Carrier Those Who Can Still Sign 2 Year Contracts - the Lucky Ones?

[puma1552]

100% correct.

So I want to revisit this a bit - I think I want to buy a new phone with the Verizon Device Payment plan because I really don't want to sign another contract...but I think I really want to keep my current loyalty plan (looking around it still doesn't really look like there's anything better even after factoring in monthly access discount if I move to a new plan).

Basically I'm really happy with my plan, and what I pay.

I assumed I could of course keep my plan as-is and just buy a new device with the Device Payment plan, now that I'm out of contract (not officially until 9/19 but it looks like Verizon just bumped up my upgrade to 9/7). But I keep reading things saying that I can't do this, that I'm going to get forced into a new plan.

Is this true, or can I indeed keep my $60 2GB/Unlimited Talk/Text Single Line Loyalty plan exactly as-is, and just tack on the device payment amount?

 

[comptr]

So I want to revisit this a bit - I think I want to buy a new phone with the Verizon Device Payment plan because I really don't want to sign another contract...but I think I really want to keep my current loyalty plan (looking around it still doesn't really look like there's anything better even after factoring in monthly access discount if I move to a new plan).

Basically I'm really happy with my plan, and what I pay.

I assumed I could of course keep my plan as-is and just buy a new device with the Device Payment plan, now that I'm out of contract (not officially until 9/19 but it looks like Verizon just bumped up my upgrade to 9/7). But I keep reading things saying that I can't do this, that I'm going to get forced into a new plan.

Is this true, or can I indeed keep my $60 2GB/Unlimited Talk/Text Single Line Loyalty plan exactly as-is, and just tack on the device payment amount?

Since your old a Loyalty Plan I would stick to the 2 year pricing on your plan. Yes you can do Device payment on your plan and I think you may even get 10.00 off every month for 24 months for using device payments but I would call 611 and ask CS.

 

[C DM]

Since your old a Loyalty Plan I would stick to the 2 year pricing on your plan. Yes you can do Device payment on your plan and I think you may even get 10.00 off every month for 24 months for using device payments but I would call 611 and ask CS.

Don't think discounts will apply to the older plans. The best thing on those plans is to go with contracts, otherwise you are paying basically double for a device.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I've always bought my phones through 2 year subsidized contracts, always getting a phone for $299.

I'm on Verizon, so I can still do this. I'm on a launch day 6, and after September 19th, I can get a new 64GB SE on contract for just $50, or presumably a 128GB 7 for whatever subsidized pricing is offered ($299 unless Apple raises prices, so maybe $350ish?).

Contracts really suck, nobody disputes that. Paying cash to own the phone outright is great, and all the installment plans probably fall somewhere in the middle. But there's one difference between the contract and all other methods - the contract is by far the de facto cheapest option, is it not? Assuming another year of $299, the phone is basically free or close to it after selling/trading your current out of contract subsidized phone (a 6 in this case). Can even profit depending on selling method.

To be honest I don't really want to sign another contract, but is it not true that this is indeed the cheapest way - should those of us who still have the contract option be considered "lucky"? Would you sign a contract if you still had the option?

I did the math and buying a launch day phone off contract works out about the same.
But I always have as

1. I like paying just £16 a month for the latest iPhone.
2. I like to upgrade when I want to (usually launch day)
3. An unlocked phone commands a better resale value.
4. If I was to lose my job, it's not like I have a lot of outgoings to worry about.

 

[Mindbender14]

So I want to revisit this a bit - I think I want to buy a new phone with the Verizon Device Payment plan because I really don't want to sign another contract...but I think I really want to keep my current loyalty plan (looking around it still doesn't really look like there's anything better even after factoring in monthly access discount if I move to a new plan).

Basically I'm really happy with my plan, and what I pay.

I assumed I could of course keep my plan as-is and just buy a new device with the Device Payment plan, now that I'm out of contract (not officially until 9/19 but it looks like Verizon just bumped up my upgrade to 9/7). But I keep reading things saying that I can't do this, that I'm going to get forced into a new plan.

Is this true, or can I indeed keep my $60 2GB/Unlimited Talk/Text Single Line Loyalty plan exactly as-is, and just tack on the device payment amount?

Verizon has a comparable small plan (2gb) for $55 a month with a device payment.

You don't really save in this case though (that's my problem) because you have a device payment tacked on additionally. If getting off a contract is important this is the only way it'd be close to worth it that I can see. Unless an incentive gets released soon. I didn't realize how great this subsidized plan was until I started researching the "new better plans."

