Verizon Plans to Move to Tiered Data Pricing in Summer

[TheOldFart]

True, but adjusting the plan in any way includes getting a new phone. I'm sure that you meant that, so I am just clarifying what you said. Any time I have gotten a new phone I have had to sign a new contract. My family plan is a grandfathered old 500 minute plan. Most of the dumb phones would force me to go up to the 700 minute plan minimum in order to buy one of them. Smartphones did not require us to do that. They could force me to add the 200 minutes that I have no need for for the extra $10 the next time I replace any of the phones on our plan. So far they haven't for our Droid and Ally.

No, buying a new phone doesn't necessarily change your contract.

What you can't take advantage of is contract-required pricing... for example, buying an advertised for $100 WITH A CONTRACT. You can't buy it at the subsidized $100 price. But you CAN buy that same phone at the unsubsidized full price without starting a new contract and activate it under your current plan.

But there are little things that also must apply... What you can't do is to try to activate your just purchased unsubsidized 4G phone and attempt to activate it under your existing grandfathered 3G plan. You'd have to start a new 4G plan which means your "grandfathered" 3G plan is no longer valid.

Hope that makes it clear?

I forgot about that because I have never considered paying the full price. I've always signed a 2 year contract.

 

[Dusty]

So far they haven't for our Droid and Ally.

Were you talking about ADDING and additional phone to a family plan or REPLACING an existing phone with a newer one?

 

[shortsxit]

I'm fairly sure that when you sign a new contract at the end of your term they will not offer you unlimited data. Unless your current contract has a clause stating it is renewable but I doubt verizon would do that bc they would want to keep their right to raise rates.

No, you don't sign a new contract at the end of your 2 year or 1 year contract. At the end of your contract you simply go from month to month with your existing plan. But, if you adjust that plan in any way THEN you have to begin a new contract using current rates and limits.

None of that is true. You are more than welcome to sign a new contract when your old one expires. Starting a new contract doesn't always require that you sign on with the current terms (see: grandfathered plans/features). Also, adjusting your plan in no way requires a new contract. You can add minutes, drop features, etc. and they will have no affect on your contract.

 

[Dusty]

None of that is true. You are more than welcome to sign a new contract when your old one expires. Starting a new contract doesn't always require that you sign on with the current terms (see: grandfathered plans/features). Also, adjusting your plan in no way requires a new contract. You can add minutes, drop features, etc. and they will have no affect on your contract.

Your old contract doesn't "expire" you simply fulfill the terms of the agreement stating that you had to keep it for X months. However, if they no longer offer your particular grandfathered plan and you attempt to change it they will request that you select one of their current plans that best reflects the attributes that you want your plan to have. You won't have to sign a new contract but the pricing structure may be radically different.

 

[TheOldFart]

So far they haven't for our Droid and Ally.

Were you talking about ADDING and additional phone to a family plan or REPLACING an existing phone with a newer one?

^ Replacing both our phones. Last one was wife's Ally last August. We have bought about 4 new phones since they made the minimum 700 minutes.

 

[shortsxit]

None of that is true. You are more than welcome to sign a new contract when your old one expires. Starting a new contract doesn't always require that you sign on with the current terms (see: grandfathered plans/features). Also, adjusting your plan in no way requires a new contract. You can add minutes, drop features, etc. and they will have no affect on your contract.

Your old contract doesn't "expire" you simply fulfill the terms of the agreement stating that you had to keep it for X months. However, if they no longer offer your particular grandfathered plan and you attempt to change it they will request that you select one of their current plans that best reflects the attributes that you want your plan to have. You won't have to sign a new contract but the pricing structure may be radically different.

Actually the contract expires. I can send you a link to the definition of "expire" if you'd like.
And now you're changing your argument. You argued that

"No, you don't sign a new contract at the end of your 2 year or 1 year contract. At the end of your contract you simply go from month to month with your existing plan. But, if you adjust that plan in any way THEN you have to begin a new contract using current rates and limits."
​

I corrected all of those points:
1. The OP can sign a new contract when his old contract expires. This would allow him to get a new discounted phone while keeping his old plan.
2. Beginning a new contract does not require the OP to use current rates and limits.
3. Adjusting a plan in any way does not require the OP to sign a new contract.

 

[Dusty]

I corrected all of those points:
1. The OP can sign a new contract when his old contract expires. This would allow him to get a new discounted phone while keeping his old plan.
2. Beginning a new contract does not require the OP to use current rates and limits.
3. Adjusting a plan in any way does not require the OP to sign a new contract.

The purpose of this thread is to discuss grandfathered plans and understanding how to keep them. If a grandfathered plan is no longer offered your "point corrections" are exactly things that would cause you forfeit a grandfathered plan. Please troll someone else.

 

[shortsxit]

I corrected all of those points:
1. The OP can sign a new contract when his old contract expires. This would allow him to get a new discounted phone while keeping his old plan.
2. Beginning a new contract does not require the OP to use current rates and limits.
3. Adjusting a plan in any way does not require the OP to sign a new contract.

The purpose of this thread is to discuss grandfathered plans and understanding how to keep them. If a grandfathered plan is no longer offered your "point corrections" are exactly things that would cause you forfeit a grandfathered plan. Please troll someone else.

Do you even know what a troll is? I'm giving correct information so you don't screw anyone over with your misinformation. The fact that you changed one of your arguments after the first post just proves that you don't have a clue what you're talking about.

 

[kodiak799]

The purpose of this thread is to discuss grandfathered plans and understanding how to keep them. If a grandfathered plan is no longer offered your "point corrections" are exactly things that would cause you forfeit a grandfathered plan. Please troll someone else.

