Trick to upgrade after June 28 and still keep unlimited data...?

[Jmoore1701]

This is part of an article at CNET.com. It's from a recent "Ask Maggie" column, where someone wrote to her claiming to have found a loophole in the upgrade process, and...well, it's easier to quote the article, which can be found here:

Confused about Verizon's Family Share plans? You're not alone | Mobile - CNET News

And here's the relevant section:

I heard today from a CNET reader named Aaron ____, of ______, who explained a trick that might work. Here's how: Aaron is on a family plan with his mother. Aaron has an unlimited data plan. His mother, who just got her smartphone in December 2011, has a tiered plan.

In general, Verizon allows customers to upgrade their phones every 21 months or so. Aaron's contract is up in July. If he upgraded his phone at that time, he'd have to either pay full retail price for a new phone to keep his unlimited data plan or he could take the subsidy and choose one of Verizon's older plans or a new Family Share plan.

But Aaron believes he has found a loophole. Verizon allows people on family plans to essentially swap upgrades. This means that Aaron's mom can upgrade her phone when Aaron's eligibility comes up. So Aaron can upgrade his mom's number with a phone he wants. Then after he has bought the phone and activated it on the account, he can switch the numbers. Aaron will now have his new 4G phone. And his mother will keep her phone with the new contract date. Aaron will have his mom's contract date. But he'll be able to keep his existing unlimited data plan.

The only catch of course, is that Aaron's poor mother may never get to upgrade her phone, since Aaron is always using her tiered account for the upgrade.

I asked a Verizon spokeswoman to verify that this loophole does in fact exist. She confirmed that people on family plans are able to swap upgrades. But she said she'd have to check on whether there would be some kind of limitation of keeping the old unlimited plan when the numbers are switched again. I'm still waiting for her reply and will add her comment to this story.

My question is...will this work? I mean, I know Verizon will swap upgrades on a family plan, I've done that. But that second step in the plan, switching phone numbers. Will that work? Is anyone else going to try it?

 

[FoxKat]

AFAIK, this is correct and the plan stays intact. I've done this to get my phone upgraded early by taking my father-in-law's upgrade since hell never use a smartphone.

I did the upgrade and then swapped the numbers the next month. Everything remained intact.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[pc747]

My game plan is to wait for the double data deals to use an upgrade. Have no prblem with tiered just want more data for my buck.

 

[georgeo18yal]

I did this when my Droid 2's keyboard started to fall apart on me. I used my father's upgrade early and bought a Droid X2 until I was able to get the phone I wanted, the Droid Bionic at the time. However I ended up getting the Droid RAZR for Christmas while I handed down my X2 to my Dad. Needless to say, we're both happy with what we have. He is on the tiered plan and I'm unlimited data.

 

[mysticalmalissa]

I was told that any upgrade on a family plan will force all the lines to the shared data....but who knows, I may get a different answer if I ask again.

 

[Garemlin]

This is not really anything new and far from a loophole. VZW allows you to transfer upgrades from one line to another at any time. I currently have two unlimited lines and two regular lines. The two unlimited lines will not have upgrades available until different times in 2013. The other two lines have upgrades now. All I have to do is go online and transfer those two available upgrades to my ulimited lines and upgrade before the 28th. Pretty easy.

 

[Jmoore1701]

This is not really anything new and far from a loophole. VZW allows you to transfer upgrades from one line to another at any time. I currently have two unlimited lines and two regular lines. The two unlimited lines will not have upgrades available until different times in 2013. The other two lines have upgrades now. All I have to do is go online and transfer those two available upgrades to my ulimited lines and upgrade before the 28th. Pretty easy.

I think this is slightly different. "Aaron" is using his mother's upgrade to make the switch AFTER June 28, when it (theoretically) shouldn't be possible. If I'm reading the article correctly, Aaron will upgrade his mom's phone with the phone he wants when her upgrade comes up in July. She's already on tiered data, so it won't change her account any. Then he plans to switch the phone number on her new phone with his old phone number, which has unlimited data. If it works, he will have upgraded his phone after June 28 AND kept unlimited data.
IF it works, it's neat and clever, whether or not you call it a loophole. He might be able to do this indefinitely. I don't know about that, I don't know enough about all this.

