Carrier [Confirmed] Verizon Unlimited Loophole

[risk235]

That's what I did and it worked. Called when the phone arrived and just activated it on my line after having switched the upgrade to dumb phone line and ordering it with that line.

Man I hope it works. I want to get the iPhone 5 but don't want to lose ULD or pay retail. That's the main thing holding me back. I have a upgrade available on a ULD line and want to transfer it to a dumb phone line then switch it to my ULD line.

 

[alk83]

Has anyone actually been able to activate a second number on the included SIM? I've spent a few hours with verizon on the phone trying to be sure I figure this out correctly - I was most recently told that any number entered on the nano SIM would be "burned in" and you would need a new card to activate a new number...

my situation: ULD with a droid incredible. My mom (on a different account) is willing to upgrade to the iphone from her dumb phone and then take my droid. Does anyone know a better way to do this than having her activate the iphone, "lose" the SIM and then get a new SIM for me?

Thanks in advance...

 

[vickytor]

That's what I did and it worked. Called when the phone arrived and just activated it on my line after having switched the upgrade to dumb phone line and ordering it with that line.

So what you're saying is that you had an upgrade available on your Unlimited Data Plan line, did an Upgrade Transfer from your unlimited to your dumbphone line, and then ordered through that line?

And your unlimited data plan is still intact? When you log onto MyVerizon, which lines' contract was extended?

 

[spacebetween]

I have a FamilyShare plan with an upgrade available on a dumbphone line. I pre-ordered through Apple and selected 2GB data plan on checkout.

I used online activation without turning the phone on. I selected "Activate" (not "Switch") for my unlimited data line, and inputted the IMEI and ICCID SIM card numbers.

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I'm curious as to the "24-hour SIM" rule. For those who ended up activating the line on their dumbphone first, did waiting 24 hours before reactivating the SIM on your unlimited line work?

Many people are tossing SIMS and getting new ones as a result of this, while other posts have said that you don't need to wait.

Interesting. It seems that if you're using a phone from an upgrade that is connected with your UDP line, there have been no problems swapping the phone online.

Haven't seen too many responses with people using an upgrade from a line that's not associated with their UDP that have had success using the online tool.

I've seen a few posts from people who say they waited about 24 hours and they were seemingly able to activate.

 

[vickytor]

Has anyone actually been able to activate a second number on the included SIM? I've spent a few hours with verizon on the phone trying to be sure I figure this out correctly - I was most recently told that any number entered on the nano SIM would be "burned in" and you would need a new card to activate a new number...

my situation: ULD with a droid incredible. My mom (on a different account) is willing to upgrade to the iphone from her dumb phone and then take my droid. Does anyone know a better way to do this than having her activate the iphone, "lose" the SIM and then get a new SIM for me?

Thanks in advance...

I don't know about the SIM number being a one-time-use, "burned in" number. I'd like to find out if anyone has had experience with it.

Which line is the upgrade on? If it's on your mom's dumbphone line, then you would order the iPhone through her line, and when it arrives, you:

-Don't turn on the iPhone.
-Activate (not "Switch") the iPhone on your line through MyVerizon
-It should give you the option to keep your data plan (see picture below)
-After completing the activation process, turn on the phone (will display your Mom's number, but confirm anyways); it'll activate on your line if you did it correctly
-Go back to MyVerizon and "Activate" your Droid on your Mom's line.

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Interesting. It seems that if you're using a phone from an upgrade that is connected with your UDP line, there have been no problems swapping the phone online.

Haven't seen too many responses with people using an upgrade from a line that's not associated with their UDP that have had success using the online tool.

I've seen a few posts from people who say they waited about 24 hours and they were seemingly able to activate.

If by "connected" and "associated" you mean on the same family plan, yes that's correct. I had upgrade available for my dumbphone line, and just ordered the phone on that line. When it came, I immediately activated it on my UDP line (without even opening it, since all the numbers I needed were on the box).

The 24 hour thing with the SIM puzzles me. I'm wondering if new SIMs can only be used once per-phone, if they're actually able to be "rewritten" and activated onto a different line, and if possible, if you really have to wait 24-hours to do so.

