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I was grandfathered in on unlimited data

I understand I could buy a phone from Verizon for their unsubsidized price and keep my single user unlimited data plan.

But what about BYOD?

Can I buy/get a phone off eBay or wherever and activate it on Verizon?

Does it have to be a Verizon branded phone?

Specifically could I do this with my Sprint Galaxy S3?

if you buy them off ebay make sure they are for verizon and they work
 
Specifically requested the IMEI prior to paying and call up Verizon and check that it is clear.
 
that post is reasonable shadowspawn, but the method is different from what i have done:
start a new line with whatever phone you want, transfer phone to unlimited data, tell vzw to put a dummy line on the new line, all you pay is $10 extra a month. it's what i have done, and will do in august.
That's what most Verizon dealers here do honestly. Corporate doesn't want us doing that though since it's a very gray area and we need to avoid gray areas due to the huge amount of fraud we got hit with last year. What I usually convince people to do is to add a person to their account, whether it be a basic or smartphone, and alternate upgrade using the new line to keep the unlimited. It looks a lot better on paper and it helps someone else they are friendly with save money.

@tambourine: Yes. Doing a simple ESN change will not have any effect on your plan whatsoever. Yes it does have to have a Verizon ESN. Yes you can buy one from ebay so long as the ESN is clean. No you cannot use your Sprint GS3 on Verizon unless you flash it over.
 
I guess I'm in the minority here as far as just paying full retail from now on. I have 4 lines, $9.99/month per line for unlimited data. The 2 kids can buy their own phones; that leaves just me & the Darling Bride, getting a new phone in alternating years. Anything else I do will cost me more money per month :)
 
No, you wouldn't keep unlimited if you update the line with the unlimited on it, but you also would not be switched to the share everything plan. You would get moved to a single tiered data plan.

What is a "single tiered data plan?" I've been looking on Verizon and came up empty, though I didn't go forward and click where it asks me to change existing plan.

From Googling it seems it might be to
- keep your existing voice plan (like 450 minutes for $40), and
- trade in your unlimited data plan for a 2GB (or whatever tier you select) data plan.
 
What is a "single tiered data plan?" I've been looking on Verizon and came up empty, though I didn't go forward and click where it asks me to change existing plan.

From Googling it seems it might be to
- keep your existing voice plan (like 450 minutes for $40), and
- trade in your unlimited data plan for a 2GB (or whatever tier you select) data plan.

That is correct. You would get your own tiered plan as opposed to a shared data plan that you share the data across all the lines. Only you would count towards that individual tier.
 
sorry to bring back this thread from the dead, but I have a twist on the question...

If I use one of the lines for a dumb phone on my account to upgrade, can the upgrade on my line be used by that person without affecting my line's unlimited plan, if that phone decides to get a smartphone?

thanks!
 
sorry to bring back this thread from the dead, but I have a twist on the question...

If I use one of the lines for a dumb phone on my account to upgrade, can the upgrade on my line be used by that person without affecting my line's unlimited plan, if that phone decides to get a smartphone?

thanks!

No, as soon as you upgrade on the line that has the unlimited, they take it away.
 
Yeah, we folks who are on unlimited data at Verizon have one option for new phones, and that is to pay full retail price for them. I started a new phone savings account shortly after getting my Nexus, and have enough for a phone... just waiting for the right one to come out.

Other than change providers or lose unlimited, that's the only option :o
 
Yeah, we folks who are on unlimited data at Verizon have one option for new phones, and that is to pay full retail price for them. I started a new phone savings account shortly after getting my Nexus, and have enough for a phone... just waiting for the right one to come out.

Other than change providers or lose unlimited, that's the only option :o

wait, so does the using a dumb phone line to upgrade phones and switching to keep the unlimited plan no longer work?
 
wait, so does the using a dumb phone line to upgrade phones and switching to keep the unlimited plan no longer work?

It should still work, I haven't heard anything to the contrary. Although don't be surprised if you meet resistance trying to do so. It is their agenda to get everyone off of an unlimited plan after all. Though most people tend to be successful on their first try.
 
It is my understanding that any line that gets a smartphone has to have a data plan, and they would put that line on a shared plan. If you can convince them, though, to let you put a smartphone on the dumb-phone line and then swap the device out to the smartphone line without their throwing you into shared data, good on ya :)

Good luck and let us know how it works for you!
 
I have a single line on unlimited. Is it possible to add another line to my account without switching the unlimited line to one of the new plans? I thought I tried this and I wasn't able to.
 
A lot of good information in here.

Including my line, there are 3 smartphone lines and one dumbphone on my plan. My line is the only one to still have unlimited data (I definitely need it). It sounds like I should be able to upgrade one of the other smartphone lines and then just transfer it to my number and I'd get a new, subsidized, phone and keep my unlimited data...correct?

Does it matter who's line is eligible for the upgrade? In the past we'd use each other's upgrade depending on who needed a new phone at any particular time and Verizon didn't care....will they care now that unlimited data is involved?
 
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