Upgrade your device & maintain UDP using Best Buy

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lodingi

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Aug 24, 2003
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Like the title states, you can upgrade your phone and maintain your unlimited data. You have to order your device online from Best Buy. Not sure if this works with other online retailers.

Go on to BB's site and start the upgrade process. After you verify your eligibility, you shop for a phone & choose your new device. The next step is very important. When you get to the "Choose Your Plan" page, make sure you choose to "Keep Your Existing Data Plan". As an added precaution, I took screenshots of every step in case I need to fight with Verizon later. Continue on and once the order is complete, checkout.

Now when you receive your new device, there are a couple important steps to follow. First, DO NOT POWER ON YOUR DEVICE! The new phone will have a preinstalled sim card. If you power on your new device before removing the sim, you will lose your unlimited data. Verizon programs the sim to force you into a tiered plan.

The next step is to remove the preinstalled sim card from the new device. You will then take the sim card from the phone you are upgrading, and insert it into the new device. You may have to trim your current sim card to fit the new phone. I had to cut my micro sim down to a nano sim. I purchased a sim cutter from Amazon. It was easy & painless.

Once the sim is inserted, you can power on the new phone. Your phone will activate and you will still have unlimited data. It worked for me and many others. You can read this thread for more info. Good luck.
 
Thanks for posting this here too. Like I said in your thread on Androidforums, I'll be trying this out in the next week or two for the M8, I think. I'm going to go ahead and copy/paste my last post from that thread here too to see if I get any answers here as well:

Verizon just slashed the price of the M8 (and S5) to $100 on contract for Mothers Day. Hopefully BB matches or beats them on that here shortly. Not sure how I could get them to price match online, but I'm sure I could get them to price match in-store. But I'm guessing they wouldn't give me the option to "keep my existing data plan" and re-use my current SIM if I picked this up in-store? Do you know if this is possible?
 
I've been really itching to upgrade my phone, but hate to dish out over a grand for 2 phones for the wife and myself. So I went to BB and saw the $199 price on the S5 w/contract extension.

I've put my order in now, will update with results.
 
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DraginDime said:
I've been really itching to upgrade my phone, but hate to dish out over a grand for 2 phones for the wife and myself. So I went to BB and saw the $199 price on the S5 w/contract extension. So I hit the link and saw this posted

DO YOU HAVE AN EXISTING UNLIMITED DATA PLAN?
Here's what you need to know:
With Verizon's new Share Everything plan, unlimited data is no longer available. When you upgrade your device, you will not have unlimited data.
If keeping unlimited data is important to you, you can choose "Replace my device" and pay full retail price for a new device.

Was this message always there? or have they caught on to what's happening?
Just curious cause I really don't want to chance a loss of my unlimited data.

EDIT: Nevermind, read about that message on the android forum you linked in the first post.
Click to expand...

Yeah, if you read the last few recent posts in the other thread he linked to, people say it's ok and to disregard that message. It would be right if you didn't remove the SIM the phone comes with (which is what you're supposed to do) and use your current existing SIM , then that disclaimer would be right.

Domini said:
That's with a subsidized phone?
Click to expand...

Yup. This re-news your contract with unlimited data.
 
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Domini said:
Nice, hopefully they don't figure that loophole out haha
Click to expand...

Yeah, right? Haha.. it seems this exploit has been working since at least December. I'm surprised Verizon hasn't caught onto it yet already.
 
Domini said:
Nice, hopefully they don't figure that loophole out haha
Click to expand...

I'm sure they've seen this spreading across the web and are working their asses off to "fix" this problem to force customers to bow down to their extortion.
 
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I hope by the time this 2 year extension is up there will be some other carriers in my area with better service. Right now it's pretty much Verizon or nothing around here. Should get our new phones sometime next week. Already checked and our sim cards will fit, so I hope all goes well.

Thanks again for the post OP.
 
Potential road block on this now; it appears that at least in come cases, BB is forcing you to pick the phone up in-store. At least it is for me on the One M8 and a couple others in the linked thread. Not sure if you'll be able to get away with forcing the BB rep to re-use your old/current SIM with unlimited data on it when you get there to pick it up. But even if not, you should be able to get Verizon to re-instate your unlimited data place if you print out the receipt or screen shot where it says you're keeping your current plan (as a couple other have been able to do already).
 
I just got my phones yesterday, and so far everything has been butter smooth. Still showing unlimited data as of this morning. Will have to keep an eye on it for a while longer.

For the ones being asked to do in store pickup, I wonder if they live close to a BB. I'm about an hour away from the closest one and I had no issues getting both of my S5's shipped.
 
DraginDime said:
I just got my phones yesterday, and so far everything has been butter smooth. Still showing unlimited data as of this morning. Will have to keep an eye on it for a while longer.

For the ones being asked to do in store pickup, I wonder if they live close to a BB. I'm about an hour away from the closest one and I had no issues getting both of my S5's shipped.
Click to expand...

I honestly don't think they can force you to pick it up in store. That just seems ridiculous and defeats the whole purpose of ordering online
 
I've been off contract since August but since I'm not moving this summer and tether is the best option for me I'm going to see if I can hold VZW to my unlimited plan for two more years. The LG G2 is $1 right now so that makes it a very easy thing to at least try.

Should get the phone next week and the real fun will begin!
 
I would like to try this to get a great deal on a new phone but I have a Note 3 that I paid cash for to stay out of any new contract with them thus keeping my unlimited data...which I abuse the fuck out of. I feel like there isn't a phone out for Verizon that's better than the Note 3 to make a new 2 year contract worth it (or risk the headaches it could cause).
 
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