Secret Verizon Discount!

[playtah]

Fellow Mustachians,

Not too long ago I shared my info for a case study.  One of the biggest suggestions I was given was to lower my $120 per month cell phone bill. Since Verizon is the only reliable network in my somewhat rural area, I was advised to switch to PagePlus so I could reduce my bill to $55 per month. I had 3 main hang-ups about switching:

1.   The ETF.  Although I would eventually recoup it in savings, it still sucks, as I had just switched to Verizon last fall.
2.   Network features  - Verizon has more coverage that wouldn’t charge me for roaming, and their mobile app is convenient.
3.   I LOVE MY IPHONE.  Officially, PagePlus doesn’t support iPhones, though there are ways to get around it, but not without risk.

Imagine my joy, then, when I Googled for secret Verizon discounts and found out that there is “secret” plan (called the Loyalty plan) where you can get unlimited talk/text and 2Gb of data for $60 per month.  You read that right.  $60 per month. 

I did a live chat with a representative yesterday and told him I might have to cancel because of finances, but that I COULD afford the $60 plan. He was very nice, and next billing cycle I will begin my much-more-Mustachian $60 per month cell plan!  Now I can roll that extra savings into my student loan.

There are a few things to know about this plan:
1.   You will have to renew your contract with Verizon for a year (which I was happy to do at that price)
2.   You will not have the capability to turn your phone into a mobile hotspot (which I never did anyway)
3.   You may call or text with a rep that either doesn’t know about this Loyalty plan or doesn’t want to give you it for whatever reason.  BE PERSISTENT! Call/chat until you get a rep that will work with you.

I don’t know how this works if you have a family plan (since I’m single and it’s just my and 1 phone), but it’s worth a try!

[Daley]

I will be adding this to the Superguide when I have the opportunity.

Thank you.

[playtah]

No problem! Thank you and the other Mustachians for the advice!

[Fireman]

I've been on board with Ting for about 3 weeks now and so far it's all systems go.  However, I would have definitely considered this in lieu of switching from big red.

[ichangedmyname]

yeah any agent can give you that discount but they have to be given the go by someone from loyalty. chances are when you call to get that plan and you know what you want they'll give it to you easily.

[Random Hangers]

Because my grandmother is also on our plan, this secret deal wouldn't work for us (even with a basic phone, they wanted to charge her $40 just to access the line! No, thank you).

On the plus side, the agent I was chatting with knew of the loyalty plan immediately, so that was great. And when I told my friend on AT&T about it, she called and asked if they had any secret/new deals and they gave her a similar, albeit slightly less cool plan: unlimited talk/text plus 300mb data for $60/month. If that helps anyone out there, enjoy!

[Daley]

On the plus side, the agent I was chatting with knew of the loyalty plan immediately, so that was great. And when I told my friend on AT&T about it, she called and asked if they had any secret/new deals and they gave her a similar, albeit slightly less cool plan: unlimited talk/text plus 300mb data for $60/month. If that helps anyone out there, enjoy!

Whether she's still under contract or not, AT&T is still ripping her off:

http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/data-plans.html

[Random Hangers]

She's under contract under April, when she was planning on switching to StraightTalk. Thanks for the link to Mobile Share; is that something she could sign up for even while under contract? I'd like to assume AT&T is still AT&T, but who knows?

[Daley]

She's under contract under April, when she was planning on switching to StraightTalk. Thanks for the link to Mobile Share; is that something she could sign up for even while under contract? I'd like to assume AT&T is still AT&T, but who knows?

Don't bother with Straight Talk, there's better for the money if you just exercise a little data discipline and don't get suckered into the "unlimited" trap, like Airvoice Wireless. Send her over to the Superguide here, linked in my sigline.

Odds are, if 300MB of data is plenty for her, the $30 Airvoice monthly plan would be overkill. Since she's out in three months and knowing the contract breaking costs, just have her stay put on the current plan she has. It's better than nothing, and it might not be to her advantage trying to get in under the new cheaper plan.

