<p>OMG, this discussion has generated so many permutations that I’m going to have to create an Excel spreadsheet before I head over to my local Verizon store. I really appreciate the detail you’ve provided and it’ll be interesting to see what is available to newbies. Still have nearly one month to go with AT&T.</p>
<p>I was considering switching from Verizon to AT&T (I really want an IPhone!) – but I guess I won’t. My husband’s company has AT&T and absolutely hates it – constant dropped calls and the worst customer service (for a company that pays a $4000 bill a month).</p>
<p>We have been very happy with Verizon – both service and customer service – so it would be stupid to switch just so I can have the IPhone.</p>
<p>We have 3 lines and 1400 minutes for $80/month. I add text to my son’s phone for $15/mo and I have the blackberry (~35/mo). I also have the international value thing for my phone.</p>
<p>It really seems expensive – our bill usually runs about $120/mo (I get a discount through my employer) – but I don’t see anyway to lower it without really changing our usage. I just did some looking at the Verizon website (and it wasn’t easy to negotiate) and it looks like it is even more expensive for the plan we have now.</p>
<p>On a side note – anyone use the roadside assistance through Verizon? At $5/mo, we were thinking of adding it on (our cars are both almost 10 years old).</p>
<p>We tried the GPS thing – couldn’t get it to work on my blackberry.</p>
<p>Ok, I’ve checked out the plans online and see that there are a number of free phones if you activate your plan online (as recommended by kelsmom). Is it simple to do if you need to deactivate another carrier’s plan and want to retain your current phone numbers? Is that possible to do online?</p>
<p>Go to the following webpage & click on “check to see if your number is eligible to switch”:</p>
<p><a href=“http://support.vzw.com/lnp/index.html?lid=//global//plans//keep+number[/url]”>http://support.vzw.com/lnp/index.html?lid=//global//plans//keep+number</a></p>
<p>It’s simple to do, but do not deactivate your phone prior to signing up with verizon (you’re cell number will be lost). Sign up with Verizon and let Verizon pick up your numbers and terminate your old account with ATT.</p>
<p>Depending on your timing in the billing cycle, you may end up paying for double service for part or all of a month. </p>
<p>See mobiledia.com for help in selecting a phone. </p>
<p>Letstalk.com has the best prices for Verizon phone rebates. I can send you a $25 Letstalk discount coupon. PM me if interested. Again, Costco may be a better deal in the end since you could avoid activation fees on multiple line.</p>
<p>Thanks to you both for such good advice. I’ll check out these sites and I’ll be sure to let Verizon terminate my old plan. (I surely wouldn’t have known to do that.)</p>
<p>Tomorrow’s the big day and I’ve decided to go through Costco because I need the hand holding (as opposed to doing the whole thing online). Over the course of the contract, it won’t be as good a deal as having gone through H’s employee discount plan but at least I’ll get the phones on the spot, avoid the activation fees and the paperwork of submitting rebate forms (since it’s done right there at Costco), etc. Final question concerns transferring all our stored phone numbers. Will new phones come with a memory card? If so, do we need to make a written record tonight of all the names and numbers stored on our present cards? Or will Costco Verizon be able to transfer them to our new phones’ cards? (See, this type of question shows why I need the hand holding.) Thanks all.</p>
<p>We had the salesperson at an authorized Verizon store transfer our numbers. He did it for free. I would bet the Costco rep will do it if you ask. They want your continued business.</p>
<p>I should say, though … he wasn’t able to transfer for one of our phones. Some compatibility thing.</p>
<p>My family has a family share plan through Verizon. It’s $200/month for 5 phones, 2100 shared minutes, unlimited txt/pix messages, free nights/weekends, free long distance, phone insurance (lots of water damage and broken phones due to irresponsible kids in this family!). Works well for us!</p>
<p>One place we got hit with extra charges was calls to 411. Around here, it’s $1.25 for each call to information. Instead of calling 411, we now text google. Texting google gives you all the same information, you don’t have to write it down, and it’s free (well, it’s whatever the cost of a text message is).</p>
<p>Just text the name of the place (or traffic, weather, shopping, etc) and its city or zip code to GOOGL, which is 466-45!</p>
<p><a href=“https://backupassistant.vzw.com/mb/do/start;jsessionid=2E86AE0BD056872FEB74AB9BC1A52B2C?skininfo=110&lpage=overview[/url]”>https://backupassistant.vzw.com/mb/do/start;jsessionid=2E86AE0BD056872FEB74AB9BC1A52B2C?skininfo=110&lpage=overview</a></p>
<p>this says it costs $2, but they actually waive the fee</p>
<p>oh sory I thought you were changing plans w/verizon.No, the phones wont come with a storage card.</p>
<p>RE your SIM card question:</p>
<p>Verizon’s network does not use sim cards and never plans to. If you ask a Verizon person about this, he or she will probably tell you that SIM cards are unnecessary and bog down the network, causing calls to be dropped or lost. Verizon doesn’t want this to happen to their network, so they don’t offer the cards. I don’t know whether or not to believe this claim, but I know so little about cell phone networks to dispute it.</p>
<p>You don’t have to write down your numbers because your old phone with its SIM card will still work (it won’t be activated, but you can still turn it on to access stored numbers). You can ask Verizon to transfer numbers for you, and they definitely can do it, but sometimes will try to charge you $10 for it. If you politely whine about it, they’ll waive that fee no problem, as they have for me more times than I can count. </p>
<p>Most new Verizon phones have the option of adding a memory card to them, but this is not the same as the SIM card and is really just useful if you plan on storing lots of movies, pictures, data, etc. </p>
<p>Verizon also offers a service for backing your contacts up online. It’s something like…$2/month, but it’s easy to get that monthly fee waived by asking your sales rep (you can even find out how to waive it on Verizon’s website!). It backs your numbers up to your online account so they can sync your numbers easier if you upgrade Verizon phones. This is nice too because if you lose your phone or break it, you can get all your contacts back. It updates itself once a week or so, and I believe it’s called Backup Assistant. I have it but my siblings and parents don’t.</p>
<p>AAAUUUGH! Why can’t anything just be simple? DH even bought me a Staples Easy Button for the holidays but I’m not feeling its impact on my life. Sigh. Thanks for tipping me off to the fact that I just have to ask to have fees waived. Perhaps a little OT, but years ago I heard the travel minute guy (Greenberg, I think?) say something that I find to be very profound. “Never accept no for an answer from someone who doesn’t have the authority to say yes.” It’s such a simple concept but it has truly revolutionized my life.</p>