Forreal wbgirl?

I am planning on getting the HTC Thunderbolt. I just changed my plan from $30 unlimited to $15 for 150mb.

I am hoping for a tiered 4g plan, because I would rather use the HTC Thunderbolt for wifi.

Changing a feature is not changing a plan. As long as the NE2 eligible line remains on a $34.99 or higher rate plan you are solid. If you were to change it to say a $9.99 secondary share plan then you would lose it and I would laugh at you.

But I am on the Family Share Plan 1400 right now and unlimited data for primary line. A few days ago I changed it to FS Plan 700 with 150 mb. Am I about to lose my data plan and get my $24 unlimited again!?

When you switch to the thunderbolt you'll be required to get a 4G compatible plan. Your current data plan is not compatible with 4G devices.

You'd also burn through that 150MB on the thunderbolt in a DAY with next to no usage.

:-( I know Epik told me. I actually am falling in love with my blackberry now and it's difficult to go over 150mb. Just got it replaced, but had the phone for 2 years. I made it quicker and whatnot.

I'll probably get the HTC Thunderbolt and continue to use my blackberry + $15 data plan for awhile, unless I am happy with the HTC Thunderbolt data plan.

Most likely as soon as you activate the Thunderbolt, you'll lose the ability to get that $15 plan back, even IF you go back to the blackberry right away.

The only real way to avoid losing that plan would be paying full retail for a thunderbolt.

Another real way to avoid losing the plan is to obtain the HTC Thunderbolt and NOT activate it for awhile. Correct? Am I going to have to get it at the store or can I order it online?

If you order it and not activate it you give up your upgrade eligibility. You can't get a different phone and your two years wont start until you activate a device. It's a lose lose situation. Either you accept new phone and plan or you either don't get the device or pay retail for it.

That's untrue.

I've seen it happen on a lot of account. The people order the phone, they don't activate it, and forget about it.

They go to upgrade later, maybe even 2 years later it might go through (it usually doesn't) and then they get the retail cost of that phone on their next bill because they show that they ordered 2 upgrades on the same line and kept one.

Maybe it's a fluke of the system, but I've seen it happen far too often for me to believe that.

This is not conjecture. I have personally done this on my own account and I have walked customers through it. Yes. If he orders the phone and does not either activate it or accept the contract terms he will actually be charged back the difference between full retail price and the price he paid for the phone. However, IF he accepts the contract terms he NEVER has to activate that phone.

Contract terms? I am staying on for 2 years, I didn't think they cared what phone I use, just as long as I stay for 2 more years. The new phone is an incentive to stay for 2 more years, so I thought.

But I get Menno's or your point that the contract will not be active until the phone is activated. I accept that.

Waiiiit. I take back what I said. Sorry. I guess I shouldn't be responding at the gym.

I am siding with Azeron here.

The contract can be safe with the phone not being active, just as long as the person does it online or through tech support.

People who go to the store must activate their phone before leaving.

Correct me if I am wrong.

youaremyhero said:
Correct me if I am wrong.

We've been trying.

whaaat that changes everything. i didnt know that. thank you.

now i have to enjoy my $15 plan while I have it next billing period. I JUST switched to it from unlimited!

I guess no matter what I will be stuck with an htc thunderbolt drats :-). I'm happy I have a 20% discount

you can keep the $15 plan indefinitely, you just need to keep that phone (or another current era blackberry)

That would do it. You would certainly want to purchase it online. Once the phone arrives dial the activation number 8778074646 I believe and choose option 2 to accept the contract terms but not activate the device. Then you will have an HTC Thunderbolt you can walk around with connecting to Wi-Fi networks and the like. Do NOT go to a store. In order to sell the phone to you they have to activate it and even if they change the MEID back to your Berry...the data plan will be gone forever.

Ahh that's what I figured I would have to do. Thank you! Thank you!

Menno mentioned that the 2 years will not start until the phone is activated. I am guessing he forgot that one can accept contract terms at home?

If one receives the device either through online, telesaales or tech support (sometimes I'd be ordered to place such an order for a cranky customer) when the device is received there are instructions to call the number and activate the phone. On occasion customers have been known to just sit the box in a corner for three months and then call in curious why they have a huge charge on their bill. Yes. One must do something. Verizon isn't discounting that phone for nothing. Option 1 or 2 accepts the contract terms. The contract IS after all the reason the phone is discounted.

thats scary

well my plan is to get the phone and activate then switch to a feature phone or blackberry (if there is a tiered plan) or stick with the thunderbolt if the 4g plan is to my liking

Oh wait, disregard my last message. I get what your saying. I didn't notice the last part you said. I was at the gym at the time.

So a person with a 3G phone can keep a $15 plan and not incur fees if the person, orders online, accepts contract terms, and does not activate the 4G phone.

Yes. If you have this Blackberry with this $15 data plan. What you would do is order the Thunderbolt online. The online order will require you to go through the motions of a plan change at that time. However once you receive the Thunderbolt you simply call the number and choose option 2 rather than 1.

But to be able to sell this phone, one must activate it eventually...

