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EDIT: QUESTION SELF ANSWERED
I went a little farther on Best Buy's site and it does let me transfer upgrades! Now I just need someone to confirm if I can pre-order the 6 on the 19th as easily as with Verizon or Apple. Anyone have experience?

Has anyone ever done the BB method using an upgrade from a non smartphone line?

My situation:
2 iphones with unlimited data
2 dumbphones @ $10/mo each

2 upgrades available now, 1 iphone and 1 dumbphone

I'd like to upgrade both iPhones to the 6 (at 2 year contract price) during pre-order and keep unlimited.

From the Best Buy site, it looks like you get the upgrade price by entering the phone number of the line eligible for the upgrade. So if I did this I would being doing it once with an iphone number and once with a dumbphone number. Yes I can transfer upgrades on the Verizon site but I don't see this option on the BB site. If I got the new phones and put the two old iPhone sims in the new ones does anyone know if I may have a new data plan added to my dumbphone line that I used to upgrade?

This is pissing me off. The last two years I'd do the dumbphone switch method with a Verizon employee happy to help. Now Verizon corporate has me seriously considering leaving them for ATT.

If you were skimming verizon in the past by canceling service and paying the etf I do not think verizon will mind loosing you as a customer.
 
Can the BB method be used if we purchase the phone using the subsidized upgrade price on the account with the unlimited data?
 
If you were skimming verizon in the past by canceling service and paying the etf I do not think verizon will mind loosing you as a customer.

He was never canceling the service, just the data plan, by changing back to a basic phone that doesn't use data.

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EDIT: QUESTION SELF ANSWERED
I went a little farther on Best Buy's site and it does let me transfer upgrades! Now I just need someone to confirm if I can pre-order the 6 on the 19th as easily as with Verizon or Apple. Anyone have experience?

Has anyone ever done the BB method using an upgrade from a non smartphone line?

My situation:
2 iphones with unlimited data
2 dumbphones @ $10/mo each

2 upgrades available now, 1 iphone and 1 dumbphone

I'd like to upgrade both iPhones to the 6 (at 2 year contract price) during pre-order and keep unlimited.

From the Best Buy site, it looks like you get the upgrade price by entering the phone number of the line eligible for the upgrade. So if I did this I would being doing it once with an iphone number and once with a dumbphone number. Yes I can transfer upgrades on the Verizon site but I don't see this option on the BB site. If I got the new phones and put the two old iPhone sims in the new ones does anyone know if I may have a new data plan added to my dumbphone line that I used to upgrade?

This is pissing me off. The last two years I'd do the dumbphone switch method with a Verizon employee happy to help. Now Verizon corporate has me seriously considering leaving them for ATT.

According to the new Verizon rules, it appears that there will be a data plan on the line. It gets tricky, because WHEN does the data plan actually get added? Generally it's during activation. Technically, you are not going to be activating any device on the basic line, so I'm not sure how their system works. I don't think there is a clear cut answer at this time

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Can the BB method be used if we purchase the phone using the subsidized upgrade price on the account with the unlimited data?

Yes, just remember, the sim card that comes with the subsidized iPhone needs to be thrown out immediately!
 
Will the 6 be carrier specific or will one model work with an AT&T or Verizon sim?

Since the 5s, iPhones have all been "world" phones, meaning they can technically work all over the world, and each phone works with all of the frequencies it needs to.

However, Verizon and Sprint will ONLY activate a phone that was bought FOR their network. So, if you want to use your phone on Verizon or Sprint, you need to buy the proper phone.

Phones bought from AT&T are carrier locked to AT&T, but can be unlocked if requested for Domestic and international use.
Phones bought from T-Mobile are unlocked
Phones bought from Verizon are factory unlocked, and IMO the best choice for versatility
Phones bought from Sprint are locked to Sprint, and Sprint will never unlock the phones for domestic use.
 
Since the 5s, iPhones have all been "world" phones, meaning they can technically work all over the world, and each phone works with all of the frequencies it needs to.

However, Verizon and Sprint will ONLY activate a phone that was bought FOR their network. So, if you want to use your phone on Verizon or Sprint, you need to buy the proper phone.

Phones bought from AT&T are carrier locked to AT&T, but can be unlocked if requested for Domestic and international use.
Phones bought from T-Mobile are unlocked
Phones bought from Verizon are factory unlocked, and IMO the best choice for versatility
Phones bought from Sprint are locked to Sprint, and Sprint will never unlock the phones for domestic use.

How about a verizon phone purchased from a retailer other than verizon?
 
If you were skimming verizon in the past by canceling service and paying the etf I do not think verizon will mind loosing you as a customer.

Not at all what I was doing. Just upgrading my phones each year (with their employees' support and assistance) and continuing to pay them the same $2k/year as I have for years. I think they're happy with me as a customer, they even tell me so when I call them! Good thing poor ol' Verizon has you around sticking up for them. Otherwise they'd be all alone with no friends and just a bunch of money.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't the BB method in theory work even if you pre ordered the phone from Apple?
 
Not at all what I was doing. Just upgrading my phones each year (with their employees' support and assistance) and continuing to pay them the same $2k/year as I have for years. I think they're happy with me as a customer, they even tell me so when I call them! Good thing poor ol' Verizon has you around sticking up for them. Otherwise they'd be all alone with no friends and just a bunch of money.

I'm not sticking up for Verizon as I pay them enough money in one year. But I guess there were scads of people who were upgrading than cancelling and paying the ETF. (selling the phones and using VZW as the bank)

You still can accomplish this, but you are now required to keep data active for two years on every phone purchased in this manner.

I'm only the messenger here, I have nothing to do with policy.

