Confused about losing the unlimited plan

[njdevil]

Hi all,

Of course Verizon has made this massively confusing and tricky so you end up losing the plan, but maybe somebody can enlighten me here.

Basically, my contract ends this week, and my Droid 4 conveniently stopped working reliably (think it's the battery, I keep getting a question mark/won't boot sometimes).

I was waiting to see what the Galaxy S5 is going to be like, and was considering holding out for that, but I keep hearing varying reports on what is happening with the unlimited plan.

Originally I read, and am currently reading here, if I buy a no-contract phone (full price) I can replace it on the line and keep my unlimited plan.

But then I'm reading other places that in June/July they might get rid of unlimited for grandfathered users. Is that true?

I was a power user, using it as my primary internet connection, but I currently do not. My bill is definitely going to go up if I switch to the tiered plans and I'll be getting less for it. Definitely unfair there.

Basically - if I get a phone without the contract, will I end up getting screwed in a few months if they decide to get rid of the unlimited plan?

--

As a side question, can you use a prepaid Verizon phone to replace the contract phone? As a temporary phone, of course.

Thank you!

 

[Mustang02]

Nobody knows when and if unlimited is going away.

 

[njdevil]

So basically I'm taking a big chance if I buy a non-contract phone?

What exactly happens if you let your contract run out? Do you continue service with them?

 

[Mustang02]

What's the risk?

My contract has been expired for over a year, nothing happens.

 

[njdevil]

By risk I mean shelling out the full price for a phone to avoid losing the unlimited contract, then they decide to eliminate them - when I really could have just got a free/cheaper upgrade.

I thought the whole point of being "grandfathered" meant that as long as you didn't leave the service, you kept it. I feel like they're being really sneaky about getting people to lose it.

 

[FoxKat]

There is nobody who can tell you if and when they will do away with the "grandfathered" unlimited plans, and for that matter no indication that can be called credible to indicate that it might happen any time soon. If you are aware of something indicating such, please post a link.

I get your concern of missing out on the subsidy of the phone purchase in order to retain unlimited data, only to lose it later if they do in fact eliminate it for grandfathered phone plans and numbers, but I think they would lose a very large share of the members who are currently grandfathered if they did. Why not look at the Edge plan instead. I used another phone line and did the Edge upgrade on that phone line, got a brand new Droid MAXX for just about 21 per month financed, moved the new phone to my unlimited phone line, kept my grandfathered plan, and in a year if I choose to, I can get the newest, latest and greatest phone and simply give back the old phone and continue paying a monthly fee of 1/24 of the price of the new phone. Again, this must be done on another phone line than the one that is grandfathered for unlimited. It's not really a subsidy but it's a great way to keep with the new technology. Also, I traded an old working Droid Pro phone in and they gave me $100 toward accessories for it.

 

[cybertec69]

By risk I mean shelling out the full price for a phone to avoid losing the unlimited contract, then they decide to eliminate them - when I really could have just got a free/cheaper upgrade.

I thought the whole point of being "grandfathered" meant that as long as you didn't leave the service, you kept it. I feel like they're being really sneaky about getting people to lose it.

why would you shell out a full price for a new phone, you can get a S3 in great shape at www.swappa.com for $200 plus change, that should hold you over for a while, and if by then Verizon decides to remove the unlimited data from their grandfathered plans, then you can just sell the phone and go to another carrier, T-Mobile here I come.

 

[Mustang02]

why would you shell out a full price for a new phone, you can get a S3 in great shape at www.swappa.com for $200 plus change, that should hold you over for a while, and if by then Verizon decides to remove the unlimited data from their grandfathered plans, then you can just sell the phone and go to another carrier, T-Mobile here I come.

Very true. Let someone else pay tax on it.

 

[TatDroid]

Another option if, as you say, you are no longer a "power user" is to sign up for the Verizon "Max" plan. 6GB of data, for the exact same price you're paying for data now ($30). This is an unadvertised plan that is only available to current unlimited data customers. You can get a new, subsidized phone and will go back on a standard 2 year contract. Please note: this is NOT, and has nothing to do with, those terrible "Edge" plans.

 

[FoxKat]

Hey TatDroid, not that I disagree with you... Who knows, I might totally agree once I understand your take on it. Please enlighten me as to what makes the Edge plan so terrible?

They're financing the price of The phone into 24 interest-free payments, they let you trade in the phone as soon as 30 days later by paying off 50% of the costs, or a year later paying no additional money and you owe them nothing on it, they let you move to the newest and greatest phone at that time, and they will start the financing for you all over again. All this is without signing a long-term service agreement.

If you exercise this on a family plan with a phone line that doesn't have unlimited but is eligible for an upgrade, you can use that upgrade to get the phone, then move it to another line with unlimited (like I did], and you preserve the unlimited while getting a new phone and financing it free. They will also give a $100 gift card for a used working phone in trade (no matter how old - I traded a Droid Pro), and they now also waive the activation fee as well...a $35 savings.

Other than the fact they're not deeply discounting the phone price (though $135 isn't bad), I don't see much of a down side.

Don't forget, my only other options were;

A: Pay full retail price for the new phone - $695 (which I simply couldn't afford), and get no $100 gift card, and also pay the $35 activation fee.

