[TheBulldozer]

I've scoured the internet and found inconclusive answers to some issues with how to go about keeping a US based cell phone number while living abroad. I'm sure one or some of you have been in a similar situation so I'd be interested in finding out what you've done.

Here's the situation:

I have a Verizon family plan contract with over a year of time left on it. In a short time I will be moving out of the country and refuse to pay the contract while I'm away for intermittent use when I come back to the states.

I really don't want to give up my current US based number, and certainly don't want to pay the ridiculous early termination fee from Verizon.

Here's what I've found

I can port my number over to google voice for $20 and then when I return to the states purchase a pay-as-you-go sim card to drop in my phone. I'd then link my pay-as-you-go number to my google voice number, which would be my old phone number.

This seems logical, but I've heard this is more difficult than it should be mostly due to the incompetence of Verizon employees.

I've also seen that when I get my foreign number I will not be able to link it to my Google Voice account.


What I'm Looking For

1. Anyone with experience in getting out of early termination fee for Verizon. What did you do?

2. Anyone who has ported their number on Google Voice. How did it go? Advice?

3. Anyone who has faced a similar predicament in that you want to keep your US number despite moving abroad.

Thanks ahead of time.

[DVY]

I wouldn't port it to GV. I've heard lots of calls and texts often fail to go through.

Maybe look into a prepaid service. Theres a few that offer <10 dollars/month for prepaid service that can easily be upped to 30-40 dollars/month if you want data.

[Parlay44]

Google voice boots you due to inactivity and reclaims your number. Not sure if it's the same if you transfer your own number over.

[TheBulldozer]

@DVY - I've heard the same, but that was a couple years ago. Have you heard this recently? I'm more or less looking to use Google voice as a place to 'store' my number.

@Parlay - Google voice offers a $20 port fee. I doubt they'd drop my # if I paid them.

[DJ-Matt]

Porting the number out will terminate your contract FYI.

[TheBulldozer]

I just had an interesting conversation with Verizon. This will probably be helpful to many who spend time working abroad but want to keep their US based #.

Verizon allows you to suspend the phone if it's lost or stolen. This will suspend the billing cycle immediately. There is no charge to do this.

After 30 or 60 days, the Verizon rep told me to err with 30 days just to be safe, the account will reactivate itself and continue the billing cycle. However, if you call every 29th day to remind them that the phone is still lost/stolen they will continue to leave the account suspended.

By giving someone in the US access to your account they can call every month to ensure the account remains suspended because the phone has been lost/stolen. Whenever you return to the US simply call Verizon up and tell them that you've found the phone and want to continue service. When leaving again, just report the phone stolen.

I found this too good to be true, but the rep assured me repeatedly that this was OK and within their rules. She said at one point, 'can we penalize you for being clumsy and stupid? This is the United States, so of course we can't.'

She added that if you call Verizon and get an agent who gives you shit about doing this, just hang up and call back in a few minutes. Most agents understand and know the trick and don't care how many times you do it.

[heavy]

(07-10-2014 02:16 PM)MaleDefined Wrote:  

I just had an interesting conversation with Verizon. This will probably be helpful to many who spend time working abroad but want to keep their US based #.

Verizon allows you to suspend the phone if it's lost or stolen. This will suspend the billing cycle immediately. There is no charge to do this.

After 30 or 60 days, the Verizon rep told me to err with 30 days just to be safe, the account will reactivate itself and continue the billing cycle. However, if you call every 29th day to remind them that the phone is still lost/stolen they will continue to leave the account suspended.

By giving someone in the US access to your account they can call every month to ensure the account remains suspended because the phone has been lost/stolen. Whenever you return to the US simply call Verizon up and tell them that you've found the phone and want to continue service. When leaving again, just report the phone stolen.

I found this too good to be true, but the rep assured me repeatedly that this was OK and within their rules. She said at one point, 'can we penalize you for being clumsy and stupid? This is the United States, so of course we can't.'

She added that if you call Verizon and get an agent who gives you shit about doing this, just hang up and call back in a few minutes. Most agents understand and know the trick and don't care how many times you do it.

Interesting. Musta been a lawsuit behind this forcing their hand. I'd be curious...does the contract end date extend the # of days you had your account suspended?

[TheBulldozer]

@heavy - Yes it does. The amount of days it's suspended are added on to the tail of the contract.

[DJ-Matt]

Yes and I think there is a "permanent suspend" that can be switched on using their online tools. That will keep the number active and freeze the contract timer. However I remember they only allow it to stay frozen for six months, then you have to start and re-suspend.

EDIT:
http://www.verizonwireless.com/support/f...rvice.html

Quote:

If I suspend my service for the “Other” reason, how long is the suspension period?

When selecting “Other” as your reason for suspending your service, your line will remain suspended for up to 90 days. For each line of your account, you can only suspend your service for up to 180 days in a 365-day period.

If you choose to suspend service without billing, then your billing will automatically resume at the same time that service resumes.

[TheBulldozer]

I was told that they can override the six out of twelve month rule if you call claiming it's lost and NOT to do it online to avoid this.

[Rubio93]

What I do is use Skype in conjuntion with a data plan on an unlocked phone. I have a NYC area number where people can call me anywhere, and wherever I am on earth I just get a prepaid SIM and pay as I go.

I used to be with Cingular and it was dirt cheap to keep it up $100 for 6 months and I could use that money in minutes... but when AT&T bought them it wasn't worth it. Fortunately I had bought the Skype number back in 2006 anyways, so the last 6 months I had my old 917 number up i left a voice message telling people of the new number...

[newgame]

I'm trying to find a cheap way to keep my number as well.

Unfortunately, Google Voice says that porting is not available in my area (a US number).

Currently I have AT&T holding my number for $10 a month, but they will only do it for 6 months at which time I'll lose it if I don't sign up for one of their plans again.

MaleDefined, did you end up finding any options other than the Verizon suspend option?

[DJ-Matt]

Certain numbers cannot be ported like landlines, what I did for mine was port it to a cheap prepaid provider using a spare phone that was lying around, then ported out to google.

[newgame]

(01-29-2015 02:43 PM)DJ-Matt Wrote:  

Certain numbers cannot be ported like landlines, what I did for mine was port it to a cheap prepaid provider using a spare phone that was lying around, then ported out to google.

Mine is a cell phone. I'm not sure why it can't be ported.