Clearing this up could save a lot of wasted SIMs from those that activate the iPhone on the dumbphone and immediately ditch their SIMs for new ones.

 

[vickytor]

Forgot the picture. Here it is:

 

[ajm222]

So what you're saying is that you had an upgrade available on your Unlimited Data Plan line, did an Upgrade Transfer from your unlimited to your dumbphone line, and then ordered through that line?

And your unlimited data plan is still intact? When you log onto MyVerizon, which lines' contract was extended?

correct. as for which line's contract was extended, i'm not sure. i will check. but i still have ULD on my line and that's all i care about.

 

[JGC1986]

Maybe someone can help me with this situation:

I have a family share plan (700 mins, unlimited text, unlimited data) with myself and my wife...I have the iPhone 4s and she has the iPhone 4.

My parents have their family share plan (700 mins, unlimited text) and have 2 dumb, flip phones.

I want to use my dads available upgrade, buy the iPhone 5 at the subsidized price, and then transfer it to my line with the 4s currently and unlimited data.

HOW will this affect my plan, and how will it affect theirs, if any? These are 2 separate accounts.

I currently have an upgrade available on our account but would like to keep the unlimited data/not change my plan...I got a corporate discount on there that I want to keep as well, but no longer work at that company, shhhhhh!

 

[vickytor]

correct. as for which line's contract was extended, i'm not sure. i will check. but i still have ULD on my line and that's all i care about.

Yeah let us know. It's been said that doing an "Upgrade Transfer" option through MyVerizon is essentially like upgrading the line you transfer FROM, so transferring your upgrade from your ULD line to your dumbphone line is thought to extend (change) it, thus knocking you off the ULD plan.

If your experience says otherwise, that may clear up a lot of things.

 

[eps89]

I have 4 smartphones. I did an alternate upgrade on of my lines to get the iPhone and a rep I spoke to over the phone somehow kept my UDP on everyone of my lines. Very awesome guy. I checked my Verizon account multiple times to make sure they all still say unlimited and they are!

 

[Civicsixxx]

Suggestion for anyone having sim issues on Verizon - go to an apple store. They have Verizon specialists there this weekend.

As I posted earlier in the thread, yesterday when I got my iPhone I tried activating it online to my primary line but it kept telling me the sim was invalid and to call customer service. (I upgraded a secondary line to get the subsidized price and to keep ULD). When I talked to VZW they told me the sim was locked to the secondary line and they couldn't activate it on the primary line. I was basically SOL until I could get a new sim.

So this morning I decided to go to apple to see if they could help me out. I met with the Verizon rep, she was able to activate it on my primary line using the included sim and confirmed that ULD was still on my line. Overall it took like 15 mins and was way easier than the two phone calls I had with VZW yesterday.

 

[4BittenFruit]

It's understandable you have a life.. but at the same time, if you want information you have to do the work and research. All the information you're asking for is in this thread... multiple times.

It's extremely frustrating for some people who are on these threads to have to see the same questions asked over and over because people are often too lazy to bother spending a couple of minutes and re-reading what's already been answered. There's often a sense of entitlement to an immediate answer without having to put any leg work in.

If you don't have the time, then don't expect an answer. And if keeping your UDP is worth it to you, do the research. If you don't have the time, then keeping your UDP isn't that important to you. Simple as that.

I certianly hope that my Doctor had the time to read his books and go to class. But I guess some here would find it perfectly acceptable if he didn't read all the material because he was busy.

On that note.. anyone know if I can transfer my upgrade from my UDP onto another line and switch it back and keep my UDP?

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Which method did you use? The online activation without turning the phone on? Also, did you use an upgrade from another line that is tied to your account?