B: Use the subsidized upgrade but I would have had to sign a new 2 year service agreement and wouldn't be eligible for another upgrade until some 20 months out, and I still would have had to come out of pocket for the subsidized price of $199, plus the $35 activation fee.

Some argue that the program sucks because at any time after the 30 day anniversary if you want to upgrade you have to have paid at least 50% of the phone price (which you would have already completed at the one year anniversary), give the phone back and you get nothing in trade. They say buy the phone for cash at full retail up front instead and when you want to upgrade you can buy the new phone (again at full retail), and sell off the old one on eBay to offset your phone costs. Sure, that's true...but in that example I have to come up with the full retail cost for the new phones both times, pay the $35 activation fee both times and in both cases that full cost is up front.

With the Edge I didn't pay anything out of pocket (and actually got $100 for an old junker phone). I pay $21 per month for a year and if I want to upgrade even as soon as 30 days I have to pay (or have paid monthly at the end of one year), the remainder of 50% of the price of the phone. I can then either give the phone back and walk out with the latest and greatest - again with no out of pocket, or pay off the remainder of the full retail price with inflated dollars, start the Edge plan over for the new phone and take my old phone and sell it on eBay, just like I would if I had bought it outright in the first place. Also right now they're waiving the $35 activation fee for new edge plans.

Truth is the Edge plan has no down side versus paying full retail and quite a few up sides.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[TatDroid]

In a nutshell, the main problem with the Edge plan is that you're paying for your phone twice. Once in the additional monthly payments you make. And once by paying the same monthly price for your plan that people with subsidized phones pay.

If Verizon were to take away the monthly subsidy, then it might make sense to make additional payments for your phone (like T-Mobile does).

 

[FoxKat]

OK, I agree with that but how is it any different than buying the phone for full retail? You're still paying the monthly plan with the subsidy built in either way, but at least with Edge you don't have to come completely out of pocket for the entire price up front.

All the arguments against Edge that I found said to buy the phone at full retail. That makes no sense. You can always pay the balance of the full retail price if you want to so why not let Verizon finance it for free? Also, the free $100 gift card and activation fee waiver are only for Edge purchases so buying at full retail means you miss out on $135 in savings/rebates.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[B-Unit]

By risk I mean shelling out the full price for a phone to avoid losing the unlimited contract, then they decide to eliminate them - when I really could have just got a free/cheaper upgrade.

I thought the whole point of being "grandfathered" meant that as long as you didn't leave the service, you kept it. I feel like they're being really sneaky about getting people to lose it.

The problem with being 'grandfathered' and off contract is the last part, you are off contract, which means Verizon can change your service at any time and you have little or no recourse. My guess would be the rumors are probably true, the last of the 'grandfathered' unlimited users contracts will likely be expiring in that time frame, so they no longer will be breaching a contract to cancel unlimited data.

 

[cybertec69]

There is nothing sneaky about it, you buy the phone outright you keep your unlimited data plan, you want a new phone and want it subsidized you will have to sign a new contract, no hidden agendas.

Sent from my LG-V500 using Tapatalk

 

[Red Droid]

Originally I read, and am currently reading here, if I buy a no-contract phone (full price) I can replace it on the line and keep my unlimited plan.

But then I'm reading other places that in June/July they might get rid of unlimited for grandfathered users. Is that true?

I was a power user, using it as my primary internet connection, but I currently do not. My bill is definitely going to go up if I switch to the tiered plans and I'll be getting less for it. Definitely unfair there.

Most of the mis-information about loosing unlimited data is coming from people that have given up or never had unlmited data, there is another group with the other large carrier that also continuously whines about unlimited data not being fair for longtime Verizon customers. Believe it -IF- it happens, not because yet another armchair commando has had delusions of grandure and socialism rushing through their veins.

When it comes time to replace your phone, use the Device Replacement Plan. It spreads out the cost of the phone over 12 months. Verizon charges $2 a month as a carrying charge.

BEwARE the edge program. Let's do the math.

EDGE = LOOSE UNLIMITED DATA.

Ok, fine, go the dummy line route, get the phone on edge, swap the new phone to your unlimited line and put a basic phone on the dummy line. Let's see how cost effective that is....

EDGE PLAN - $600 phone

600 / 24 months = $25 per month + $2 carrying charge = $27 per month

Tax (figure 9% for an example) $54 + 1st month payment $25 = $81 due before you leave the store.

Total price paid at the end of 24 months for Device + Tax + Carry charge = $702 - You own the phone outright.

IF You use a dummy line, that'll cost an EXTRA $240 (24 months at $10 per month on the older Nationwide plan). So $702 + $240 = $942

NOW - THE WHAT IF I WANT TO TRADE IN SCENARIO:

I won't go into time the phone is kept, just basing this on needing half of the bill paid off.

$600 / 2 = $300 + $54 in tax + $12 if trading in at the 6 month mark = $366


Now, if you "Edge Up" you must Give That Phone Back, and start all over. Replace it with another $600 phone in 6 months and you've paid $732 and start over again with NOequity in a device at all.

Device Replacement Plan Purchase:

$600 Phone + Tax (9% for example) $54 + $24 carry charge (12 Months) = $678 and I OWN the phone outright. Keep it, sell it, trade it...whatever I want to do with it.

12 payments of $50 + $2 carrying charge = $52 per month

Tax $54 + 1st Month $52 = $106 due before I leave the store.

I just don't see how the EDGE program benefits anyone.