ok, iPhone lovers... data plan questions...

[StressCadet Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close StressCadet]

How do they get away with that? I've had this plan like forever and have upgraded phones in the past without losing plans. I need to see some fine print.

ETA That perhaps they consider the 3G to 4G phone a change in service?

Lawren,

I was looking for the actual Verizon legalese but its buried somewhere..if I do locate it-I'll post a link.

It's a 2 fold thing. It has to do with the switch to Share Everything plans. Most plans can share texting, minutes, etc amongst all phones. NOW they want you to share data too. Even if you already have a smartphone and you want a SUBSIDIZED new phone (whatever that may be...it isn't specific to IPhone but all smartphones) you will lose your unlim data and must chose a monthly data amount. If you are willing to pay full price, you may keep your unlim data. (Really? Who's going to pay full price)

I already have an Iphone. I also have an upgrade available on my line. I *should* be able to purchase another subsidized Iphone but just not activate it on my line. I will activate it on my son's line. He will keep his unlim data because HE did not use his upgrade to purchase a subsidized phone. So far everything I've read says this is a valid work around. My *guess* would be if you brought in a "new" phone...i.e. some nice soul either gave you or let you purchase their smartphone they no longer had use for and all you did was activate it on your line...this would NOT trigger the unlim loss because you did NOT purchase a subsidized phone. You merely activated a different phone on your line.

The second issue is that if you have more than one line they can and will push you to switch to the Share Everything plans..however, at the present time...could change...you can decline this option and stay on your existing plan, but you better make that VERY clear. In my case, 4 lines...Share Everything will cost more than what I have currently (with DH's company discount) so no way I'm allowing that switch.

I have done a lot of research on this very thing..and we are just about to pull the trigger. If I'm wrong-I'll report back.

[SOS8260456 Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close SOS8260456]

We have Verizon also with the unlimited data plans. We have 5 lines, with 4 being "smart phones". My older daughter used her upgrade to get an Iphone just before they changed the rules, so she still has the unlimited data. The 5th line on our plan is our DD12 and she has a basic phone that we paid 9.99 a month for unlimited. She is not a big cell phone user yet, but I kept the unlimited in order to be grandfathered in. This past summer her phone went missing so I temporarily turned it off. When I went to turn it back on, I discovered that we had "lost" our grandfathered unlimited data rights on her phone. We have to pay some minimal charge for her data useage. Because she hasn't really gotten into the whole cell phone thing yet, it was not a big deal. However, if this had happened on any of the other lines, I would have been very upset.

We have done the calculations several times and it comes in about $20 cheaper with everything being equal, but as we learn how to utilize our smart phones more I am afraid our data useage will go up, so I keep hanging onto our unlimited plans. This was based on all 5 phones using approx 10 gigs a month.

I was upset that I didn't know about the change beforehand because then maybe we would have done some upgrades before the new rule went into affect. It was just pure luck that my DD19 got her iphone when she did. We are eligible for upgrades on all of our lines except of course for DD19's.

In the past 6 months we did have to have 2 phones replaced through the insurance plan, but that did not trigger a change.

I know if we purchase a phone off of a private party or ebay or pay full price, then we don't lose the unlimited. However, the work around mentioned above confuses me. Can you explain it more?

[StressCadet Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close StressCadet]

I know if we purchase a phone off of a private party or ebay or pay full price, then we don't lose the unlimited. However, the work around mentioned above confuses me. Can you explain it more?

Same thing. I believe the trigger is "line specific" So I can use my upgrade, purchase a new phone, and then do one of two things..hand my son MY old phone and activate it on his line...OR just activate my new purchase on his line. That way he didn't use his upgrade and buy a subsidized phone. Make sense?

Editing to add: MY line doesn't have unlim...so I can buy a subsidized phone and not incur any changes except contract extension by using my upgrade.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Same thing. I believe the trigger is "line specific" So I can use my upgrade, purchase a new phone, and then do one of two things..hand my son MY old phone and activate it on his line...OR just activate my new purchase on his line. That way he didn't use his upgrade and buy a subsidized phone. Make sense?

Editing to add: MY line doesn't have unlim...so I can buy a subsidized phone and not incur any changes except contract extension by using my upgrade.

