I share an old 700 minute, unlimited shared text plan with my grandma. It is perfect for me, $80 for 700 minutes plus unlimited shared texts, $9.99 per line, and $30 unlimited data plus taxes. I am the account holder, my grandma is the secondary. She is going through congestive heart failure and I could see her passing by the end of 2012, so where would I be with the plan? Can I just cancel her line and keep my single line for $125 on the family plan? I don't want to call and ask because I don't want the rep to notate any of this on my account, lol.
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Unlimited data: what if a family member with a line on the account dies?
- Thread starter Brettka7
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Something about the way this is worded makes me uncomfortable.
Anyways, they allow you to cancel lines with no penalty if you can provide proof of death.
No, you would have to switch to a single line. Though if you grandmother may pass away soon, what happens to your cell phone plan should be one of the last things on your mind.
To be helpful it would be morally wrong for AT&T to charge a line for a dead person, so if you can prove she died then they would have to.
Then again we are talking about AT&T here.
Then again we are talking about AT&T here.
Actually I disagree, and if you lost anyone close you should too. When someone passes you want to make sure everything else is taken care of...INCLUDING a plan for the cell contract. If you know it is going to happen soon you should be preparing. You'll have enough on your mind at the time to worry about.
Has no one ever heard of getting affairs in order when someone passes? This is the 21st century a cell phone contract fits under that.
Proof of death and you should be set and given a grace period on your family plan.
Proof of death and you should be set and given a grace period on your family plan.
i dunno. maybe i'm just being sensitive because i recently lost my mom and the last thing i was thinking about as she was slipping was her phone bill. i agree you should get this stuff in order but why not just call the cell carrier after the fact instead of bringing it here. sorry about your grandma.
Using "lol" as punctuation when discussing how to fully benefit on wireless plan when your grandmother dies. Winning at life.
The OP is correct in planning ahead. I recently had both of my grandpas pass away a few months ago. Planning ahead is the best thing to do. Once it happens figuring things out is the last thing one wants to do.
I can understand with wanting to plan ahead regarding the logistics if someone were to pass away.. but I can't help but feel awkward talking about it.
I'm sure if you explain to them the situation and provide proof they would waive the fees\contract.
I'm sure if you explain to them the situation and provide proof they would waive the fees\contract.
1 person is legally responsible for the whole account. IF THAT person is still alive, then they are still responsible for paying for THAT line. If the responsible person had a written agreement with deceased that they were responsible for a specified percentage of the bill and the ETF associated with their line, then the responsible could legally have the estate of the deceased pay the ETF.
EDIT: Oh wait. This is about retaining you unlimited. Yes... this is possible... if you are on AT&T. If you are on Verizon... you will be getting Mobile Share.
EDIT: Oh wait. This is about retaining you unlimited. Yes... this is possible... if you are on AT&T. If you are on Verizon... you will be getting Mobile Share.
Kind of went thru something like this. We have a family plan with Father, mother, Sister, my daughter and myself. My father was the master account holder. He passed away so I went in to take his phone off the account. I had to take over as master account number and to take him off, I had to show the death certificate. We were able to keep the lines and the plan (700 minutes/unlimited data) with no problem other than the hour I had to spend on the phone in the At&t store.
On Verizon you will be forced into an individual plan. If you have a family plan, you can drop the extra lines, convert to an individual plan with 450/900 or unlimited minutes and keep unlimited data. I did this with my line two months ago - dropped my line off my family's family plan. Switched it to an unlimited voice line, unlimited texts, and kept unlimited data for $120/mo.
Thank you to everyone who has been helpful.
Everyone else: what the hell?! How is it wrong for me to plan ahead? I am going to make plans for the aftermath, but I am going to also do her grocery shopping every couple of days, get her prescriptions, an do all of her housework to prolong her health as long as possible. Sure, I threw in a "lol," but it wasn't a "haha, funny" type of lol. It was a "I'm-trying-to-make-this-thread-unawkward" type of lol.
Everyone else: what the hell?! How is it wrong for me to plan ahead? I am going to make plans for the aftermath, but I am going to also do her grocery shopping every couple of days, get her prescriptions, an do all of her housework to prolong her health as long as possible. Sure, I threw in a "lol," but it wasn't a "haha, funny" type of lol. It was a "I'm-trying-to-make-this-thread-unawkward" type of lol.
Don't listen to the dumb@sses that commented. Some people think that these kinds of things get handled by magic. Their day will come.
I commend you on taking on these responsibilities for your loved one. Preparing for the bureaucratic snarl that inevitably follows a family member's passing is the proper thing to do. You'll also have to handle things like canceling magazine subscriptions, notifying the DMV if she owns an automobile/tags & other stuff that will come up as time goes on. Certified copies of a death certificate can be requested from the funeral home at the time you make final arrangements.
I had to do all of this myself in 2009, abruptly and with no warning. This is just another way to take care of your Grandma. Courage & comfort to you along your journey.
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Exactly, try to get the easier things sorted out like her car registration, phone, or any subscriptions. When the time comes, you won't be panicking.
A death certificate is sufficient proof for all this.
A death certificate is sufficient proof for all this.
It is always better to plan ahead. Heck, my parents and I have everything planned out in the event of their deaths or my own. Accounts, wills, bills to cancel, etc, all documented.
Agreed. See below.
While planning ahead is a good idea, not calling the company who you will be working with is not a good idea. Out of curiosity, why don't you want your cell company to "notate any of this on my account?"