Interesting Conversation With a Verizon Phone Rep Yesterday

The situation so far:

Got my first cell phone in 1999 while in High School or just after (can't remember). I was young enough that it was in my mom's name. We still share an account even though I have long since moved out and bought my own house. We split the bill. I have an android, Mom has a just a phone because she can't even wrap her head around texting.

My dad lives several states away with my stepmother and has a private number that shows up as unknown on caller ID.

Lately I have been getting a lot of illegal telemarketing scams that show up as unknown. I would block all unknown numbers but Dad doesn't understand that if he uses *82 it only unblocks the number for THAT call (he worked outside the US for most of his career and technology confuses him).

Anyway, I call VZW to see if they could trace the unknown telemarketers. They said no. The best option they could suggest was explaining to Dad that *82 is only for that call and not permanent and then blocking all unknown numbers.

I figured it was going to be a waste of a call but then, somehow, the conversation turned and the rep became helpful in other ways.

I have grandfathered unlimited data. As I'm sure most of you are aware, VZW is doing away with this. The only way to upgrade and keep it is to pay full price for the phone when you upgrade. If you use your upgrade credit, you lose unlimited data. UNLESS, according to the rep I spoke with yesterday, there is another phone on the account that upgrades less frequently and generates yoinkable upgrade credits. Apparently, the little known loophole is that you can't use YOUR upgrade credit but you can use, say, your mom or dad's credit if they don't mind. `

Bear in mind, this was told to me by one rep. I have not called and verified with anyone else and I have not tried it yet. However, if it works, pretty neat huh?

Also, he feels fairly certain that the Droid Razr and everything newer will get Jellybean by the end of the year.