[PeachFuzzInVA]

They also gave me this discount a few months ago when I called asking about early termination fees. The guy put me on hold for a minute and came back and told me what they had to offer. It lowered my cell phone bill by $25 a month so I took it and immediately started paying that extra $25 towards my student loan with the highest interest rate. That loan should be paid off by the end of this year now!

[smalllife]

How is the Loyalty Plan any different than their pre-paid option?

$60 unlimited talk/text 2G data
$70 unlimited talk/text 4G data

[Random Hangers]

I believe it's for people who are still under contract.

If it helps anyone, there's also a $50 unlimited talk/text with 1G data on Verizon's pre-paid site at the moment. It says limited time offer, but might be worth looking into for some.

[ace1224]

ummm awesome. 

[ichangedmyname]

Just remember that prepaid use less towers than post paid. Meaning you will not get the same coverage depending on your area.

[PeachFuzzInVA]

Just an update, finally got my fiance` to call and ask for the discount tonight. She did and brought her bill down by $40 a month. Also, if anyone is eligible, this plan still qualifies for employee discounts if your employer is part of their discount program. We have to go by the Verizon store tomorrow with a copy of her paystub, but that will bring her bill down an additional $13 a month to $47 per month!!! She just saved $636 on her cell phone bill for the next year!

[Fireman]

Just remember that prepaid use less towers than post paid. Meaning you will not get the same coverage depending on your area.

And no 4G LTE whatsoever.

[ichangedmyname]

Just remember that prepaid use less towers than post paid. Meaning you will not get the same coverage depending on your area.

And no 4G LTE whatsoever.

True dat.

[Random Hangers]

Just an update, finally got my fiance` to call and ask for the discount tonight. She did and brought her bill down by $40 a month. Also, if anyone is eligible, this plan still qualifies for employee discounts if your employer is part of their discount program.

That's weird. When I called, they said it wouldn't be eligible for any additional discounts. Must depend on who your rep is.

[PeachFuzzInVA]

Just an update, finally got my fiance` to call and ask for the discount tonight. She did and brought her bill down by $40 a month. Also, if anyone is eligible, this plan still qualifies for employee discounts if your employer is part of their discount program.

That's weird. When I called, they said it wouldn't be eligible for any additional discounts. Must depend on who your rep is.

I will update after our trip in to the store today, but the rep on the phone last night said she was still eligible.

[Scooter H]

I just called and asked for the single line plan and it reduced my bill by 25-30 bucks. The rep said I would keep my same plan but at a cheaper rate!! Thanks for the post.

[PeachFuzzInVA]

Just got back from Verizon and yes, you can combine the loyalty discount with employee discount. Her cell phone bill is now $47/month.

[Random Hangers]

Hooray! I must've just gotten an ill-informed rep. That may be enough to convince me to renew my contract for long enough to get this deal. Gotta love these forums. Thanks!

[SAHD]

I have my home phone $55 bundled into my cable/internet bill.  total 189.  I know face punch!! I am going to downsize my tv and would like to drop the home phone.  I am not a cell phone junkie, I use Tracphone now which is a pre-pay plan and I only use a few minutes a month.  But if I were use it as my home phone obviously the minutes would go up.  I see you talk about data plans, how much data would I use if I was just to use it as a home phone, no internet searches or GPS usage,   Does "data" differ from phone use.  I would talk on my home phone about 5 hours a month.

Sorry for my ignorance, I just am not into cell phones

[Daley]

Sorry for my ignorance, I just am not into cell phones

Hit up the new and improved Communications Guide, that should not only help you better understand everything, but also help provide you with a solution to your situation and get you sorted accordingly.

[3okirb]

I know this is an old topic, but wanted to add that as of now, Verizon has a prepaid option (you have to have your own phone) that is unlimited talk/text and 500mb of data.  If you set up autopay, they double your data to 1gb.  If you run out, it's $5 to add 500mb for the month, or you can add $10 for 1gb that will last as overage for 3 months or $20 for 3gb that will last 3 months.