 

[puma1552]

Verizon has a comparable small plan (2gb) for $55 a month with a device payment.

You don't really save in this case though (that's my problem) because you have a device payment tacked on additionally. If getting off a contract is important this is the only way it'd be close to worth it that I can see. Unless an incentive gets released soon. I didn't realize how great this subsidized plan was until I started researching the "new better plans."

I think we are looking at the same one, the $35/month plan + $20/month access? Then on top of that you'd have the device payment but no further reduction in the line access, I think but not sure.

So we'd be looking at $55 instead of $60 (once the device is paid off), so I guess it's a little cheaper, if I understand the plan right. I think last night I was thinking it ended up being the same because I may have mistakenly been thinking it was a $40 line access and then a $15 line access credit for device payment, which would put it back at $60, but I was probably mistaken.

I still like the simplicity of the loyalty plan though.

 

[Peter K.]

Since your old a Loyalty Plan I would stick to the 2 year pricing on your plan. Yes you can do Device payment on your plan and I think you may even get 10.00 off every month for 24 months for using device payments but I would call 611 and ask CS.

I agree, as far as I know, as I am not a Verizon customer. Maybe your Loyalty plan is so good that the "hidden" device payment is nearly insignificant.

 

[selmy]

I'm in the same boat, $60 for 2GB on the VZW legacy plan. I figure it's still $13.75 cheaper than the new $55 plan when counting in the subsidy (649 base purchase price - 199 down = 450 / 24 months = 18.75 per month). I don't mind the contract, and I always get a new device when contract is up so as to avoid paying the "subsidy" unnecessarily. Is this the cheapest plan for me, or have I missed something?

 

[puma1552]

Just coming in to update - picked up a 64 gig SE a couple hours ago after work - was able to keep the same plan, device payment is $18.7X with the lower $449 price as of today.

I did opt to keep my loyalty plan for now, which was not a problem - however tomorrow my wife and I are going back to get her the same deal (she's also on the same single line plan as me so she needs to do the upgrade herself being the primary account holder) and then once that's done I'm going to look a tad more at the plans and then probably switch to the $55 plan for both of us online. With the cheaper phone and the cheaper plan, the device payment effectively went from like $21 to $13, so not too bad at all.

 

[Bigserver1]

For me it's a better deal to be on the no contract plan from Verizon and then use the apple
Upgrade program. I'm saving about $45 a month off my old plan, and not paying $399 every two years plus $129 for apple care. The numbers are close, but i come out a little bit ahead here and get the new iPhone every year versus every two. The only drag is the hard inquiry every year but I can live with that.

 

[KUguardgrl13]

So I want to revisit this a bit - I think I want to buy a new phone with the Verizon Device Payment plan because I really don't want to sign another contract...but I think I really want to keep my current loyalty plan (looking around it still doesn't really look like there's anything better even after factoring in monthly access discount if I move to a new plan).

Basically I'm really happy with my plan, and what I pay.

I assumed I could of course keep my plan as-is and just buy a new device with the Device Payment plan, now that I'm out of contract (not officially until 9/19 but it looks like Verizon just bumped up my upgrade to 9/7). But I keep reading things saying that I can't do this, that I'm going to get forced into a new plan.

Is this true, or can I indeed keep my $60 2GB/Unlimited Talk/Text Single Line Loyalty plan exactly as-is, and just tack on the device payment amount?

Unless it's different for the loyalty plan, I don't believe VZW is forcing subscribers to change their plans in order to buy phones with device payments. My dad got an iPhone SE not too long ago with device payments, and we still have our same More Everything 6GB plan. Though why they didn't sell him on one of the new plans I don't know. This is what we have right now:

More Everything 6GB $70
iPhone SE $15+$20.83
iPhone 5s $53.08 (on contract til 3/17)
iPhone 5 $40*
iPhone 4S $40*
iPad 4th Gen $10
Plus a 16% employer discount
*Off-contract, still paying full price

What we could have:
"Large" Data Plan 8GB+2GB/line $70
iPhone SE $20+DP (whatever it was before the 7 was announced)
iPhone 5s $40?
iPhone 5 $20
iPhone 4S $20
iPad 4th Gen $10

Suffice to say that if I were the account holder we would have switched plans already. But I also wouldn't still have an iPhone 5 in 2016