Verizon TP2 and a family share plan?

lovingHDTV · #1 (**permalink**) 09-13-2009, 08:33 AM

Anyone know if you can use the TP2 on a Verizon Family share plan with unlimited data? On the website it looks like only the Email plans allow you to buy the TP2, but I have to have a family plan for the rest of the family.

thanks,

Mikeuptown · #2 (**permalink**) 09-13-2009, 08:58 AM

Have seen this discussed elsewhere. From what I gathered, seems like you have to have at least the $30 data plan with pda phones with the familyshare data plans being limited to the feature phones.

If this interpretation is correct, it looks like a serious disconnect to me as your situation is certainly not unique and I would be in the same boat if my wife wasn't a technophobe.

You might want to look at Sprint's $129 Everything Data Family plan that appears to include both feature phone and smartphone data plus unlimited mobile to mobile and 1500 shared voice minutes.

Ender519 · #3 (**permalink**) 09-13-2009, 09:01 AM

Not sure if this helps but I have a family share plan.. just a basic one for voice and such.. I now have the TP2 and the other lines have regular phones (i.e. enV2 and such). Works fine for me.. they charge the extra services needed for my TP2 to the my number, which is the main account.

sfetaz · #4 (**permalink**) 09-13-2009, 09:04 AM

I also have a family share plan and the TP2 and I get charged the normal pricing for the extra features such as unlimited data, txts, etc. I get a discount on my main line through my job, and the mainline is touch pro 2, so I get a small discount on the other features as well. All apply to the main line of course.

**meatgel** · #5 (**permalink**) 09-13-2009, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikeuptown

Have seen this discussed elsewhere. From what I gathered, seems like you have to have at least the $30 data plan with pda phones with the familyshare data plans being limited to the feature phones.

If this interpretation is correct, it looks like a serious disconnect to me as your situation is certainly not unique and I would be in the same boat if my wife wasn't a technophobe.

You might want to look at Sprint's $129 Everything Data Family plan that appears to include both feature phone and smartphone data plus unlimited mobile to mobile and 1500 shared voice minutes.

I am in no way bashing Verizon, but this is why I went with Sprint 1 year ago. I'm not saying you can't use a smartphone on a family data share plan, but I never could figure it out. I read everything on the website, then talked to the phone reps and went to a store and got different answers from everyone.

Most of my local family has Verizon and I looked at them first because of the free verizon to verizon minutes. It was confusing and made me mad. I have 4 phones -- the Touch Pro 2 and 3 feature phones for husband and 2 kids.

Went with Sprint and I have on all of the phones unlimited data, text, pic mail and 1500 minutes. Now with AnyMobile, Anytime I don't have to worry about who is on what carrier. I carry insurance on my phone, but no other extras and my bill is about $180 a month.

I hope you can get a good answer out of them so you can make a good decision. Luckily I didn't go with Verizon, because my sister-in-law (next door neighbor) did and she has no service in her house. She had to fight for one of their femtocels.

lovingHDTV · #6 (**permalink**) 09-13-2009, 09:15 AM

OK, this all jives with what I've been seeing. I was really surprised that I couldn't get the phone on the family share data plan. I'll drop by the store and see what they say, but if this is the case guess it'll be Sprint for me.

thanks everyone

Mikeuptown · #7 (**permalink**) 09-13-2009, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meatgel

I am in no way bashing Verizon, but this is why I went with Sprint 1 year ago. I'm not saying you can't use a smartphone on a family data share plan, but I never could figure it out. I read everything on the website, then talked to the phone reps and went to a store and got different answers from everyone.

Good luck getting answers. I had a question I emailed in and never could get a good, straight answer. Without hijacking the thread, here it is so I might get some help here:

I have an old business number from New Orleans where I used to live. Have been paying ATT $20/mo to keep it active and have it forwarded to my main VZW number. Seems like it would be cheaper to add it to my family plan, get a cheap phone for that number and just have it forwarded to the same number I now have it forwarded to.

The email responses from VZW to this question say the the number that is doing the forwarding gets charged airtime from the pool of mobile to mobile minutes and the number that it is forwarded to gets charged airtime from mobile minutes. However, since I have unlimited mobile to mobile VZW minutes, it seems like the forwarding should be free. Never could get them to say that straight up. Just kept quoting the rules to me.

Anyone here have any experience on this?

jslman · #8 (**permalink**) 09-13-2009, 11:36 AM

When I spoke to Verizon customer service Friday about this the answer I received was that you cannot use the Family Share Data/Email plans with a PDA or smartphone. I have a regular family share and have the unlimited data added to the smartphones.

Slack3r · #9 (**permalink**) 09-13-2009, 12:17 PM

I added mine through our family plan as our 5th line... Cost me $10 to add the line, plus $23 (discounted) to add the data plan to the phone, so all in all $33/month. Not bad at all, considering the $70 I was paying per month for AT&T's cheapest plan plus data.

chuckz07 · #10 (**permalink**) 09-13-2009, 01:13 PM

Yes you can! I have a family plan as well and been with BB and WM and now waiting on TP2 to arrive.