told neither would preserve the unlimited data plan for tese two phone lines.

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I think with all the different options, you must have confused the rep!

Others have been successful adding a new line (with a corresponding data plan), then activating an old VZW featurephone to that new line (thus dropping the new dataplan, but avoiding the ETF), and transferring that new phone from the new line to the old line that HAS unlimited data. This should NOT cancel the unlimited data (at least if that line is 4g. if it is 3g, I'm not sure).

When you transfer the new phone off of the new line, you will need to replace it with a phone to avoid the ETF, however, that new phone DOES NOT need to be a smartphone w/ data. That is the loophole that people have been exploiting. You will need an old, feature phone to activate on the new line.

At the end of the day, you should have 5 lines instead of 4, and the 5th, new line, will have a feature phone instead of a smartphone. It will be under contract for 2 years, and you will be paying an extra $10/mo.

If you have someone that can make use of that $10 phone, it might make sense. Otherwise, the $240 (24 mo * $10 / mo) extra expense and the headaches of an extra line may not be worth the ~$300 you save by not buying the phone outright.