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Carrier [Confirmed] Verizon Unlimited Loophole

C

CoolBradG

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 7, 2010
214
64
Requirements
-Grandfathered family plan
-Upgrade Available (Transfer and use on dumb phone)
-At least 1 dumb phone line

Basically you use the dummy line to get the subsidized pricing and add on the basic 2GB data plan. Then once you get the iPhone you switch it to your unlimited data line and put the dumb phone back to its line and cancel the data plan (no penalty) since it's no longer needed.

An online rep confirmed this: https://community.verizonwireless.com/thread/780799

Edit: Linked the wrong thread, sorry!

Edit 2: Confirmed via phone rep as well.
 
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Yes, using an alternate upgrade doesn't trigger a new contract for your current unlimited plan. I have called VZW 5 times and they are consistent with this. I have tried getting my 10/10 date moved up but they suggest the alternate upgrade as a way to get a new phone with unlimited every time.
 
Just got off the line with a rep. You can cancel the newly added plan as long as you move the dumb phone back to its line!

SCORE! iPhone 5 tonight for me!!!
 
My girlfriend currently has a family plan - it's three lines. Her dad and mom both have "dumbphones" while she has an iphone 4 with unlimited data on her line.

She wants to use her dad's upgrade since he is currently eligible for an upgrade, while her line is not eligible until December.

Here is my question. What can she do about preordering? From the sounds of it she should be able to preorder through apple.com on her dads line. Then once the iPhone 5 comes, she should be able to go to a verizon store and cancel the data plan on her dad's line and then get a nano sim for her line? Additionally, through doing it this way, she will be able to maintain unlimited data?

This sounds simple and almost too good to be true!

Please let me know if this idea is correct or if there is something I am overlooking.

Thanks!

Edit: One last question. Verizon does not have a penalty for not keeping the data on the line for the duration of the contract?
 
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Seems to me like that the dummy line has to be eligible for the upgrade in order for this to work...

If the primary line (your line) has the upgrade, you can'tTRANSFER the upgrade to the other person. You can assume the upgrade (meaning the primary number would have to sign the new contract, while the dummy line would keep the unlimited data).

Unless I'm missing something completely here...
 
mike5411 said:
My girlfriend currently has a family plan - it's three lines. Her dad and mom both have "dumbphones" while she has an iphone 4 with unlimited data on her line.

She wants to use her dad's upgrade since he is currently eligible for an upgrade, while her line is not eligible until December.

Here is my question. What can she do about preordering? From the sounds of it she should be able to preorder through apple.com on her dads line. Then once the iPhone 5 comes, she should be able to go to a verizon store and cancel the data plan on her dad's line and then get a nano sim for her line? Additionally, through doing it this way, she will be able to maintain unlimited data?

This sounds simple and almost too good to be true!

Please let me know if this idea is correct or if there is something I am overlooking.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
As long as the phone is bought on her dad's line she will keep unlimited even if she moves it to her line. Then once she moves her dad's phone back to his line she can cancel the data plan she had to get for his line since it's unneeded with a dumb phone.

Not sure what the nano sim you're referring to is?

----------
Poeticashes said:
Seems to me like that the dummy line has to be eligible for the upgrade in order for this to work...

If the primary line (your line) has the upgrade, you can'tTRANSFER the upgrade to the other person. You can assume the upgrade (meaning the primary number would have to sign the new contract, while the dummy line would keep the unlimited data).

Unless I'm missing something completely here...
Click to expand...
You can easily transfer upgrades via the Verizon wireless website so if your smartphone has an upgrade you should be able to place it on any dumb phone line in the plan.
 
I stated this in two other threads but I'll contribute here:

You can add a new line and keep unlimited data.

You can preoder and add a new line to your existing account at 3:01AM EST and not lose it in a simple way.

GO to My Verizon, Click PRE SELL.. Add the new line. Purchase the iPhone you want on the NEW line.

Find yourself a dummy phone [a non smartphone phone line a Moto Razr or flip so you'l only be charge $9.99 for the extra line instead of $40 for a smartphones typical data package. Then switcht he iphone 5 to your smartphone line

You can keep unlimited data, NOT pay $600,700,849 for a iphone, just at the extra cost of $10 a month.

Only issue is you have a phone with a new two year contract. No biggie..

I'll wake up at 5am, preorder my iphone, turn back over go to bed.
 
HeyGreggie said:
I stated this in two other threads but I'll contribute here:

You can add a new line and keep unlimited data.

You can preoder and add a new line to your existing account at 3:01AM EST and not lose it in a simple way.

GO to My Verizon, Click PRE SELL.. Add the new line. Purchase the iPhone you want on the NEW line.

Find yourself a dummy phone [a non smartphone phone line a Moto Razr or flip so you'l only be charge $9.99 for the extra line instead of $40 for a smartphones typical data package. Then switcht he iphone 5 to your smartphone line

You can keep unlimited data, NOT pay $600,700,849 for a iphone, just at the extra cost of $10 a month.

Only issue is you have a phone with a new two year contract. No biggie..

I'll wake up at 5am, preorder my iphone, turn back over go to bed.
Click to expand...
But who wants to end up paying $240 by the end of the contract? Using my method you get the cheap price + unlimited without extra fees.
 
HeyGreggie said:
I stated this in two other threads but I'll contribute here:

You can add a new line and keep unlimited data.

You can preoder and add a new line to your existing account at 3:01AM EST and not lose it in a simple way.

GO to My Verizon, Click PRE SELL.. Add the new line. Purchase the iPhone you want on the NEW line.

