Upgrade issues with new Iphone 5
skidtech
Enthusiast - Level 2

So I have been a customer for many years and I have seen ups and downs with Verizon's customer service but I think it has become less about the individual customer and more about hard stance of no exceptions, its all about the bottom dollar. I will explain my situation.

Like many I enjoy my Iphone and do look forward to upgrading it to the newest Iphone 5. I have 4 lines currently 2 Iphones and 2 dumb phones that sit in the glove-box of both myself and my wife's vehicles as emergency phones. Let me start by saying that this new Share Everything Plan makes some sense when you have 4 lines like myself from a financial standpoint but changing over and loosing my unlimited on the Iphones......well I want to feel like I am getting a great deal to switch especially since ATT is letting their customers keep theirs when they upgrade. Our Average usage on data is about 6GB month for our 2. Anyhow I wanted to upgrade the two Iphones to the newest Iphone 5 since they are both due for an upgrade, and the other 2 lines are a year out. I have realized that the emergency phones really made little sense since they never ever got used. My parents have 2 lines themselves on dumb phones out of contract so I asked them if they wanted just to take over my two lines that although are still one year under contract they can just simply move the phones on my account and switch their ESN and close their accounts. One problem they are sick of their dumb phones and want to get the new Iphone 5 as well especially since my kids are always wondering why they cant play games or watch movies on theirs. So my questions to Verizon was can I just upgrade my Iphones like I would normally do ( loosing Unlimited)  and upgrade my 2 dumb phones to smartphones (Iphone 5's) and that way its simple reset everyone on the same cycle, if an issue occurs with the phone etc it easy to fix or diagnose if everyone was the same. Now I know some will say a contract is a contract but I can tell you that the old Verizon would have done this in a heartbeat no problem. Verizon's solution bring my parents in have 6 lines of service......yea right. My solution just called ATT they said they would make an exception allow me to have unlimited on their network for our 2 current Iphones and 3gb each on my parents if they come over too. I say that's a pretty good deal. My loss will be is to be stuck with to two dumb phones under contract until September at about 50 bucks a month and less LTE but I never was unimpressed with 3G anyway especially with my friends Iphone on ATT as long as my kids can watch Netflix on the road I am happy with either company from that respect. Yes it sucks but I hope it proves a point in its small way and I am sure I can get Grandma to finally actually use a cellphone as an emergency phone in her GLOVE-BOX LOL and offset some of that 50 bucks..... hey I think Grandpa could use one too. LOL!

Labels (1)
Re: Upgrade issues with new Iphone 5
mdram4x4
Champion - Level 1

you can upgrade the 2 iphones that are eligable

but you will have to wait on the other 2 phones that are under contract.

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Re: Upgrade issues with new Iphone 5
skidtech
Enthusiast - Level 2

Yep that's right Like I said the Old Verizon would have had no problem upgrading two dumb phones to smart phones but now with this share everything plan their profit margin is probably much smaller on dumb phones vs smart phones so now they don't budge.

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Re: Upgrade issues with new Iphone 5
mdram4x4
Champion - Level 1

that and apple may not allow it

apple has tight control over what carriers can and cant do with iphones

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Re: Upgrade issues with new Iphone 5
skidtech
Enthusiast - Level 2

That may be true but the way they have been the last few times I have talked to them I can just about guarantee that I if had even asked them to upgrade the dumb phones to one of their flagship Android phones they probably would have said no also. They just don't see us as individuals anymore. Regarding it maybe being an Apple thing you do have me curious if that really is the case, if you find out anything to back that up I would be interested. Appreciate your input.

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Re: Upgrade issues with new Iphone 5
mdram4x4
Champion - Level 1

read the forums

people have been told whent hey needed an early upgrade "ok, oh wait you want an iphone, we cant"

vzw would give earlyupgrades close to the actual case in the event of a damaged phone.

i do know when i tried 2 years ago to upgrade my wifes dumbphone 3 months early to a droid 2 they wouldnt do it

things have changed ever the years.  heck now there is a $30 upgrade fee and no new every 2

i used to get a $100 new every 2 credit, then it dropped to $50, now its gone

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Re: Upgrade issues with new Iphone 5
skidtech
Enthusiast - Level 2

Yea....Oh well.....the sad part is that I really don't want to go to ATT I am happy where I am at when all goes smoothly, I just think the Big RED has gotten so big they think they are Apple themselves and people won't leave them because they are the best, and from an LTE standpoint maybe they are....I have thought about something someone told me about doing that would allow me to keep my unlimited have two new iphone 5s in the process. This is how you do it.

Change my ESN of the Smartphones on the contracts that have one year left. Upgrade the dumb phones that now show on their site as being out of contract to the new Iphone 5's Verizon will allow you to do this for 30 extra a month for 2 or 3gb data (cant remember)....they don't tell you this but you don't have to give up your old plan for a share everything plan if you do it this way. Then when I get this all worked out switch the ESN's around and there you have 2 Iphone 5's with unlimited and 2 on 2-3gb of data each. This scenario would mean that my parents would use our old Iphones but they may be ok with that, we could swap upgrades next year or something. This same thing would work I suppose on the share everything plan too but you would loose Unlimited but overall maybe cheaper.

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Re: Upgrade issues with new Iphone 5
mdram4x4
Champion - Level 1

it may work, but i dont know if its been tried

problem is that the data is tied to the line.  and unlimted data is techinaclly not a feature that would be on a dumbphone line

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Re: Upgrade issues with new Iphone 5
skidtech
Enthusiast - Level 2

Yea they may know this is a loophole and wont allow it but I did do it when we got the 4s last year just one year after we bought the original 4. but who knows technically I suppose the worst case scenario would be that the original Iphones would still have unlimited and the new ones will have 2-3gb each and stay that way. they had it setup on the website to give your upgrade to another line

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Re: Upgrade issues with new Iphone 5
skidtech
Enthusiast - Level 2

I should add that we are officially allowed to upgrade Oct 8th so maybe when that time comes my account will show the same info again about giving your upgrade to another line.

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