Gaber 76, I realize your thread is old, but your question never was resolved. I am reviving it because I've come across your question still arising in posts in various forums on the web.
Your approach--researching the matter to help you in dealing with a VZW CSR--is an excellent one, despite any criticsms above. As every competent technology buyer knows, the web helps us arm ourselves with knowledge so we can be more effective consumers, not only in getting the best deal, but in getting what we want and what meets our actual needs. Those who advise you simply to call customer service follow an approach to buying that, used consistently, never leads to optimal results. Can you imagine an experienced VZW CSR queing in stores or on a toll-free line in hopes of getting solid buying advice from whomever randomly gets their call?
I have had Alltel accounts that were merged into VZW. The visceral response from VZW CSRs, which is what they are trained to give, is that you should "upgrade" to a VZW plan. However, if you find a CSR who is knowledgeable, experienced and frank, you will be told, as have I, "Don't give up those plans!" When a CSR advises me to "upgrade" to a new plan after having looked at my current plans, I courteously end the conversation because that CSR either doesn't know better or is being so driven by other factors, from commissions to whatever, to ignore your interests. We all know that VZW will thrive with or without our individual business, but always wants to take every dollar we will cough up. Of course, right? But I've found a refreshing number of VZW CSRs who, despite training and constant monitoring, still find ways to do their jobs with class.
As long as you don't make a subsidized purchase of a new device on a grandfathered plan, VZW's policy is to continue to honor your Alltel grandfathered plan. That's makes the newest devices less attractive because, when they are available at full retail, they often are simply too costly. I have dealt with this problem in the past by upgrading a companion line and swapping equipment. This works great if your companion user is not interested in the latest and greatest, but instead is grateful to acquire the immediate past generation of phones for nothing out of pocket while you enjoy the subsidy. This works.
I also have used other equipment available at "full retail" in unusual and uncommon but not rare situations. For example, earlier in 2012, Microsoft Stores had a promotion in which you could easily obtain a brand new Windows Phone literally for free. Even after the release of Windows Phone 8, the Windows Phone 7.7 devices have maitained a good resale value. Those who took advantage of that offer could get the 7.7 phone in the spring and then sell it in the fall, off-setting the cost of a full-retail phone enough to make the cost similar to that of a new, subsidized phone. This works.
The alternative methods I describe work better with the iPhone than they do with, say, Android phones. Even after a new iPhone is released, the market for the previoius generations remains strong. More people want to buy an old iPhone than other old smartphones, giving you the opportunity to sell your old equipment to offset your higher acquisition cost of a full-retail phone ($200-$300) or to satisfy the user on your companion account. Not everyone "needs" the latest and greatest. Some, like a poster above, will even settle for a "free" BlackBerry. Old BlackBerrys are readily available at drastic discounts, while an iPhone 3 still has value to many users, and rightfully so.
I have read of and used a variety of other methods. In varioius ways, I have kept three grandfathered Alltel plans that are far cheaper than available new plans, not simply because they have unlimited data, but because the charge for unlimited data is much lower than even the basic 2 GB data level offer plans. That reminds me of another CSR statement that should lead to an abrupt, courteous end to your conversation: "If you upgrade to 4G LTE you have to upgrade to a new data plan..." Call back until you find someone better.
Perhaps you were able to find a solution that worked for you. If so, sharing it will help others. If not, sharing that too will help others. Good luck!
