Clarification on Unlimited Data Upgrade

Crosley123 · Sep 11, 2013

A bit confused...clear this up for me please.

Have two (2) unlimited data Verizon lines. Want to upgrade both to the S4 and keep unlimited data. I'm hearing I can buy a dumb phone, move my upgrades around a bit and somehow end up with the two S4s and my unlimited data.

Assuming I can figure out how to do this, doesn't this still mean I will have a third line on my bill for two more years? So I'd have to weigh this cost on whether the whole thing is worth it or not?

And I cannot accurately measure our current usage because currently 95% of our time is on home WiFi. But this will change next year when we move and we will be out and about most of the time.

Help?

jhawkkw · Sep 11, 2013

Using the upgrade that's on the line with unlimited will cause you to lose it. If those two lines are on a family plan, what you would need to do is:
1) Get/Buy two dumbphones with clean ESN's.
2) Open two additional lines of service on your family plan with each of them being the S4 and adding the 30 dollar 2GB plan.
3) Take the sim cards out of the GS4 and either put the ones from your current phones in the S4's or get two new sim cards that are programmed to the lines with unlimited
4)Activate the dumbphones on the lines that the S4's opened up new service on.
5) Remove the data package from those lines.

That will get you the GS4 on both unlimited lines, but it will leave 2 additional lines of service on your bill for 10 dollars each plus tax & fees per month. If you want to cancel them, you will have to pay the Smartphone ETF which is 350 minus 10 dollars per month into the 2 year agreement.

GiantJay · Sep 12, 2013

Or just buy a S4 off contract and trade in or sell your other device to somewhere like Best Buy.

Clementine_3 · Sep 12, 2013

jhawkkw said:
but it will leave 2 additional lines of service on your bill for 10 dollars each plus tax & fees per month.

Here in NY, state of high everything, my 'dumb' line is up to $16.42 a month. Even at $15/month you would pay $720 over 24 months for those 2 extra lines. It does add up!

You just have to do the math and see what your best option really is. Verizon's bean counters have thought of everything...

jhawkkw · Sep 12, 2013

Clementine_3 said:
Here in NY, state of high everything, my 'dumb' line is up to $16.42 a month. Even at $15/month you would pay $720 over 24 months for those 2 extra lines. It does add up!

You just have to do the math and see what your best option really is. Verizon's bean counters have thought of everything...

<---From Rochester, so I know all about how expensive NYS is :rolleyes:

;banghead:

In the long run you usually end up breaking close to even, but depending on your state you could be in the red or green. Tax heavy states like New York, California or Massachusetts probably the red.

Crosley123 · Sep 12, 2013

Okay, let's change this a bit. How about if I could keep ONE unlimited plan? Is there a way to upgrade both phones to the S4 and keep one line unlimited?
I use FAR more bandwidth than my wife.

Is this an option without adding a dumb phone?

jhawkkw · Sep 12, 2013

Crosley123 said:
Okay, let's change this a bit. How about if I could keep ONE unlimited plan? Is there a way to upgrade both phones to the S4 and keep one line unlimited?
I use FAR more bandwidth than my wife.

Is this an option without adding a dumb phone?

You would still need to add one dumbphone in order to create the second subsidy. Your wife's subsidy would come from upgrading her line and forfeiting unlimited, but you would need the new line in order to create a subsidy for your line because you can't use your upgrade. Only other option would be buy new at full retail or buy a used S4 that has a clean ESN/MEID

socarwolverine · Sep 12, 2013

You can easily get this phone secondhand for $400 to $500 used. You can keep your unlimited data and won't have to pay any extra for a third or fourth line, you also won't be locked into a contract or ETF.

Clarification on Unlimited Data Upgrade

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