do you lose your rollover minutes if you change plans and/or drop a family shared plan phone?

I have a tremendous number of rollover minutes available on my
1000-minute shared family plan, and was thinking of dropping a phone
and/or moving to a smaller-base minute plan . if I do this, do I lose
all my saved rollover minutes ?

---

› See More: do you lose your rollover minutes if you change plans and/or drop a family shared plan phone?

In article <[email protected]>,
"question" <[email protected]> wrote:

> I have a tremendous number of rollover minutes available on my
> 1000-minute shared family plan, and was thinking of dropping a phone
> and/or moving to a smaller-base minute plan . if I do this, do I lose
> all my saved rollover minutes ?
>

I've changed plans and kept the minutes, not sure about dropping a phone
though.

No, you don't loose your rollover minutes.

"question" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I have a tremendous number of rollover minutes available on my
> 1000-minute shared family plan, and was thinking of dropping a phone
> and/or moving to a smaller-base minute plan . if I do this, do I lose
> all my saved rollover minutes ?
>

On Sat, 25 Jun 2005 03:56:16 GMT, "Richie" <[email protected]> spewed:
>No, you don't loose your rollover minutes.
>
>>I have a tremendous number of rollover minutes available on my
>> 1000-minute shared family plan, and was thinking of dropping a phone
>> and/or moving to a smaller-base minute plan . if I do this, do I lose
>> all my saved rollover minutes ?
>>
>
Depends. Add/remove family member from 1 acct., ok.
Switch min. in same plan set, ok.
Switch from one coverage set to another, or going from CDMA to GSM, no.
Unless they've changed something since I asked a rep. this very question,
this should still hold.
--
_____________________________________________________
For email response, or CC, please mailto:see.my.sig.4.addr(at)bigfoot.com.
Yeah, it's really a real address

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Fri, 28 Oct 2005 06:21:40
-0700, Joseph <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Thu, 27 Oct 2005 21:59:23 -0700,
>[email protected] wrote:
>
>>Switch from one coverage set to another, or going from CDMA to GSM, no.
>
>cingular has *never* been CDMA!

I suspect that was a typo, that TDMA was what was meant.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

Yes, they have recently made a change in the rollover minutes policy. When
you change plans (inc. minutes within the same type of plan) your rollover
minutes that transfer are equal to the monthly minutes of your new plan. If
you change to a plan that give you 800 minutes per month than 800 of your
rollover minutes will transfer.

Fred

"John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
> In <[email protected]> on Fri, 28 Oct 2005
> 06:21:40
> -0700, Joseph <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 27 Oct 2005 21:59:23 -0700,
>>[email protected] wrote:
>>
>>>Switch from one coverage set to another, or going from CDMA to GSM, no.
>>
>>cingular has *never* been CDMA!
>
> I suspect that was a typo, that TDMA was what was meant.
>
> --
> Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
> John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

IANAL*, but I don't think Cingular can legally disentitle you retroactively,
only prospectively; i.e., you should be able to keep all minutes earned before
any such change went into effect.

* I Am Not A Lawyer.

In <8ut8f.809$0M1.391@dukeread12> on Fri, 28 Oct 2005 13:46:24 -0400, "Fred"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Yes, they have recently made a change in the rollover minutes policy. When
>you change plans (inc. minutes within the same type of plan) your rollover
>minutes that transfer are equal to the monthly minutes of your new plan. If
>you change to a plan that give you 800 minutes per month than 800 of your
>rollover minutes will transfer.

>"John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>>
>> In <[email protected]> on Fri, 28 Oct 2005
>> 06:21:40
>> -0700, Joseph <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>>On Thu, 27 Oct 2005 21:59:23 -0700,
>>>[email protected] wrote:
>>>
>>>>Switch from one coverage set to another, or going from CDMA to GSM, no.
>>>
>>>cingular has *never* been CDMA!
>>
>> I suspect that was a typo, that TDMA was what was meant.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

p.s. That's not in the current terms and conditions. Unless and until it is,
it wouldn't be binding in any event. Current actual language on Rollover
<http://onlinestored.cingular.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ES_AUX_PLAN_TERMS.jsp>

Rollover Minutes: Rollover Minutes accumulate and expire through 12
rolling bill periods. Bill Period 1 (activation) unused Anytime
Minutes will not carry over. Bill Period 2 unused Anytime Minutes
will begin to carry over. Rollover Minutes accumulated starting with
Bill Period 2 will expire each bill period as they reach a 12 bill
period age. ROLLOVER MINUTES WILL ALSO EXPIRE IMMEDIATELY UPON
DEFAULT OR IF CUSTOMER CHANGES TO A NON-ROLLOVER PLAN. Rollover
Minutes are not redeemable for cash or credit and are not
transferable. Night and Weekend and Mobile to Mobile minutes do not
carry over. [emphasis added]