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He was never canceling the service, just the data plan, by changing back to a basic phone that doesn't use data.[COLOR="#808080"]

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According to the new Verizon rules, it appears that there will be a data plan on the line. It gets tricky, because WHEN does the data plan actually get added? Generally it's during activation. Technically, you are not going to be activating any device on the basic line, so I'm not sure how their system works. I don't think there is a clear cut answer at this time

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Yes, just remember, the sim card that comes with the subsidized iPhone needs to be thrown out immediately!

I understand the bolded quote above, however, I guess the rules have changed and a data plan must be kept active on the line that received the upgrade. If the new requirement is that the data plan gets added at time of sale, it's game over. The whole way that Verizon was skimmed in the past is that data was added at activation. If those rules are changed or VZW does not let the phone get activated on the upgrade line without the original SIM...it's a different ballgame now.
 
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Lol just ask Verizon. I've done it that way for years and plan on doing it again. I've always called Verizon customer service and they help me to switch it to another line so I won't lose my unlimited. They know people do it and I've never had a rep tell me not to or they can't.

Every time a new iPhone comes out people on here say you can't order on one line then switch to another but I do it every time with no problems. When the iPhone 5 came out I used a family member upgrade ( I pay the phone bill ) and I called Verizon. The said I had to activate it on their number, then they had to ship me another nano sim card since they were all sold out in stores. A pain but I got to keep my unlimited. Then I did the same thing with my current galaxy s4.
 
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My scenario. What do I do with the "new" SIM card? The old SIM card? I have unlimited data on my iPhone 5. Husband had a dumb phone that has an upgrade. He is kind enough to be willing to give me his new iPhone 6 and will be using my old iPhone 5. He will add the 2 gb plan when he orders the phone from VZN. We will trade phones. Do we just trade SIM cards? How does the iPhone 5 get my husbands phone number? Two years ago the VZN employee activated the new iPhone 5 for me understanding that I was doing this to keep my unlimited. But with the new rule is this something the store will scoff at doing? I'm not trying to turn off data on my husbands line like I did last time. Appreciate any thought.
 
My scenario. What do I do with the "new" SIM card? The old SIM card? I have unlimited data on my iPhone 5. Husband had a dumb phone that has an upgrade. He is kind enough to be willing to give me his new iPhone 6 and will be using my old iPhone 5. He will add the 2 gb plan when he orders the phone from VZN. We will trade phones. Do we just trade SIM cards? How does the iPhone 5 get my husbands phone number? Two years ago the VZN employee activated the new iPhone 5 for me understanding that I was doing this to keep my unlimited. But with the new rule is this something the store will scoff at doing? I'm not trying to turn off data on my husbands line like I did last time. Appreciate any thought.


Take your current SIM card out of the iPhone 5 and put it into your new phone

Get a new nano sim from Verizon to use on your husbands line
 
Lol just ask Verizon. I've done it that way for years and plan on doing it again. I've always called Verizon customer service and they help me to switch it to another line so I won't lose my unlimited. They know people do it and I've never had a rep tell me not to or they can't.

Every time a new iPhone comes out people on here say you can't order on one line then switch to another but I do it every time with no problems. When the iPhone 5 came out I used a family member upgrade ( I pay the phone bill ) and I called Verizon. The said I had to activate it on their number, then they had to ship me another nano sim card since they were all sold out in stores. A pain but I got to keep my unlimited. Then I did the same thing with my current galaxy s4.

There is a new policy in place if I understand it properly. You can order the upgrade and then switch the phone as needed, but the line you ordered the upgrade on has to maintain a data plan, whatever that means, for two years. You can switch the phone to another line, but the data plan is staying on the line. You can't put a non-smartphone on the line and drop the plan.
 
My wife has a 4S on the unlimited plan. We intend to upgrade her to 6. Since the 4S doesn't have a SIM card, I'm assuming the BB route won't work.
Any suggestions on how to upgrade and keep unlimited? Thanks
 
My wife has a 4S on the unlimited plan. We intend to upgrade her to 6. Since the 4S doesn't have a SIM card, I'm assuming the BB route won't work.
Any suggestions on how to upgrade and keep unlimited? Thanks

But a full retail verizon device only phone from apple. Bring it home and call verizon for an equipment swap, or use their website.
 
My wife has a 4S on the unlimited plan. We intend to upgrade her to 6. Since the 4S doesn't have a SIM card, I'm assuming the BB route won't work.

Any suggestions on how to upgrade and keep unlimited? Thanks


If you have an old 4g Lte phone laying around/borrow one/buy a cheep one and request a 4g Lte sim from verizon. OR just call up verizon and tell rep you will be using a Lte phone on the line and just request a new sim.
 
Has anyone ever used the BB method through the apple website? Is there some way to figure out if it works to still get the phone on release day without losing unlimited?
 
Has anyone ever used the BB method through the apple website? Is there some way to figure out if it works to still get the phone on release day without losing unlimited?

From what I understand, as long as you take the SIM out of the phone when it is delivered and put the old sim in, it should work fine.
 
My plan is to buy iPhone on contract and activate it on that line and deactivate.

And reactivate on my unlimited line. Is this going to work without any problem or do I have to wait certain period with the contract phone?
 
My plan is to buy iPhone on contract and activate it on that line and deactivate.

And reactivate on my unlimited line. Is this going to work without any problem or do I have to wait certain period with the contract phone?


With the old method, yes this would work.. you could get that new phone on contract on another line and switch the iPhone 6 to the unlimited line; however, as for how I interpret Verizon's new policy (as stated above), any lines that you activate data on, you must keep the data plan.

I'm eager to see how this plays out.
 
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