How to solve problem with multi-line account where phones are assigned to wrong number

[MLADENSK]

I have 3 lines on one account (1 parent, 2 teens).  Account 1 and Account 2 were set up at the same time.  Account 3 was added later.  When account 3 was added, that teen (being the youngest) got Account 2's old phone and the new phone was given to Account 2 teen.

Fast forward to today.  Account 1 and Account 3 are finishing year 2 of 3 year contract.  Account 2 is not on a contract anymore.  Here is the problem.  Account 3 teen's crappy phone doesn't work anymore so hey, lets check out the latest teen-friendly plans that have evolved over the past couple of years. 

So, I am checking this out but I can't move account 3 because he is still on contract for the phone that is assigned to Account 2. I could move account 2 if I want but he has an amazing never to be repeated plan deal negotiated over a 2 1/2 day marathon with retention.  But no contract so technically could move.

My account, Account 1, has a 5 GB data free upgrade that I can't get anymore.  Account 1 and Account 2 both have 6 GB data (not shareable) and Account 3 has 1 GB.  If I move them to shareable, I pay the same overall amount but drop from 13 GB total to 5 GB data total shared.  The 2 accounts with 6 GB don't use all the data but I am afraid to drop the data limit because I have been burned in the past with data overages on internet.  (Not a nice mom when I get a $400 internet bill due to overages).

I spent hours mapping out all my phone plan options and there doesn't seem to be any way to get the total service cost down.  That's why I considered moving Account 3 teen with his crappy phone to another carrier with more teen friendly data limits.  Plus Account 3 teen's phone needs to be replaced.  2 simple goals but apparently IMPOSSIBLE to execute.

Account 3 teen's phone # is tied to the contract for Account 2 teen's phone on contract till December 2015. Here have been my choices. 

1. Buy out the balance of Account 2 teen's phone which is blocking Account 3 teen's account  from being cancelled.

Change all 3 lines to shareable data which I am not sure what it achieves except I think then I can get a new phone for $150 on a 2 year contract which i can assign to Account 3 teen.  This option saves me no money and reduces the family data from 6/6/1 to 6 total.

Do nothing.  This is the option I stopped at last time because I just gave up after frustrating hours of talking to Telus client care who are "bewildered" by the problem.

I am spending $260 plus tax per month on this account.  I have had the account for at least 2 years and had jumped from Bell Mobility (where I had been a mobility/business account customer for 10 years).

I don't understand how I can get Account 3 teen a new phone for the "new contract" price without messing up the plan that Account 2 teen has (which is where Telus shows I have upgrade rights).

Anyone have any ideas?

[NFtoBC]

Upgrade plan 2, as it is due, and take the phone that comes with that deal, and stick the plan 3 SIM in it.

With the exception that the older teen is likely going to be upset that young teen gets the new phone, your problem is solved.

[MLADENSK]

That would work except that the plan currently on acct 2 is no longer offered and they "can't" keep the same plan in place and renew the contract. That's what I tried to do the first time I worked on this. So I would have to do a new contract and pay the same or more for less service.

[MLADENSK]

The way it was explained was that for a new contract for acct 2 to have 6 G of data all 3 plans would have to change to shareable which would cost about $20 more per month and we would have 6 G between the 3 accounts rather than the way we have 6 plus 6 plus 1 for a total of 13 G but not shareable.

[NFtoBC]

So you can either buy a new phone outright and keep plan 2, or get the subsidized phone, but pay more for the service. Many have faced that conundrum and had to decide which was more important, the GB or the subsidy. Most seem to keep the GB.

[MLADENSK]

I am willing to stay for the phone subsidy balance but the problem is they are holding the unsubsidized phone hostage on the other account. Again acct 2 is not the subsidized account but they have attached the subsidized phone's balance (acct 3) to it. The phones need to be flipped. The exact situation is that they are showing a $220 payout balance on an iPhone 4 not correctly as the iPhone 5 which is still subsidized.

[Dark_Knight]

You can get 10GB of data shared between the three lines for $295 ($30/mth more than you are paying now)

$55 x 2 - for the two phones on contract

$40 x 1 - for the one phone not on contract

$145 x 1 - for 10GB of shareable data

If the third user is using a lot more data, it might be worth it to make the switch, instead of paying overages every month. 

