Consequences of Change to Family Plan?

jrredho

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Hey All,

One of the members of my 3-line Family Plan is heading on an extended overseas trip---one year's worth, and I'm checking in here to explore what that might mean, and what my possible plan options might be before I even call the folks at VZW to discuss it. All of the lines in my plan are Unlimited Data.

Among the options I wonder about are these:

(1) Can I just suspend that line on the account, leave it dormant for those months, and just turn it back on when my plan member returns? If so, will I be able to do that without paying for it during that time?

(2) Or, will I have to drop the line from my plan entirely?

(3) No matter what I do, will it constitute a "Plan Change," and therefore mean I'll lose my Unlimited Data?

(4) Any other ideas?

many thanks,
john
 

grenefroggie

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What phone does your family member have? Certain phones are actually world capable. Verizon will not likely let you carrier unlock it until you are out of contract. You might be able to find a service that will do it for you, at a cost.

If you have a world capable phone, you can keep the line. Then when your family member goes overseas, they can get a SIM for a local carrier.

You can also forward any calls to that number to a Google Voice number so calls and voice mails can be received while out of country.
 

Jeffrey

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I know VZW will suspend billing for the Military. I don't know if they will for an extended trip.
 

grenefroggie

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Alternatively you could just call and ask what your options are.
 
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jrredho

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Hey Guys,

Thanks for your thoughts on my little issue. I can see that this is not a common question...

Alternatively you could just call and ask what your options are.

...and grenefroggie, if you'd read paragraph one in my OP, you'd know that I was trying to get a feel for my options *before* I called VZW up, and, thus, you'd have known that I had every intention of calling them! Strangely, from time to time I've gotten information from their CSRs that was at odds with what I'd learned to be true here and elsewhere on the interwebs, and I wanted to scope this thing preemptively so I wouldn't be entirely at their mercy. Maybe that hasn't ever happened to you.

Thanks again everyone for your consideration!

cheers,
john
 

grenefroggie

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...and grenefroggie, if you'd read paragraph one in my OP, you'd know that I was trying to get a feel for my options *before* I called VZW up, and, thus, you'd have known that I had every intention of calling them! Strangely, from time to time I've gotten information from their CSRs that was at odds with what I'd learned to be true here and elsewhere on the interwebs, and I wanted to scope this thing preemptively so I wouldn't be entirely at their mercy. Maybe that hasn't ever happened to you.

I totally understand. You are doing for yourself what most people refuse to do: Looking at your options before making the choice that suits you best.

The remark was made off-hand, my apologies.

I know quite a few people that travel overseas regularly and use the method I mentioned above, but their trips are usually short business trips.
 
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jrredho

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Hey grenefroggie,

Thanks. I understand. That just hit me funny and I overreacted. Sorry for that!

Fwiw, I had thought about the international option, but I know it'd be cheaper to score an unlocked GSM phone and shut down the line. The phone in question is a 3g-only iPhone 3. If VZW interprets this as a plan change, I'll take it as a sign to explore my options elsewhere.

It's a shame though, not because of the plan change, but because I hate having the Unlimited Data line go to waste.

cheers,
john
 

grenefroggie

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You might be able to find a Verizon supported phone to replace the iPhone 3G. It does not have to be the latest phone on the market. You could buy an LG G2 on Swappa. A factory unlocked LG G2 for $325. While that might be a lot of money up front, for that phone that is decent pricing (the listing I saw is NIB).

The next question would be: Can you remove the iPhone and add the G2 (or other capable phone) without altering your plan? If you can, then you could do the scenario I proposed.
 
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