Family plan only gives you one new phone every 2 years

[admin_mvu]

Did you know that when you sign up for the family plan, they don't give all the members of the family new phones every 2 years, but only to the primary member.

What do they expect the other family members to do? Keep the old phone forever?

[staticoranges]

I had the same problem, my dad's phone was the primary one and when I went to replace mine, I just had my dad complain and tell them that he was never told that and it wasn't in the contract and they gave us all the discount (4 discounted phones)

[admin_mvu]

That's cool. At least they gave you discounts.

[JAnthon88]

This isn't entirely true.

When you purchase a phone with a new 2-year contract, you get it at a promotional price. Verizon takes a LOSS on the phone at that time. Once 22 months has past you are due for an upgrade, which means you can get that promotional price again with a new 2-year contract.

The primary line has an additional perk. They get what's called a New Every Two credit, which is an additional $50-$100 discount on the already discounted promotional price.

Hope that cleared it up for ya.

[admin_mvu]

That's true. Still, if you had two separate plans, you each would get credit for the new phone every 2 years instead of just one user.

[buzzdar]

BUT if you have since its a family share plan you pay just 9.99 a month for that phone and with two seperate line you would be paying more. The phone you are paying more for gets the deeper discount.

[admin_mvu]

But, you are paying additional $10 per month, for 2 years = $240 to share the same minutes on the original plan. It's not like you are using more minutes, it's the same minutes.

[JAnthon88]

You clearly produced this web site to bash Verizon and convince the world that other carriers, specifically GSM, are more viable. You don't share the same minutes as the other plans. Here's a basic run down of plans.

Single Line
450 minutes $39.99
900 minutes $59.99
1350 minutes $79.99

Family Share
700 minutes $69.99
1400 minutes $89.99
2100 minutes $109.99

Please explain to me how you don't save any money there? Unless you have two lines using more than 700 combined, but both less than 450 minutes, it's $10 cheaper monthly to get onto a Family Share Plan. And believe me, that's EXTREMELY rare. I've recommended that change ONCE in a year plus. In most cases, family plans consist of far more than 2 lines. It isn't rare for a family to max out their 5 lines and still be fine on the 700 minute plan. Is that worth a $100 credit? There's ALWAYS buy one get up to 3 free on a cameraphone with bluetooth and VZNavigator. Most poeple don't use more than that anyway. Why waste your money?

So which GSM carrier is it that you're trying to push with your announcements of GSM phones?

[admin_mvu]

Originally Posted by JAnthon88

You clearly produced this web site to bash Verizon and convince the world that other carriers, specifically GSM, are more viable. You don't share the same minutes as the other plans. Here's a basic run down of plans.

Single Line
450 minutes $39.99
900 minutes $59.99
1350 minutes $79.99

Family Share
700 minutes $69.99
1400 minutes $89.99
2100 minutes $109.99

Please explain to me how you don't save any money there? Unless you have two lines using more than 700 combined, but both less than 450 minutes, it's $10 cheaper monthly to get onto a Family Share Plan. And believe me, that's EXTREMELY rare. I've recommended that change ONCE in a year plus. In most cases, family plans consist of far more than 2 lines. It isn't rare for a family to max out their 5 lines and still be fine on the 700 minute plan. Is that worth a $100 credit? There's ALWAYS buy one get up to 3 free on a cameraphone with bluetooth and VZNavigator. Most poeple don't use more than that anyway. Why waste your money?

So which GSM carrier is it that you're trying to push with your announcements of GSM phones?

Why are you so hostile? I started this website to promote Verizon as I am a long time Verizon user and will always be a Verizon user. I only have the section on the rant to let common users like myself to voice our concerns and frustrations for Verizon to become better.

Let's look at the numbers logically.

Even for 2 people to be in family plan, which I have (just myself and wife - no kid), I have to pay $69.99 (or is it $69.99 plus $10 per second user?) for 700 minutes.

If you just do a simple calculation of per minute cost:
$39.99 / 450 minutes = 0.088 / minute
$69.99 / 700 minutes = 0.099 / minute

Which is more expensive?

Granted, we normally don't go over 700 minutes between both of us, so that's why we have the family plan and not get the credit for the 2nd phone, instead of having two separate lines like we did before we got married.

I'm not saying any other GSM carriers have something better (maybe they do, I don't know). I'm not bashing Verizon to move people to other carriers (which if I was, why wouldn't I mention it here, ever?). I'm just ranting hoping that Verizon would even make a good plan even better.

[admin_mvu]

By the way, I only make those GSM phone announcements because either they are made by the same companies that make CDMA phones, and eventually some if not all will make CDMA version.