Well, if you look a few comments back, someone has seemingly transfered their upgrade from my UDP onto another line and switched it back and kept their UDP. Looks like your "research and leg work" wouldn't be that fruitful anyhow. From my understanding it seems as though the status quo of things are constantly changing here, and frankly most people are giving advice one minute quickly to be rebuked in the next. So, reading something on page 5 or even 25 would just be a waste of time in my opinion. And entitlement? Not in the slightest form. So much for being "welcomed" into a new community which I was excited to be a part of. I am now put off by this forum and this website as a whole merely by your ridicule and immaturity.

On that note...does anyone know if I can transfer my upgrade from my UDP onto another line and switch it back and keep my UDP? Oh, wait, yes, ajm222 has. Wise ass.

 

[muse5150]

Verizon and/or Apple have totally failed in being prepared for assisting with the iPhone 5 activation. I call Friday night to active/switch my iPhone 5 onto my UDP line. I was told to call back on Saturday, because of the 24 hour wait period. When I called back today, I was told the 24 hours was not completed, so I had to call back even later. I called again tonight and found that the first customer service person somehow screwed something up by starting the activation process, so when the second representative tried the activation process the 24 hour period somehow reset again, and now I have to wait until Sunday at 12.

I had tried the online thing a few times, but I kept getting the error message about the SIM and I would have to call customer service. I tried again just a few minutes ago after getting off the phone and being told I had to wait until tomorrow. This time I got further along using the online tool. I even was able to pick my old UDP, but on the last step, I received another error that my request could not be processed.

Looking back, I should have just gone to a Verizon or Apple store and had the SIM switched out. I would have saved over an hour of being on the phone. Very frustrating process.

 

[spacebetween]

Well, if you look a few comments back, someone has seemingly transfered their upgrade from my UDP onto another line and switched it back and kept their UDP. Looks like your "research and leg work" wouldn't be that fruitful anyhow. From my understanding it seems as though the status quo of things are constantly changing here, and frankly most people are giving advice one minute quickly to be rebuked in the next. So, reading something on page 5 or even 25 would just be a waste of time in my opinion. And entitlement? Not in the slightest form. So much for being "welcomed" into a new community which I was excited to be a part of. I am now put off by this forum and this website as a whole merely by your ridicule and immaturity.

On that note...does anyone know if I can transfer my upgrade from my UDP onto another line and switch it back and keep my UDP? Oh, wait, yes, ajm222 has. Wise ass.

Actually, not really. Out of pages and pages of posts, only one or two people have said they were able to use that transfer method. The majority of other posts (including those who did the method and lost their UDP) have consistently stated you can't do it.. therefore, the one or two people who have stated they were able to do that don't really rebuke what most people's experiences have been.

But hey, try it out and come back and let us know what happens to your UDP.

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Verizon and/or Apple have totally failed in being prepared for assisting with the iPhone 5 activation. I call Friday night to active/switch my iPhone 5 onto my UDP line. I was told to call back on Saturday, because of the 24 hour wait period. When I called back today, I was told the 24 hours was not completed, so I had to call back even later. I called again tonight and found that the first customer service person somehow screwed something up by starting the activation process, so when the second representative tried the activation process the 24 hour period somehow reset again, and now I have to wait until Sunday at 12.

I had tried the online thing a few times, but I kept getting the error message about the SIM and I would have to call customer service. I tried again just a few minutes ago after getting off the phone and being told I had to wait until tomorrow. This time I got further along using the online tool. I even was able to pick my old UDP, but on the last step, I received another error that my request could not be processed.

Looking back, I should have just gone to a Verizon or Apple store and had the SIM switched out. I would have saved over an hour of being on the phone. Very frustrating process.

What method of swapping did you use? Did you swap with a phone that is currently associated with your UDP line or was this a buddy swap?

 

[Olivia23]

Woo Hoo I finally did it!!!! I bought my iphone 5 in store and verizon employee activated on a new line (so I would not lose my unlimited). I tried everything on here and nothing worked, so I finally called to have a new nano sim shipped to me (would not get here until Tuesday).

First I called verizon tech support and had them add a dummy phone to replace my iphone on my newly added line (at first they acted like they could not provide a dumb phone, then I told them they done it before, so they added a "test" dumb phone), then of course I had them try to switch my iphone to my current unlimited data plan line, but they couldn't.

