The Facts about VZW's Share Everything Plans

[Wizard Prang]

The CSR did say, though, that the SIM card would ship inside the phone box but not inserted into the phone.

Is this significant?

 

[Cares]

Looks like the only option for new customers is Share Everything now. You can still get the regular 450 minute Individual plans with $30 for 2GB when you go through the "shopping" process on verizonwiress.com though.

 

[corners33]

Here's a twist: I find I'm going to be better off going onto the new Share Everything plan, because I want to add a phone for my daughter, and it's actually cheaper given my data usage than having separate (old + new) plans. So far so good.

I go to change my plan. I'm logged into VW, they know who I am and what phone I use (HTC Thunderbolt), and in the midst of the process they list the features I will lose by going to the new plan. One of them is "4G Transport" !?!?!?!

Anybody have any idea what this means? VW's support people are clueless, when they asked what phone I use, they responded "The Thunderbolt is a 4G LTE phone" (duh).

Just weird.

 

[ORRY?]

Will my contract have to be changed going from a 3G device to a 4G LTE device? Or can I still keep my unlimited data plan doing so? (wanting to go from Droid Incredible to Galaxy Nexus).

 

[TzuDohNihm]

Yep, you can swap SIMs all you want, no affect to your unlimited data.

As far as the GSIII, you will still need to activate it on your line. But you don't need to take the phone out to do it. I believe you can do it from this site:

Activate Your Phone

Your IMEI should be on the outside of the box.

Once you have activated it, just re-activate the phone you had before, and you are all set to sell the GSIII as NEW, unopened.

Got the GSIII today. Called the number to activate the SIM card. Turned off my Incredible because it wasn't working but the online activation process seems hung up at "Pending Order" when trying to select the device I want to activate. All the literature says I have to insert the SIM card and turn the phone on but I obviously don't want to do that.

How do I complete this process?

*EDIT* NVM, a super wonderful, really awesome Android enthusiast(HTC specifically) VZW phone CSR helped me out and got my Incredible reactivated.

She told me to keep my SIM card for the Incredible 4G and I asked her about it expiring after midnight and she said they had pushed that back to two weeks. She then double checks and while pulling the information tells me they moved it to two weeks because of International phones(she mainly does lines like that) and switching SIMs was becoming a hassle for people if a new SIM wasn't ordered.

She finally got the information pulled up and was surprised herself to find that SIM cards are now active for 1 year. So keep those SIM cards people!

 

[saptech]

I recently talked to Vzw about switching the wife and my individual plans to the Share plan. If we was to do it, we could save anywhere from $20 to $50, but it turns out that the CSR mention if we do switch, my line would be the main line, the wife would lose her warranty on her phone. We've had these smartphones since Dec. '11.

I don't understand what the warranty on the phone have to do with swiching plans....we'll keep the current phones because we can't upgrade until 2013.

 

[AntimonyER]

That doesn't make any sense to me either. I would suggest getting a second opinion, as I don't see how switching plans should affect your warranty at all.

 

[Acedia]

Thought it might be worth it to post that the Share Everything plans cap out at 20GB for $150 access. After that you're just purchasing another gig for $15.

Also, the 300MB plan is only available for plans that have ONE smartphone, and no more.

I don't understand what the warranty on the phone have to do with swiching plans...

That's because it doesn't, the rep you got was a ****** who didn't know how to use their resources.

 

[AntimonyER]

Thought it might be worth it to post that the Share Everything plans cap out at 20GB for $150 access. After that you're just purchasing another gig for $15.

Also, the 300MB plan is only available for plans that have ONE smartphone, and no more.



That's because it doesn't, the rep you got was a ****** who didn't know how to use their resources.

The training manual listed 30GB for $200... Not saying that hasn't changed though...

Also thanks, I will specify its for single phones for the 300MB plan.

 

[kyler13]

Edit: Nevermind. I can read...no really.

 

[Sharrock03]

Here's my situation:

I have two lines on my account, a smartphone on my primary line, and a dumbphone on another. The dumbphone is due for an upgrade in November. I plan on upgrading to the Galaxy Note 2 with my dumbphone line and swapping it to my main number. However the dumb Verizon lady said that the dumbphone line would still be forced onto share everything. She never mentioned anything about tiered data for the dumbphone. Is this lady full of crap or did Verizon yet again find another way to screw customers?

 

[Wizard Prang]

I have two lines on my account, a smartphone on my primary line, and a dumbphone on another. The dumbphone is due for an upgrade in November. I plan on upgrading to the Galaxy Note 2 with my dumbphone line and swapping it to my main number. However the dumb Verizon lady said that the dumbphone line would still be forced onto share everything. She never mentioned anything about tiered data for the dumbphone. Is this lady full of crap or did Verizon yet again find another way to screw customers?