[NFtoBC]

You can exit any plan simply by paying off the outstanding subsidy. Since you state Account 3 carries no buy out (it has been transferred to Account 2) you should be able exit Account 3 at no cost.

[MLADENSK]

Round and round we go. Account 3 has the contract on it that should be on account 2. Account 3 per telus says I have a $220 buyout WHICH SHOULD BE ON ACCOUNT 2 and which I agree is the balance for the iPhone 5 which is account 2s phone. Account 2 shows NO buyout amount but if I go ahead with the upgrade on this account (to get the upgrade for ACCOUNT 3) I have to change the plan to a higher cost less service contract. What I want to do is have the buyout shown on ACCOUNT 2 where it belongs and then I will upgrade and change plans for ACCOUNT 3 which should not have a balance on it.

This is the problem. They have the buyout for account 2 attached to account 3. I just want it where it should be. All of this is very frustrating because in the end I would still have 3 accounts with them. I would still be paying about $260 per month (existing account 1&2 would stay the same and a new plan for account 3 is in and around the same as I pay now), I would pay $150 for the upgrade phone which would add an upgrade buyout for the 3 rd phone. This is why I don't understand why they don't just fix this. There is NO DOWNSIDE to this on their side and I am not asking for anything special except for the ability to do this (which is remain a contracted paying customer) without having to change the plans on the other 2 lines WHICH BOTH HAVE THE EXISTING CONTRACT PHONES. This was something that was done at telus's end when they set up account 3 and because of subsequent plan changes to account 2 they can't FIX the problem because apparently once they can't make these changes without making some plan change to the account first. I shouldn't have to spend so much time to get them to fix their own system in order to remain a customer.

The option I have which is wrong but at this point I may just go ahead and do to get on with my life is pay out the balance on account 2's phone which then I can choose any carrier for the new phone plus port the account 2 phone to that carrier if I can get a similar plan elsewhere. I am reluctant to start up a new contract after buying out the mistake because I am worried that next year when those contracts for 1 and 2 end I am going to be back on this merry go round with the new contract not being done.

[NFtoBC]

Yes, we do go round in circles sometimes.  Here's my understanding:

In 2011 you purchased an iPhone 4 for your eldest teen. You got a sweetheart deal at that time including 6GB of data.  This plan is now over three years old, and up for renewal (but not at the great deal you currently have). You clearly don't want to loose this deal.

In December 2012, you purchased an iPhone 5 on contract. This is the 1 GB plan available at the time, and ends in 2015, at which time you can renew the contract.

To keep family harmony, you gave the iPhone 5 to your eldest teen, and the iPhone 4 to your youngest. Swapping SIM cards would have let the older teen keep the 6 GB plan previously in use, leaving the younger teen with the iPhone 4 and the 1GB plan.

(Have I got it so far?)

Now the iPhone 4 is at it's end of life. No surprise, as it is now 3 years old. You want to replace it. The plan it was originally purchased under is up for renewal, but it being the sweetheart deal you got at the time, you don't want to give it up. Also the phone user of that plan has the newer iPhone5, which is working just fine, so no changes needed.

Problem is the contract you signed in 2012 for the iPhone 5 has 13 months to go, and a $220 balance. You swapped phones between teens, and the teen using the plan contracted in 2012 has the iPhone4. You want Telus to move the balance owning on the 2012 contract (which expires in December 2015) to the 2011 contract which is now completed, as that contract is 'connected' to the newer iPhone 5.

(Am I till on track?)

Unfortunately, the balance owing stays with the contract, not with the phone. We don't get to mix and match as we please.  As I stated in my earlier comments, if you want to keep the sweetheart deal you got for your eldest, you will need to purchase a phone outright. There is no way to continue it and get a subsidized phone.

You could pass the iPhone 5 to teen #2, putting the subsidy & the iPhone back together, and provide the older teen with the new phone, our you can get a new phone and put in on the younger teen's plan.  I don't see any way Telus is going to move balances between contracts.

Hope this clarifies things.

[MLADENSK]

The plan on account 2 was not the plan with the phone purchase. It was arranged last year separately. The plan on account 3 is the plan that was done with the iPhone 5. The phone swap was done separately.

[tsizzle]

Pay off the device balance for whatever account has the worst rate plan (sounds like the 1GB plan), you may have to switch around SIM cards & phone numbers after the fact to make it work but you will still have the same rate plan offers (Excl. the 1GB plan).