(Full 4g and coverage just like postpaid accounts)

[Juslookin]

Here's another thing I found when I called Verizon and threatened to leave. If you have more than one line on your plan and any of the lines have expired contracts and have gone month to month they will reduce your bill for that line by $15.00.

I don't know what it's called, rep couldn't give me name, but told me when DH contract expires this month I could call back and have his line reduced as well. Savings of $30.00, plus I made them give me a better deal on the plan as a whole. I saved almost $75.00 on four lines. Outrageous.

[Can't Wait]

I know this is an old topic, but wanted to add that as of now, Verizon has a prepaid option (you have to have your own phone) that is unlimited talk/text and 500mb of data.  If you set up autopay, they double your data to 1gb.  If you run out, it's $5 to add 500mb for the month, or you can add $10 for 1gb that will last as overage for 3 months or $20 for 3gb that will last 3 months.

(Full 4g and coverage just like postpaid accounts)

Do the Verizon prepaid lines charge $10-15 in various taxes and surcharges like the postpaid lines do?

[Indexer]

I must be lost.  I thought this was the MMM forums.  : )

$60/month for Verizon isn't something to brag about IMO.  Thats about what I was paying them when I left, and that high price is why I left.

If you want a cheap Verizon plan that doesn't let you use 4G... we have that.  Its called Republic Wireless, and for unlimited minutes/texts/data its $25/month.  Verizon offers more phone options than RW kind of like how a brand new BMW has more features than a 2004 Focus. 

[3okirb]

I know this is an old topic, but wanted to add that as of now, Verizon has a prepaid option (you have to have your own phone) that is unlimited talk/text and 500mb of data.  If you set up autopay, they double your data to 1gb.  If you run out, it's $5 to add 500mb for the month, or you can add $10 for 1gb that will last as overage for 3 months or $20 for 3gb that will last 3 months.

(Full 4g and coverage just like postpaid accounts)

Do the Verizon prepaid lines charge $10-15 in various taxes and surcharges like the postpaid lines do?

The only thing you get charged is your sales tax.  For me, that makes it $48/month.  Not fees, surcharges, etc., and you don't have to worry about surprise bills if you go over on data because it'll just cut you off unless you pay for more.

[3okirb]

I must be lost.  I thought this was the MMM forums.  : )

$60/month for Verizon isn't something to brag about IMO.  Thats about what I was paying them when I left, and that high price is why I left.

If you want a cheap Verizon plan that doesn't let you use 4G... we have that.  Its called Republic Wireless, and for unlimited minutes/texts/data its $25/month.  Verizon offers more phone options than RW kind of like how a brand new BMW has more features than a 2004 Focus.

You were reading the old part of the thread.  I added that it's only $45 for me on the prepaid side and that includes 4G (which I need for work)  It ends up being cheaper than Republic Wireless in my area for 4G because the surcharges, etc., are included in the $45 instead of added on later, and I don't have to worry about poor wifi quality in some places.  Also, in my area, it's on the Sprint network which frankly has pretty spotty coverage (lots of mountains and not enough towers)

[alleykat]

I called today and was able to get the unlimited talk and text and 1GB for 50 bucks. I did have to extend a yr.  Brought me down by 21 bucks per month. I am ok with that for now.

[JetBlast]

We have the out of contract discount too.  DW has her fancy pants new iPhone 6, I've got my almost 3 year old iPhone 4S. Two phones, unlimited talk and text, 4GB of data for $110 a month. Still a lot, but it's one area DW doesn't want to cut back on so I let it go. I find other ways to save, and at least it's cheaper than the $140 we were paying a couple years ago.

[burly]

Just remember that prepaid use less towers than post paid. Meaning you will not get the same coverage depending on your area.

And no 4G LTE whatsoever.

True dat.

Sources?  My wife has a verizon prepaid Moto X (no republic service where she works) and we do the 49.99/mo unlimited talk text with 500mb data... When you do auto renew, they give you another 500mb of data... It seems like 4g speed to me?