Find yourself a dummy phone [a non smartphone phone line a Moto Razr or flip so you'l only be charge $9.99 for the extra line instead of $40 for a smartphones typical data package. Then switcht he iphone 5 to your smartphone line

You can keep unlimited data, NOT pay $600,700,849 for a iphone, just at the extra cost of $10 a month.

Only issue is you have a phone with a new two year contract. No biggie..

I'll wake up at 5am, preorder my iphone, turn back over go to bed.
Click to expand...

Does this work with a single user grandfathered plan, you can just add a line.
 
Would this work if the family plan has 2 smart phones? 1 on unlimited data and one on 2gb?

Could I get the iPhone 5 with the line that's already capped at 2gb, then switch it over to the unlimited line?
 
This won't work, it will force you into a new plan,I have tried. You can call and do this but you will not be able to do this on the computer.
HeyGreggie said:
I stated this in two other threads but I'll contribute here:

You can add a new line and keep unlimited data.

You can preoder and add a new line to your existing account at 3:01AM EST and not lose it in a simple way.

GO to My Verizon, Click PRE SELL.. Add the new line. Purchase the iPhone you want on the NEW line.

Find yourself a dummy phone [a non smartphone phone line a Moto Razr or flip so you'l only be charge $9.99 for the extra line instead of $40 for a smartphones typical data package. Then switcht he iphone 5 to your smartphone line

You can keep unlimited data, NOT pay $600,700,849 for a iphone, just at the extra cost of $10 a month.

Only issue is you have a phone with a new two year contract. No biggie..

I'll wake up at 5am, preorder my iphone, turn back over go to bed.
Click to expand...
 
iPadlover123 said:
Would this work if the family plan has 2 smart phones? 1 on unlimited data and one on 2gb?

Could I get the iPhone 5 with the line that's already capped at 2gb, then switch it over to the unlimited line?
Click to expand...
You should be able to.
 
So just to question this, here's my situation:

I am off contract now and have unlimited data. According to your directions I would:

--Add a new line to my account, pre-order the iPhone on this new line and add the 2gb data.

--Once I get the iPhone, transfer it to my primary account that has the unlimited data, and then convert the add-on line to a basic phone at $9.99 a month

Anything else I'm missing? Should I create the add on line today, or will I have to do it tomorrow morning when I preorder the iPhone?
 
Sorry, but I'm not quite following. Can someone help me clarify? Do you need to create a new line on a family share plan or do you use an exisiting line?

We currently have a family share plan with 5 lines. 2 smart phones and 3 dumb phones. I believe one or two of our dumb phones are available for upgrades. If I'm understanding the thread correctly, we ask the sales rep to upgrade one of the dumb phone lines to the iPhone 5 and add the tiered data plan with the dumb phone being disconnected from service (momentarily). We then ask the sales rep to transfer the iphone 5 to my line (one of the smart phone lines) and immediately re-connect the (just recently) disconnected dumb phone and remove the tiered data plan.

Am I understanding this correctly?
 
Just tried to add a new line onto my account online, and it only gives me these options:

Your current plan is no longer available based on the devices you've selected. Please select from the new plan options.
Some plans are not available based on the combination of devices selected.

You currently have an Unlimited Data package on one or more lines on your account. The Unlimited Data package is no longer available. To continue, please select a new Data Option for all of the lines on your plan. You will not be able to go back to your current Unlimited Data package.

I can only select the Share Everything plans, there are no other plans to select
 
tmoney468 said:
Just tried to add a new line onto my account online, and it only gives me these options:

Your current plan is no longer available based on the devices you've selected. Please select from the new plan options.
Some plans are not available based on the combination of devices selected.

You currently have an Unlimited Data package on one or more lines on your account. The Unlimited Data package is no longer available. To continue, please select a new Data Option for all of the lines on your plan. You will not be able to go back to your current Unlimited Data package.

I can only select the Share Everything plans, there are no other plans to select
Click to expand...
This only works for existing lines. Any new lines of service will force a change to a shared plan.
 
tmoney468 said:
Just tried to add a new line onto my account online, and it only gives me these options:

Your current plan is no longer available based on the devices you've selected. Please select from the new plan options.
Some plans are not available based on the combination of devices selected.

You currently have an Unlimited Data package on one or more lines on your account. The Unlimited Data package is no longer available. To continue, please select a new Data Option for all of the lines on your plan. You will not be able to go back to your current Unlimited Data package.

I can only select the Share Everything plans, there are no other plans to select
Click to expand...

thats most likely because youre off contract. youre on a month to month basis right now. so i doubt youll be able to keep your unlimited unless you buy the phone outright. and even then they can always cancel your plan since youre off contract anyway.
 
halfmonkey said:
Sorry, but I'm not quite following. Can someone help me clarify? Do you need to create a new line on a family share plan or do you use an exisiting line?

We currently have a family share plan with 5 lines. 2 smart phones and 3 dumb phones. I believe one or two of our dumb phones are available for upgrades. If I'm understanding the thread correctly, we ask the sales rep to upgrade one of the dumb phone lines to the iPhone 5 and add the tiered data plan with the dumb phone being disconnected from service (momentarily). We then ask the sales rep to transfer the iphone 5 to my line (one of the smart phone lines) and immediately re-connect the (just recently) disconnected dumb phone and remove the tiered data plan.

Am I understanding this correctly?
Click to expand...
Yes. I believe you have to wait until you receive the phone in the mail though to switch everything around and cancel the data.
 
I will have an upgrade avail next month, and glad I saw this!

Whats everyones opinion... is this easiser to do this loop hole with verizon on the phone or in the Verizon store. Would I have to wait a day to swap everything or can I do this all at once?
 
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