I then started watching videos on youtube on how to cut my micro sim (from my droid razr maxx phone) to a nano sim. I printed out the instructions from iphone zen website took a deep breath and cut. I cut it a little too small though, and it would fall out of the sim tray so I put a tiny piece of tape on it.

Now I have unlimited on my iphone 5! Everything works except for texting. Since I cut it too short it must have messed with it somehow. I read another post where someone cut theirs too short and had the same problem.

I wonder now if I go into a verizon store and ask for a micro sim, will they just give me one, or will they look up my info and want to put the sim in my droid razr, when I really want to use it to cut down to a nano sim?

 

[niteriderxp]

Well I called Verizon to activate my new iPhone 5.
They activated on basic line and then removed it.
When they tried to activate on my UDL line, their system barfed with a SIM error.
Told me to wait 24 hours, or at least call tomorrow morning at earliest.

Now I know that some people have activated it using the website.
The problem is I have an ancient feature on my line that will get dropped if I don't have a CS rep do it.
Last time it got dropped, I had to wait something like 3 weekdays to get it reinstated.
Probably will happen again, but at least the CS rep will see it disappear and begin to remedy it immediately.

Guess I'll just set it up using WiFi for now, no biggie.

Had them activate the SIM this afternoon and it went smoothly.
Had to restart the phone a couple of times till voice started working though.

Account now shows 4G unlimited data.
Ancient feature dropped off but they told me they'd add it back midweek.
Apparently it's a bureaucratic process to add ancient features back after they drop.

 

[BFizzzle]

glad I could help

You can't activate a New microsim cut down to a nano on the iPhone 5...at least online. Did you do it at a store/phone? Also was it an already active micro sim that you cut to a nano??

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Woo Hoo I finally did it!!!! I bought my iphone 5 in store and verizon employee activated on a new line (so I would not lose my unlimited). I tried everything on here and nothing worked, so I finally called to have a new nano sim shipped to me (would not get here until Tuesday).

First I called verizon tech support and had them add a dummy phone to replace my iphone on my newly added line (at first they acted like they could not provide a dumb phone, then I told them they done it before, so they added a "test" dumb phone), then of course I had them try to switch my iphone to my current unlimited data plan line, but they couldn't.

I then started watching videos on youtube on how to cut my micro sim (from my droid razr maxx phone) to a nano sim. I printed out the instructions from iphone zen website took a deep breath and cut. I cut it a little too small though, and it would fall out of the sim tray so I put a tiny piece of tape on it.

Now I have unlimited on my iphone 5! Everything works except for texting. Since I cut it too short it must have messed with it somehow. I read another post where someone cut theirs too short and had the same problem.

I wonder now if I go into a verizon store and ask for a micro sim, will they just give me one, or will they look up my info and want to put the sim in my droid razr, when I really want to use it to cut down to a nano sim?

Check my post with a new micro sim. You will have to activate it on the droid first I think.

 

[ajm222]

Yeah let us know. It's been said that doing an "Upgrade Transfer" option through MyVerizon is essentially like upgrading the line you transfer FROM, so transferring your upgrade from your ULD line to your dumbphone line is thought to extend (change) it, thus knocking you off the ULD plan.

If your experience says otherwise, that may clear up a lot of things.

not sure where to find that info but if it's based off the upgrade eligibility, the contract was extended on my line, ULD line. not eligible again until 2014. again, xferred upgrade i had on my ULD to dumbphone then bought the phone online. when phone showed up i activated on my line, the ULD line. still have ULD. other line is eligible for upgrade next month.

 

[PhoenixMac]

You can't activate a New microsim cut down to a nano on the iPhone 5...at least online. Did you do it at a store/phone? Also was it an already active micro sim that you cut to a nano??

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Check my post with a new micro sim. You will have to activate it on the droid first I think.

I had one already activated. You can go to Apple store if one is near by and they have free sims and vzw people on hand.

