Help with a first-time cell phone plan!

[noahjk]

Hi everyone.

I am currently on my parents' verizon wireless account but for some reason they do not want me upgrading to a smartphone. They are being obnoxious about it. Of course everything they are doing is wrong because they are parents and I'm a child. Great.

I'm 19 and don't really have any credit history.

I want to get a :motdroidvert: (incredible) on my own plan with verizon. I'd probably do 450 min & 500 txt + m2m (I have a google voice invite thanks to my .edu address). I also get a 20% discount from my place of employment, the same as my family currently gets (I'd be paying the same on their account or mine. approx. 60/month).

What my question basically comes down to, seeing as how everything will be the same on the different plans, is what does owning my own line entail? Any details you feel a newly independent phone owner should know. What happens if I miss a payment? (Not planning on it) Are there any credit history checks preformed? Would I get exactly the 20% off? My plan would come out to 81.97$ a month, so would I be paying 66$ a month exactly?

The more the better.

tl;dr want my own plan for the first time, give me tips.

Also this is my intro thread. Hi guys. Kthx.

 

[titans]

You should probably call Verizon to ask these questions. I'm not sure if anyone who doesn't work for Verizon knows about your questions about the payment stuff.

 

[noahjk]

You should probably call Verizon to ask these questions. I'm not sure if anyone who doesn't work for Verizon knows about your questions about the payment stuff.

I'll definitely ask them about the more technical stuff. any general tips you would have liked to know when you started your first plan?

 

[LtKen]

I cant help, I'm 24, married, and on my parents plan still. My wife and I are perfectly happy splitting the bill with my folks. Good luck.

I'd get better parents if I were you...

 

[peterjariel]

Well first welcome to the forum. Now just if u don't know the smart phones require a data plan, that's 30 bucks extra plus the 59 bucks for the primary line. So ur at 89 bucks now the 20% off discount that's probably goin to take care of ur taxes, yes taxes are insane when it comes to phones. Anyways I would still take titans advise and call VZW and I'm sure they can help you a lot better. Cause I could be wrong on some of this info. I don't usually lok at my bill I just pay it lol

 

[jroc]

Yes they do check your credit. If they feel its decent, you wont have to pay any additional start up costs. I now someone who has not so good credit and she had to pay $125 to start service with Verizon recently....I remember back in the day they charged $500-$1000 for really messed up credit. They may not charge THAT much these days...lol

If you miss a payment, they send an automated call after so many days go by with options: pay now, pay within the next 7 days, speak to a representative, etc. You can get texts and emails about payments past due too. Verizon works with you alot as far as missed payments. Some carriers may cut your phone off if a payment is missed by one day. All the years I been with Verizon, they never did that to me.

I dont really know about the 20% off.

 

[noahjk]

Thanks everyone. I convinced my parents to let me stay on their plan but you were all helpful. Loving my new incredible!