In <8ut8f.809$0M1.391@dukeread12> on Fri, 28 Oct 2005 13:46:24 -0400, "Fred"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Yes, they have recently made a change in the rollover minutes policy. When
>you change plans (inc. minutes within the same type of plan) your rollover
>minutes that transfer are equal to the monthly minutes of your new plan. If
>you change to a plan that give you 800 minutes per month than 800 of your
>rollover minutes will transfer.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

"John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> p.s. That's not in the current terms and conditions. Unless and until it
is,
> it wouldn't be binding in any event. Current actual language on Rollover
>
<http://onlinestored.cingular.com/web..._AUX_PLAN_TERM
S.jsp>
>
> Rollover Minutes: Rollover Minutes accumulate and expire through 12
> rolling bill periods. Bill Period 1 (activation) unused Anytime
> Minutes will not carry over. Bill Period 2 unused Anytime Minutes
> will begin to carry over. Rollover Minutes accumulated starting with
> Bill Period 2 will expire each bill period as they reach a 12 bill
> period age. ROLLOVER MINUTES WILL ALSO EXPIRE IMMEDIATELY UPON
> DEFAULT OR IF CUSTOMER CHANGES TO A NON-ROLLOVER PLAN. Rollover
> Minutes are not redeemable for cash or credit and are not
> transferable. Night and Weekend and Mobile to Mobile minutes do not
> carry over. [emphasis added]
>
> In <8ut8f.809$0M1.391@dukeread12> on Fri, 28 Oct 2005 13:46:24 -0400,
"Fred"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Yes, they have recently made a change in the rollover minutes policy.
When
> >you change plans (inc. minutes within the same type of plan) your
rollover
> >minutes that transfer are equal to the monthly minutes of your new plan.
If
> >you change to a plan that give you 800 minutes per month than 800 of your
> >rollover minutes will transfer.
>
> --
> Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
> John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

While I agree that losing the rollover minutes ,may not be right - I am
reasonably certain that it is as described before, inasmuch as if you have
12,285 roll over minutes on a plan that gives 1000 minutes a month and you
change to a plan with 800 a month then you keep ONLY the 800. No more.

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Sat, 29 Oct 2005 03:53:25
GMT, "Cliff" <[email protected]> wrote:

>"John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...

>> p.s. That's not in the current terms and conditions. Unless and until it is,
>> it wouldn't be binding in any event. Current actual language on Rollover
>>
><http://onlinestored.cingular.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ES_AUX_PLAN_TERMS.jsp>
>>
>> Rollover Minutes: Rollover Minutes accumulate and expire through 12
>> rolling bill periods. Bill Period 1 (activation) unused Anytime
>> Minutes will not carry over. Bill Period 2 unused Anytime Minutes
>> will begin to carry over. Rollover Minutes accumulated starting with
>> Bill Period 2 will expire each bill period as they reach a 12 bill
>> period age. ROLLOVER MINUTES WILL ALSO EXPIRE IMMEDIATELY UPON
>> DEFAULT OR IF CUSTOMER CHANGES TO A NON-ROLLOVER PLAN. Rollover
>> Minutes are not redeemable for cash or credit and are not
>> transferable. Night and Weekend and Mobile to Mobile minutes do not
>> carry over. [emphasis added]
>>
>> In <8ut8f.809$0M1.391@dukeread12> on Fri, 28 Oct 2005 13:46:24 -0400, "Fred"
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> >Yes, they have recently made a change in the rollover minutes policy. When
>> >you change plans (inc. minutes within the same type of plan) your rollover
>> >minutes that transfer are equal to the monthly minutes of your new plan. If
>> >you change to a plan that give you 800 minutes per month than 800 of your
>> >rollover minutes will transfer.

>While I agree that losing the rollover minutes ,may not be right - I am
>reasonably certain that it is as described before, inasmuch as if you have
>12,285 roll over minutes on a plan that gives 1000 minutes a month and you
>change to a plan with 800 a month then you keep ONLY the 800. No more.

