Hey reddit,
I have an individual 400minute/unlimited data plan currently. I do all my texting through g-voice. I pay ~$55 a month currently with a 22% discount.
Is there anyway I can keep my unlimited data, while getting a shared plan with my girlfriend that will be lower priced in the end? I'm willing to buy an unsubsidized phone off Swappa or something similar.
Posted Oct 8, 2012, 3:50 AM UTC
Unfortunately, there is no way for you to add another line to your contract without losing your unlimited data.
Do you know how much Data you are using in a month?
I currently use an average of around 3-5 GB a month depending on if I go out of state for work or not.
I was wondering if I could try to get a shared 700-800 minute plan with only ~500 texts. but I dont think it's possible anymore.
Existing customers can still do tiered limited plans, but any change to your plan will kill your unlimited data.
Since you're currently at ~$55 any change to your plan is going to bump you up over 100 per month. It might just be better to get her on her own plan as inconvenient as that is...
I plan on using my upgrade to buy a full retail phone from verizon. Hopefully that works.
Is the upgrade different than signing a new contract?
Tell me if it works out.
If you use the upgrade to buy the subsidized iphone itll be around 200 bucks and you'll have to upgrade your plan, but i'm pretty sure you can use the upgrade to knock 200 bucks off the retail iphone as well and still be able to keep it.
"Users who do not upgrade their devices or who choose to upgrade at unsubsidized prices will be able to keep their unlimited data plans."
Also, if you don't mind me asking, how were you able to get up to a 22% discount?
Most smartphones are discounted considerably more than $200. (Galaxy S3 for example is discounted $400)
The 22% discount is due to where the account holder works. I've seen as high as 30% discounts in CA where I live.
As Angry said, it is for working at a certain place and they (VZW) Will offer you a discount for working there.
upgrade and full retail are opposites.
If you are using an upgrade, you are, by definition of "upgrade" not buying a phone at full retail.
The difference between them is "upgrade" can only be done every 20 months, and gets you a significant discount on the phone. "Full Retail" can be done at any time, but costs you more. It doesn't matter if you signed a contract 30 seconds ago. You can buy a phone at "full retail" whenever you want from Verizon. (the sales people in stores will try to talk you out of it, because it affects their personal sales numbers, but do it anyway)
Using upgrade will force you to drop unlimited. Buying at full retail will not. For now.
*edit to clarify.
Buying a phone at "upgrade" price costs Verizon money up front. Usually a lot.
Using iPhone5 as an example: Verizon pays $650 to Apple for each iPhone5. (many people think this is not the case. They are wrong.) When you "upgrade" (ie: sign a 2 year contract) you get the phone for $200, and VZ eats $450 because they will eventually make it up in the monthly fees (somewhere around 13 months) When you buy a phone at "full retail" VZ doesn't lose money on the phone, but they don't make money either, and they still have to pay the sales rep to ring it out, so it's frowned upon company side.
This is why you are heavily discouraged from buying phones at full retail price. If you want to keep your unlimited though, this is the way to go.
They still make money on the sale if you keep your unlim data. Assuming your previous phone was a subsidized phone.
They make money on your monthly fees, and end up making more on them when you buy at full retail because they don't have to make up a subsidy, but they don't make anything at point of sale on the phone itself.
Right now, they would rather have (nearly) guaranteed long-term profit by having you in a contract, than greater, but potentially short-term profit via not subsidizing.
I wouldn't be surprised if this changes though. Tablets are non-subsidized and non-contract, and their plans are selling like hotcakes. I wouldn't be surprised if this whole "full retail to keep your data" thing is just a huge research project to see how open the public is to paying more for phones if they don't have a contract. Its always been an option but now there's increased "incentive"