If I read this correctly you are transferring the upgrade from one line (dumbphone) to another (smartphone). You are effectively upgrading the smartphone. This is exactly what I did... right before shared data came into effect back in July.

If your smartphone has unlimited data, you will lose it if you get a discounted phone from Verizon. If it is on tiered data, your plan should not change.

...but I could be wrong...:smokingsomb:

As I see it, this is Verizon's way of going back on their word without actually going back on their word.

 

[Sharrock03]

The smartphone line, which is my primary line, already has unlimited data. That line isn't due for an upgrade. My flip phone on my secondary line is. So I would be upgrading that line, but transferring the new phone to my primary line, and keep the flip phone on the secondary line. What I'm confused about is if they'll force me to go to share everything for the flip phone line or if they'll let me keep the original nationwide plan on it.

 

[Wizard Prang]

The smartphone line, which is my primary line, already has unlimited data. That line isn't due for an upgrade. My flip phone on my secondary line is. So I would be upgrading that line, but transferring the new phone to my primary line, and keep the flip phone on the secondary line. What I'm confused about is if they'll force me to go to share everything for the flip phone line or if they'll let me keep the original nationwide plan on it.

That's precisely what I did back in July, just before the "Share Everything" plans came into force. I don't know whether or not they will change the flip-phone's plan, but you will most likely lose the unlimited data on your smartphone. This is Verizon taking "active measures" to weed out "unlimited freeloaders" like us.

Pardon the self promotion, but here is a blog post that I wrote on the subject back in June.

 

[AntimonyER]

Just wanted to follow up on your thread, you can do what you are describing without issue. Because the upgrade is effectively renewing the dumbphone contract, you aren't affecting the smartphone contract, and therefore won't trigger the loss of unlimited. Now even if Verizon refuses to transfer the upgrade, just upgrade the dumbphone, activate the new phone on that line, then reactivate the dumbphone, and cancel the data plan, then activate the new phone on the smartphone line. Same end result, but gets around a less than knowledgeable CSR that is telling you that transfering upgrades to an unlimited line isn't allowed.

 

[Wizard Prang]

I have done a bit of Googling and it appears that SbER is right.

But this is Verizon we are talking about.

Best of luck! Let us know how it turns out.

 

[la sal]

So my corporate discount is applied to data fees only? Thank you for this thread.

 

[AntimonyER]

Yes, data fees only, unfortunately.

 

[la sal]

I will not be charged for roaming calls or data, correct? A Verizon store rep and customer service said there would be no charge. When I head up North, in Wisconsin for bowhunting, my Razr Maxx goes into roaming. I just started service eight days ago so it does not show up on my internet account yet (or that I can see).

 

[euph_22]

I will not be charged for roaming calls or data, correct? A Verizon store rep and customer service said there would be no charge. When head up North (in Wisconsin) for bowhunting, my Razr Maxx goes into roaming. I just started service eight days ago so it does not show up on my internet account yet (or that I can see).

Correct.

Unless you go out of the country. That costs a lot. But domestic roaming is free.

 

[saptech]

Say if you switch to the SEP with a second person and later on, you and the second party decide to go separate ways, such as a breakup with girlfirend or similar, are you able to go back to the original plan (400 mins etc) or do it switch to the single user SEP? The single user plan seems really expensive compared to the say 400 mins, with 4gb data plan.

Just a thought.

 

[AntimonyER]

I am pretty sure once you switch away from their old plans, you can't return to them.

 

[saptech]

I am pretty sure once you switch away from their old plans, you can't return to them.

You are correct. I just recently switched to the SEP with the wife and even though we'll save between $20-$30 per month, I feel kinda cheated on the data deal.

$60/2gb to share and before I had 4gb/$30 (at the time it was buy 2gb and get 2gb free).

But in the long run I guess we save some money. Once this contract is up, I won't be renewing it.

 

[Randino]

Just want to ask a question as the original info in this thread was back in June. I'm currently on an unlimited 4g plan as part of a family line. Tomorrow I plan on getting the Droid DNA, I know by upgrading I will lose the unlimited, I have accepted that. My question is, will VZW force me into a family share plan or can I just change my line to 2GB for $30 like was stated back in June? Anybody done this recently? If I change to the family share plan my monthly bill will actually go up so I'm looking to avoid that.

 

[bberryhill0]

I've never heard anyone say that the Shared Plans will raise the bill on a Family Plan. It hits single users who don't have access to Wi-Fi. Call Verizon before you buy the phone.