I'm reasonably certain that with a bit of persistence you could keep all your
Rollover minutes.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

on 10/28/2005 11:00 PM John Navas said the following:
> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>>>In <8ut8f.809$0M1.391@dukeread12> on Fri, 28 Oct 2005 13:46:24 -0400, "Fred"
>>><[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Yes, they have recently made a change in the rollover minutes policy. When
>>>>you change plans (inc. minutes within the same type of plan) your rollover
>>>>minutes that transfer are equal to the monthly minutes of your new plan. If
>>>>you change to a plan that give you 800 minutes per month than 800 of your
>>>>rollover minutes will transfer.
>
>
>>While I agree that losing the rollover minutes ,may not be right - I am
>>reasonably certain that it is as described before, inasmuch as if you have
>>12,285 roll over minutes on a plan that gives 1000 minutes a month and you
>>change to a plan with 800 a month then you keep ONLY the 800. No more.
>
> I'm reasonably certain that with a bit of persistence you could keep all your
> Rollover minutes.

Even more likely if you happen to be considering a change from, say, a
700 minute plan to a 1200 minute plan. You have "booked" 8,000 minutes
on the 700 minute plan and you find out that you're going to lose 6,800
minutes when you upgrade. Where the incentive (hell, I'm trying to find
the reason for the upgrade in this instance) to upgrade now? Seems that
SBC is shooting themselves in the foot.

The catch is that for every one subscriber who's savvy about this change
and will fight it, there are probably two hundred ignorant sheep who
will just not get it and let it slide.

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Mon, 31 Oct 2005
17:48:47 GMT, Unquestionably Confused <[email protected]> wrote:

>on 10/28/2005 11:00 PM John Navas said the following:

>>>>In <8ut8f.809$0M1.391@dukeread12> on Fri, 28 Oct 2005 13:46:24 -0400, "Fred"
>>>><[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>Yes, they have recently made a change in the rollover minutes policy. When
>>>>>you change plans (inc. minutes within the same type of plan) your rollover
>>>>>minutes that transfer are equal to the monthly minutes of your new plan. If
>>>>>you change to a plan that give you 800 minutes per month than 800 of your
>>>>>rollover minutes will transfer.
>>
>>>While I agree that losing the rollover minutes ,may not be right - I am
>>>reasonably certain that it is as described before, inasmuch as if you have
>>>12,285 roll over minutes on a plan that gives 1000 minutes a month and you
>>>change to a plan with 800 a month then you keep ONLY the 800. No more.
>>
>> I'm reasonably certain that with a bit of persistence you could keep all your
>> Rollover minutes.
>
>Even more likely if you happen to be considering a change from, say, a
>700 minute plan to a 1200 minute plan. You have "booked" 8,000 minutes
>on the 700 minute plan and you find out that you're going to lose 6,800
>minutes when you upgrade. Where the incentive (hell, I'm trying to find
>the reason for the upgrade in this instance) to upgrade now? Seems that
>SBC is shooting themselves in the foot.
>
>The catch is that for every one subscriber who's savvy about this change
>and will fight it, there are probably two hundred ignorant sheep who
>will just not get it and let it slide.

It's worth noting that this is probably about closing a Rollover loophole:
A wise shopper could sign up for a high-minute plan, bank a lot of cheap
minutes, and then switch to a low-minute plan to work them down, repeating the
process when the bank is exhausted, as a way of lowering per minute cost.
I personally doubt that kind of gaming was terribly significant, but it's
probably not what was intended.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

on 10/31/2005 12:20 PM John Navas said the following:
> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
> In <[email protected]> on Mon, 31 Oct 2005
> 17:48:47 GMT, Unquestionably Confused <[email protected]> wrote:
>>Even more likely if you happen to be considering a change from, say, a
>>700 minute plan to a 1200 minute plan. You have "booked" 8,000 minutes
>>on the 700 minute plan and you find out that you're going to lose 6,800
>>minutes when you upgrade. Where the incentive (hell, I'm trying to find
>>the reason for the upgrade in this instance) to upgrade now? Seems that
>>SBC is shooting themselves in the foot.
>>
>>The catch is that for every one subscriber who's savvy about this change
>>and will fight it, there are probably two hundred ignorant sheep who
>>will just not get it and let it slide.
>
>
> It's worth noting that this is probably about closing a Rollover loophole:
> A wise shopper could sign up for a high-minute plan, bank a lot of cheap
> minutes, and then switch to a low-minute plan to work them down, repeating the
> process when the bank is exhausted, as a way of lowering per minute cost.
> I personally doubt that kind of gaming was terribly significant, but it's
> probably not what was intended.



