how can I get my own plan when I am an account member and the account owner is dead?

[endubueze00]

I am an account member of a plan and I am now paying a bill for two phones a 4gb plan. I want to get my own plan and become account owner so I can pay for only my phone. But I can't because I need permission from the account owner. The account owner is in the hospital. The hospital as in it will be months they will be unable to use their phone. period. No one seems to understand that and it seems that even if the person is dead, the verizon people seem to only want permission. HOW? I will be stuck in this plan indefinitely. That doesn't make any sense. There has got to be an alternative. I can't rely on email request from the account owner because it won't happen. I went to the store and explain my situation and they weren't helpful. Is there a bloody solution? I don't want to risk getting my service cancelled because no one wants to help me with a solution. They keep asking for permission.

Let me repeat. I cannot get permission from the account owner. They are in the hospital. IN the hospital. Hell. The person could be dead. What happens to account members that want to change to their own plan? That will never happen. Do I have to get another phone and spend $400+ just to get a simple $35/mo plan when I already have  a phone! It doesn't make any sense.

[Ann154]

If the account owner was actually deceased, you would be able to present Verizon Wireless with the death certificate to authorize the transfer of billing responsibility from the deceased owner to you.

Is the account owner completely incapacitated that they couldn't give their permission to transfer the billing responsibility to your name? This could be the best for you and the account owner while the account owner is ill.

[Weth]

You need to consult with an attorney to get a power of attorney while the person is incapacitated. 

[pherson]

Also the title of the post is heavily misleading. The account holder is not dead.

[endubueze00]

how could this be the best option? I could be paying $100+ a month. Eventually I will be unable to pay that much. So I need to find a way to get the verizon people to get me my own plan. And yes the account owner is completely incapacitated. What should I do? Give them proof that I am not making this up? I know the person's social security but that is it.

[rcschnoor]

The account owner is the one financially and legally responsible for the line. As Weth stated, get power of attorney for the account or have the person responsible for making decisions for the account owner's affairs do so and then have them perform an assumption of liability for the line into your name.

endubueze00 wrote:

how could this be the best option? I could be paying $100+ a month. Eventually I will be unable to pay that much. So I need to find a way to get the verizon people to get me my own plan.

Having the Verizon people get you your own plan is not the problem. They will do that without anything from the account owner. That is not what you want, though. You want to take ownership from the account owner for a specific line. For THAT, Verizon has to have the approval from the account owner or someone legally able to make those decisions for him/her.

[endubueze00]

I'm trying not to go to the route of hiring an attorney. Even giving the people at the verizon store a doctor's note of the condition of the person won't be enough to get to them see that the account owner can't make the decision. I am related to that person.

[rcschnoor]

endubueze00 wrote:

I'm trying not to go to the route of hiring an attorney.

If you want to transfer the line into your name, that may be what you have to do. Only the account owner(and possibly account managers, but I am unsure of this) has the authority to relinquish ownership of the line OR someone who has power of attorney to make decisions for him/her.

Is there someone else on the account who has been designated account manager? Do you have the userid/password to access the account owner's MyVerizon account? If you have the account owner's userid/password for their MyVerizon account you could designate yourself as an account manager and then try performing an AOL that way. I am unsure if account managers have this authority though.

Who is making medical decisions for the account owner? That person may have power of attorney for the account owner. If so, go to Verizon with them to have your line transferred over.

[endubueze00]

It is only me and the account owner for that account. I am the only person that makes the medical decisions because I am the only family member.

[Weth]

Most companies won't do anything without legal proof that you have power of attorney to make financial decisions for the incapacitated.  It doesn't matter what letters you bring.   The company needs legal backing you actually have legal authority.  Simply being related is not enough.  Besides your statements do not exude love and care you are making decisions in the incapacitated's best interest, starting with calling him or her dead when they are not.  You or someone needs to have power of attorney.  That is the real world.