Is there any chance one will incur any penalties at all or not be able to ever activate the Thunderbolt?

No. There is no requirement that you activate it once you accept the contract.

They've cut out the loophole you're thinking of. *228 option 1 will recognize that the T&C needs to be accepted for the order before anything can be done with the new ESN, and when the T&C is accepted the order is pushed through, contract change as well as ESN. You would have had to go into the system and extend the contract without doing an ESN change, but how you'd get the phone sold out would now require a manager to discount full retail, and the entire order would be put on the naughty list because the T&C specific to that order was not accepted.

WOAH WOAH epik what the hell.

You told me I could do this!

So I can hold off on activating an HTC Thunderbolt to keep $15 data plan for my BB, but if I ever want to sell it or use the HTC Thunderbolt I would have to activate it and this would in turn extend my contract?

Bingo!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! this was my plan! they can't do this.

Why would you even want a thunderbolt if you aren't even going to activate it?

How is this information relevant?

I never said you could keep your $15 plan with that phone.

Well the $15 data plan isn't the issue here. I understand I can get an upgrade without losing my $15 data plan. You mentioned a loophole. Would I still be able to use a non-activated HTC Thunderbolt, without fear of it getting a dirty ESN OR activating it later on and not have it extending my contract?

Please answer.

1) No, you won't be able to upgrade and keep the $15 plan. The $15 plan will pertain to 3G devices, where the Thunderbolt is a 4G phone. While I can only speculate - again, because no 4G plans have been announced - but Verizon recently realigned their data plan names to specifically state "3G Data plans." Knowing Verizon, I can infer that this means those plans will not apply to 4G devices.

2) I referenced a loophole that another poster (Azeron) mentioned had been closed, not that there was a loophole for you to use.

3) You can use a non-activated Thunderbolt all you want - on WiFi.

4) If you order a Thunderbolt and don't activate it, you'll be charged for the difference between what you paid and full retail. In other words, the...
(continues)

nooooooooo 😢 ive hit a road block.

fine, ill enjoy my $15 plan for this month and then use the HTC Thunderbolt.

Well I can still upgrade to HTC Thunderbolt (activate it). THEN, switch over to a Simple Feature Phone. So in the end, I will have a non-activated HTC Thunderbolt and a Simple Feature Phone.

I hope there is a Feature Phone with good email like my Blackberry 8830! I am going to miss my blackberry.

Perhaps I will upgrade later, but I am aware that my NE2 can get expired.

Well once I get the HTC Thunderbolt, I will disappear forever. Thanks Epik.

Option 2 only does a PRL update.

Azeron, so who is right... you or epik. I want you to be right.

Sorry bud but Epik is right. I have had clients ask the same thing and have been informed that there is no way to keep the plan with a 4g phone.

🤣

Wow! I've been with them since 2003 and all I get is a two hundred dollar bill every month.

A two-hundred dollar bill?! I didn't even know those existed!

Which president's face is on it?

dubya's

phone's too big. weak.

The only thing that is weak is your limp wrist

Yes, but then you're signing a 2 year contract to get a device that you won't be using. So if something happens to the phone you are using, you'll either need to activate the phone and pay for data (but that device has no warrenty, no insurance). or you'll need to buy another phone at full price or from ebay.

If you're going to activate it just for wifi, pay retail price for it. It's more expensive now, but less so in the long run.

Huh what are you responding to?

I learned my lesson and will NEVER get an extended warranty or insurance again at Verizon Wireless.

If something happens to the current phone I am using, I will get a cheap simple feature phone on eBay or get another blackberry ($50) if my current phone breaks. The deductible with insurance is $50. The phone on ebay is $50!

If something goes wrong with the HTC Thunderbolt, I better have the usual one year warranty that comes with the phone. I don't think I need to activate it. (Can someone correct me if I am wrong?)

Extended warranties/insurance are a rip off. 😈

How do you figure that when if you break the thunderbolt you better have insurence or if you break it you will pay 600-700$ for another one. So insurence is a must for a phone of that value.

It's your pocket if something else happens to the phone...

And I was under the impression that eBay was a buyer beware market for CDMA phones, due to hearing a lot of stores about people not being able to activate phones they bought because they were still attached to an active account or had been flagged as lost/stolen.

I bought my last phone through ebay, no issues.

The key is to make sure it's a highly ranked seller with experience selling phones. I used Gazelle store on there, they also include a 30 day return policy if the phone doesn't work.

No, I will be using the device that I will be getting with a 2-year contract.

I believe that there is usually a one-year manufacture warranty that will be in effect from data of sale OR the MSN date code. One needs not activate the phone.

Why pay retail price when one can receive it for a good discount price + credit. In the long run, one will be protected for one year and save on unnecessary insurance/extended warranty costs, which will allow them to use that money for a new phone. One needs to be careful for 2 years, but extra careful the second year.

typically when you remove the device from the account you lose any warranty it has on it.

If anything, the warranty defaults to the manufacturer. Verizon offers its own exchange program for warranties so the customer doesn't have to send off their phone to the manufacturer.