 

[Garemlin]

I think this is slightly different. "Aaron" is using his mother's upgrade to make the switch AFTER June 28, when it (theoretically) shouldn't be possible. If I'm reading the article correctly, Aaron will upgrade his mom's phone with the phone he wants when her upgrade comes up in July. She's already on tiered data, so it won't change her account any. Then he plans to switch the phone number on her new phone with his old phone number, which has unlimited data. If it works, he will have upgraded his phone after June 28 AND kept unlimited data.
IF it works, it's neat and clever, whether or not you call it a loophole. He might be able to do this indefinitely. I don't know about that, I don't know enough about all this.

Bad thing is this plan is filled with "ifs". In theory it should work. But no guarantees.

 

[N4UPD]

We still have one upgrade on our account maybe we could use it and keep the LG Revolution stuck back in case something happened to one of our phones and we could reactivate it without losing unlimited.

 

[Jmoore1701]

Bad thing is this plan is filled with "ifs". In theory it should work. But no guarantees.

Agreed...the only way to know is to wait until someone tries it after June 28. That's too big a risk for me, personally, to take--especially when I can get the Maxx or the SGS3 and be assured of keeping unlimited data.
Obviously it'll be worth it for the folks that try it and it works, but this is a plan for the bold...

 

[FoxKat]

I think this is slightly different. "Aaron" is using his mother's upgrade to make the switch AFTER June 28, when it (theoretically) shouldn't be possible. If I'm reading the article correctly, Aaron will upgrade his mom's phone with the phone he wants when her upgrade comes up in July. She's already on tiered data, so it won't change her account any. Then he plans to switch the phone number on her new phone with his old phone number, which has unlimited data. If it works, he will have upgraded his phone after June 28 AND kept unlimited data.
IF it works, it's neat and clever, whether or not you call it a loophole. He might be able to do this indefinitely. I don't know about that, I don't know enough about all this.

This should work. Here's the analogy. If you upgrade to a new phone under the subsidy, you own the phone, lock, stock and barrel. You can keep the phone on that line, move it to another line in the same plan, or sell it and put your old phone back on that line...as long as it is going from a smartphone to a smartphone.

So mom upgrades to a new smartphone, then decides she doesn't like the phone and so she "sells" the phone (actually gives it away) to her son. He in turn is simply doing an exchange from phone A to phone B on him unlimited plan. It's no different for him than a simple ESN change as if he bought the phone full retail or bought it off the Web. As for mom, she's on the hook under contract for two years to continue the service and data plan she used for the upgrade. If she terminates, she's charged the early termination fee and whatever additional recovery costs for the subsidized phone, but Verizon can't touch the phone. Her son is simply
The lucky new phone recipient.

I can see people "selling" thier future upgrades to people who don't want to pay full retail but also don't want to lose their unlimited plan. The market for these "upBay" phones will be huge.


Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[mysticalmalissa]

I have three smartphones on the current Family Share Plan (we share 700 mins). Two of these lines are unlimited, one is a 2 gig line.

When the two gig line is due for an upgrade and I try and buy a phone for that line at the subsidized price (which I wont), it will force all 3 of my lines to the new shared data. I dont see this guys plan working.

 

[cdm369]

I have three smartphones on the current Family Share Plan (we share 700 mins). Two of these lines are unlimited, one is a 2 gig line.

When the two gig line is due for an upgrade and I try and buy a phone for that line at the subsidized price (which I wont), it will force all 3 of my lines to the new shared data. I dont see this guys plan working.

I agree...

Sent from my HTC REZOUND

 

[Garemlin]

I have three smartphones on the current Family Share Plan (we share 700 mins). Two of these lines are unlimited, one is a 2 gig line.

When the two gig line is due for an upgrade and I try and buy a phone for that line at the subsidized price (which I wont), it will force all 3 of my lines to the new shared data. I dont see this guys plan working.

No it won't. There is nothing forcing anyone to go on the shared data plan. It is an option. Not a requirement.

 

[cdm369]

After the 28th, any account that has more than one smartphone who chooses to do a subsidized upgrade will force that account into shared data. This is what Verizon wants.

Sent from my HTC REZOUND