OK thinking back, we had added a third line to take advantage of a BOGO and rebate on our Droids. Well worth the $10/month. So if I use the third line to get a Iphone or Galaxy and then disconnect that line (12/23/12) and activate the phone on my son's line it should NOT have an effect on my plan?

I'll go get something for me on secondary market and then activate that on my line.

I don't use a ton of data. DS does. BUT when I go to a resort that charges for internet or the free wi-fi doesn't work well in the unit I do tether and that skyrockets my data use. I do not pay Verizon for tethering but use a $20/year ap called pda.net. I am inclined to keep Android exclusively because of pda.net.

[StressCadet Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close StressCadet]

OK thinking back, we had added a third line to take advantage of a BOGO and rebate on our Droids. Well worth the $10/month. So if I use the third line to get a Iphone or Galaxy and then disconnect that line (12/23/12) and activate the phone on my son's line it should NOT have an effect on my plan?

I'll go get something for me on secondary market and then activate that on my line.

I don't use a ton of data. DS does. BUT when I go to a resort that charges for internet or the free wi-fi doesn't work well in the unit I do tether and that skyrockets my data use. I do not pay Verizon for tethering but use a $20/year ap called pda.net. I am inclined to keep Android exclusively because of pda.net.

No..because buying a subsidized phone on the third line will induce a contract extension on that line. If you wanted to disconnect it-then you would incur early termination fee.

[SOS8260456 Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close SOS8260456]

Editing to add: MY line doesn't have unlim...so I can buy a subsidized phone and not incur any changes except contract extension by using my upgrade.

It makes sense with your edit. So, if I use the upgrade that my DD12's line is entitled to (this is the one that I shut off temporarily and they wouldn't allow me to get back on unlimited with), I can do this. I should do the upgrade just to get the time period going again on her line.

In your original post I could not understand how your line was keeping the unlimited plan.

[StressCadet Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close StressCadet]

Right! But...we should probably all call Verizon to make sure I'm correct. I would hate to think I'm giving false advice.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

Forgot to add that I have this handy little app on my phone that lets me stream my internet from the phone for free.
MiWi. So don't need to add any tethering plan to the contract.
Comes in handy in those resorts that add those pesky internet usage fees.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Ok, so I guess I'll just order it and hope the 2GB is enough. Sigh. Not sure I'm quite ready to pull the trigger...

[StressCadet Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close StressCadet]

Ok, I just called. I am correct. I can purchase a subsidized phone on my my 2GB line, activate and then either re-activate my old phone and let son activate new phone OR give son my old phone and let him activate on his unlim line. Either way he retains unlim data.

[StressCadet Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close StressCadet]

Ok, so I guess I'll just order it and hope the 2GB is enough. Sigh. Not sure I'm quite ready to pull the trigger...

Well, you can always up your data later if you have to...my son said he does stream Pandora in the car sometimes...but most of his home Pandora streaming is done via his laptop. It's hard to know until you're there

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Well, you can always up your data later if you have to...my son said he does stream Pandora in the car sometimes...but most of his home Pandora streaming is done via his laptop. It's hard to know until you're there

I know I can always increase it; that's Verizon's evil master plan! We can stream Pandora at home some way or another. Allegedly. If we ever actually get the music thing hooked up. I would probably only use it walking around, for the most part, or on a beach day.

[gandalf252002 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close gandalf252002]

Obviously being from Canada, I have an entirely different perspective and we pay outrageous rates. For 100MB a month, I pay $10 and if I wanted 250MB it would be $20. Unlimited with most of our carriers isn't even an option AFAIK.

This is however an interesting thread as we travel more to the US I have been considering getting a phone there. Just not sure how it would work out if I used it in Canada. In either case I tend to try and find WiFi spots whenever possible to limit the amount of Data I use. If we go over, the penalties are stiff ($1 per MB).

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Verizon's international rates for phone and text usage are outrageously high. For $20/month they offer a 2GB global data plan.

eta: Gandalph - here's a link to Verizon's "Canada and Mexico" plan, but you'll need to investigate charges for Canada-to-Canada a little further:

http://youreguide.vzw.com/pg/add-can...re-everything/


GB