 

[vickytor]

not sure where to find that info but if it's based off the upgrade eligibility, the contract was extended on my line, ULD line. not eligible again until 2014. again, xferred upgrade i had on my ULD to dumbphone then bought the phone online. when phone showed up i activated on my line, the ULD line. still have ULD. other line is eligible for upgrade next month.

That's interesting. Your case seems to prove that you can actually transfer an upgrade from the ULD line to a dumbphone line and still keep ULD despite the contract being extended.

On that note, did you order through Verizon or Apple? And did it ask you to change your plan before checkout?

 

[Joalabear]

Has anyone actually been able to activate a second number on the included SIM? I've spent a few hours with verizon on the phone trying to be sure I figure this out correctly - I was most recently told that any number entered on the nano SIM would be "burned in" and you would need a new card to activate a new number...

my situation: ULD with a droid incredible. My mom (on a different account) is willing to upgrade to the iphone from her dumb phone and then take my droid. Does anyone know a better way to do this than having her activate the iphone, "lose" the SIM and then get a new SIM for me?

Thanks in advance...

The way I did it was by calling Verizon and having them switch it for me. The first thing you do when you get the phone, and I cannot stress this enough, is do not turn it on! If you plan on buying the iPhone from another line's upgrade and using it on yours, do NOT turn on the phone when you get it!

I basically just called Verizon, told the rep the situation, and he was nice enough to do it for me. Of course, me being the paranoid person I am, had to hop on My Verizon immediately after just to make sure

I hope this helps you

 

[TedJustAdmitit]

Been 28 hours and I still have a "pending order" on my account. Guess 24 hours doesn't apply to Sundays.

 

[NovemberWhiskey]

I hate to kill the mood, but we may not know for sure until at least 2 weeks after you did the successful alternate upgrade (from an UDP) to possibly the next billing cycle to see if they cancelled your Unlimited Data.

I think Verizon has a 2 week return policy/cancellation policy for lines, before which you do not have to pay an ETF. Thus, any changes to your plan may not kick in until after these 2 weeks, and may kick in as late as your next billing cycle if that is after 2 weeks.

Checking online immediately after activation may not show the change yet.

I am just speculating to be safe. Please correct me if I am wrong because I want to transfer an upgrade from my UDP to a dumbphone to use to work-around and keep my UDP.

 

[niteriderxp]

I hate to kill the mood, but we may not know for sure until at least 2 weeks after you did the successful alternate upgrade (from an UDP) to possibly the next billing cycle to see if they cancelled your Unlimited Data.

I think Verizon has a 2 week return policy/cancellation policy for lines, before which you do not have to pay an ETF. Thus, any changes to your plan may not kick in until after these 2 weeks, and may kick in as late as your next billing cycle if that is after 2 weeks.

Checking online immediately after activation may not show the change yet.

I am just speculating to be safe. Please correct me if I am wrong because I want to transfer an upgrade from my UDP to a dumbphone to use to work-around and keep my UDP.

I could see my plan changes online immediately after they made them.
It has like three 4G feature codes on there right now and UDL is still there.

You have to buy an iPhone 5 on the dumb phone line, no transfer.
The UDL line cannot be associated in any way with the order.
You cannot transfer an upgrade to the UDL, nor can you transfer an upgrade away from the UDL.
Activate it on the dumb phone line, and then have them remove it from the dumbphone line.
Once this is done, the iPhone 5 is now CPE (Customer Provided Equipment).
At the point you can do whatever you want with it without affecting UDL on the line you activate it on.

If you are really paranoid, call Verizon and have them put a note on your account.

I am pretty sure Verizon is well aware what we're doing and is letting us do it.
The vast majority of its customers willingly lose unlimited data, and we the minority are kept happy.
Everyone wins.

 

[BFizzzle]

Finally got mine on the udp. I called verizon had my iphone taken off and got a dummy esn on it. Apple accidentally gives me the new sim and activates on the dummy line. So apple has to call back, verizon "we don't do dummy lines. Whoever did that wasn't suppose to. After 45 min of me telling them they do while them demanding I buy a new phone just for that line I don't use. They ask for a manager. Then they do it. Nuts