I agree but why "penalize" those who are _upgrading_ their packages? A
woman who works for me just upgraded to a plan with twice the minutes
she had before - believe the new plan is around 700 minutes. She had
several thousand minutes on her old, smaller plan and they only
transferred the 700. She lost the rest.

Like you, I follow the logic if someone is downgrading a 1200 or 1500
minute plan they've had for, say, five months and moving it to a 200
minute plan or whatever.

I suspect this is the "law of unintended consequences" kicking in. How
many folks have a 400 minute plan, build up a bank of 8,000 minutes and
then UPGRADE from that?<g>

The only reason she did it was to create a family plan with her son and
aged mother included. She figured she might need more minutes.
Unfortunately for her, she didn't think it out. Her old plan had enough
monthly anytime minutes to support the family plan. I think she could
have just added the additional lines and kept her rollover minutes in
their entirely. Then, once she used them up and started going over the
monthly allotment, she could have migrated to a higher minute plan, correct?

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Mon, 31 Oct 2005
18:55:52 GMT, Unquestionably Confused <[email protected]> wrote:

>on 10/31/2005 12:20 PM John Navas said the following:

>> It's worth noting that this is probably about closing a Rollover loophole:
>> A wise shopper could sign up for a high-minute plan, bank a lot of cheap
>> minutes, and then switch to a low-minute plan to work them down, repeating the
>> process when the bank is exhausted, as a way of lowering per minute cost.
>> I personally doubt that kind of gaming was terribly significant, but it's
>> probably not what was intended.
>
>I agree but why "penalize" those who are _upgrading_ their packages? A
>woman who works for me just upgraded to a plan with twice the minutes
>she had before - believe the new plan is around 700 minutes. She had
>several thousand minutes on her old, smaller plan and they only
>transferred the 700. She lost the rest.
>
>Like you, I follow the logic if someone is downgrading a 1200 or 1500
>minute plan they've had for, say, five months and moving it to a 200
>minute plan or whatever.
>
>I suspect this is the "law of unintended consequences" kicking in. How
>many folks have a 400 minute plan, build up a bank of 8,000 minutes and
>then UPGRADE from that?<g>

I agree.

>The only reason she did it was to create a family plan with her son and
>aged mother included. She figured she might need more minutes.
>Unfortunately for her, she didn't think it out. Her old plan had enough
>monthly anytime minutes to support the family plan. I think she could
>have just added the additional lines and kept her rollover minutes in
>their entirely. Then, once she used them up and started going over the
>monthly allotment, she could have migrated to a higher minute plan, correct?

Indeed, and I think she might have a good chance of getting this adjusted if
she makes that point firmly to Cingular Escalation (not first-tier Customer
Service).

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

Why would someone move up to a 1200 minute plan when they were not
using all of the 700 minute plan? If you know your long term average
usage is going up, then stay on the 700 minute plan until the 8000
minutes that you have banked are almost used up before switching to a
higher level plan.


Unquestionably Confused wrote:
> on 10/28/2005 11:00 PM John Navas said the following:
>
>> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>>
>>>> In <8ut8f.809$0M1.391@dukeread12> on Fri, 28 Oct 2005 13:46:24
>>>> -0400, "Fred"
>>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Yes, they have recently made a change in the rollover minutes
>>>>> policy. When
>>>>> you change plans (inc. minutes within the same type of plan) your
>>>>> rollover
>>>>> minutes that transfer are equal to the monthly minutes of your new
>>>>> plan. If
>>>>> you change to a plan that give you 800 minutes per month than 800
>>>>> of your
>>>>> rollover minutes will transfer.
>>
>>
>>
>>> While I agree that losing the rollover minutes ,may not be right - I am
>>> reasonably certain that it is as described before, inasmuch as if you
>>> have
>>> 12,285 roll over minutes on a plan that gives 1000 minutes a month
>>> and you
>>> change to a plan with 800 a month then you keep ONLY the 800. No more.
>>
>>
>> I'm reasonably certain that with a bit of persistence you could keep
>> all your
>> Rollover minutes.
>
>
> Even more likely if you happen to be considering a change from, say, a
> 700 minute plan to a 1200 minute plan. You have "booked" 8,000 minutes
> on the 700 minute plan and you find out that you're going to lose 6,800
> minutes when you upgrade. Where the incentive (hell, I'm trying to find
> the reason for the upgrade in this instance) to upgrade now? Seems that
> SBC is shooting themselves in the foot.
>
> The catch is that for every one subscriber who's savvy about this change
> and will fight it, there are probably two hundred ignorant sheep who
> will just not get it and let it slide.
>
>