While it makes sense to me that you can't get a discounted phone because your "grandfathered plan" is no longer available to sign up for, I'm curious to how they will handle these cases:
1) Changing minutes or adding texts, etc. Supposedly this takes away grandfathered status, I wonder how that works online since you can change features without touching the data plan portion.

2) Activating a new phone on an existing plan. Doesn't seem like you could just activate an LTE phone on an existing 3G plan and carry on business as usual. But I wonder what happens if you deactivate an old phone to put a new one (purchased retail) on an account.

I just can't imagine VZW sitting on their hands if even a small number of users are racking up huge LTE data usage on grandfathered $30 unlimited plans.

 

[Dusty]

I corrected all of those points:
1. The OP can sign a new contract when his old contract expires. This would allow him to get a new discounted phone while keeping his old plan.
2. Beginning a new contract does not require the OP to use current rates and limits.
3. Adjusting a plan in any way does not require the OP to sign a new contract.

The purpose of this thread is to discuss grandfathered plans and understanding how to keep them. If a grandfathered plan is no longer offered your "point corrections" are exactly things that would cause you forfeit a grandfathered plan. Please troll someone else.

Do you even know what a troll is? I'm giving correct information so you don't screw anyone over with your misinformation. The fact that you changed one of your arguments after the first post just proves that you don't have a clue what you're talking about.

Ok I'll bite...

Your first point... sure you can buy a subsidized phone at a discounted price if you intend on paying for both your grandfathered plan AND your subsidized contract. The whole purpose of having a plan grandfathered is so you can keep it at the discontinued rates. What you're suggesting is that someone buy a phone at a discounted price and start a new two year contract... and then switch the subsidized phone over to the grandfathered plan? Why would anyone do that? You'd then be paying for two plans? Am I misunderstanding you?

Your second point... Yes, you are free to begin a new "contract" at any time BUT it has to be within the bounds of current plans offered. You can't make up a plan that your carrier has gotten rid of. For instance if you have a grandfathered 4G unlimited plan and you want to start a new term of service for another phone you can't get the grandfathered plan on ANOTHER phone. You have to use a pricing plans that they currently offer.

Third if you attempt to adjust a grandfathered plan (as an example I repeat THIS IS ONLY AN EXAMPLE) let's say you have a 3GB 4G plan and you're grandfathered in... You can't change it to a 5GB 4G plan at the old rates. You'll have to change it to a 5GB plan that follows the CURRENT pricing model not the 5GB 4G plan that was offered with your grandfathered price model.

I don't know where I misspoke before but I apologize.

 

[hookbill]

Is everything alright in here? I just saw an apology, lets be respectful ok people?

 

[Martin030908]

Everyone keep it civil.
Thank you!

 

[Carthach]

August 2012 - Bye Verizon. You SUCK!

 

[shortsxit]

The purpose of this thread is to discuss grandfathered plans and understanding how to keep them. If a grandfathered plan is no longer offered your "point corrections" are exactly things that would cause you forfeit a grandfathered plan. Please troll someone else.

Do you even know what a troll is? I'm giving correct information so you don't screw anyone over with your misinformation. The fact that you changed one of your arguments after the first post just proves that you don't have a clue what you're talking about.

Ok I'll bite...

Your first point... sure you can buy a subsidized phone at a discounted price if you intend on paying for both your grandfathered plan AND your subsidized contract. The whole purpose of having a plan grandfathered is so you can keep it at the discontinued rates. What you're suggesting is that someone buy a phone at a discounted price and start a new two year contract... and then switch the subsidized phone over to the grandfathered plan? Why would anyone do that? You'd then be paying for two plans? Am I misunderstanding you?

Your second point... Yes, you are free to begin a new "contract" at any time BUT it has to be within the bounds of current plans offered. You can't make up a plan that your carrier has gotten rid of. For instance if you have a grandfathered 4G unlimited plan and you want to start a new term of service for another phone you can't get the grandfathered plan on ANOTHER phone. You have to use a pricing plans that they currently offer.

Third if you attempt to adjust a grandfathered plan (as an example I repeat THIS IS ONLY AN EXAMPLE) let's say you have a 3GB 4G plan and you're grandfathered in... You can't change it to a 5GB 4G plan at the old rates. You'll have to change it to a 5GB plan that follows the CURRENT pricing model not the 5GB 4G plan that was offered with your grandfathered price model.

I don't know where I misspoke before but I apologize.

Like I said before, if you are on a grandfathered plan, you are (in most cases) allowed to keep that plan even if you sign a new contract. That's what a grandfathered plan is. Just look at all the people that have signed new contracts and gotten new subsidized Verizon phones even though they're still on old Alltel plans. There are tons of people that are on old single line and family plans that haven't been offered for over 5 years, yet they get new subsidized phones every 1-2 years.

There are even a very limited number of cases in which a new line can be added to a family plan with the terms of the grandfathered plan. This is very rare, obviously, but they do exist.

Anyway, I'm going to bed for a week. See you when the Thunderbolt comes out. dancedroid

 

[piquat]

Speaking of Alltel, I came from there.

I'm sooooo glad I didn't wait for them to switch and just started a new contract. I wouldn't have been able to get a 1 year and I'd now probably be subject to this.

Really, what's the point of 4g? It's just a faster way to reach your now impending data cap.

The more they do, the more inclined I am to just get a dumb phone next time and a tablet with wifi. Pffft, who would have guessed, I hate tablets.