I have been a member now since the original thread was started but forgot about my free gift so today I just got an additonal slim battery for my i730 for only $21.19 shipped.
The Merits program for Verizon was started as a thank you for their "higher paying" customers. To become a member you have to be in one of the following areas:
- Have 5 lines or less on your account
- Have been a customer for 6 months without suspensions
- Have been on one of the following Calling Plans for 3 consecutive months:
- a Single-line Calling Plan with a monthly access of $79.99 or higher
- or-
- a primary line on a Family SharePlan®, with monthly access of $79.99 or above
So basically as long as you have been a Verizon customer longer than 6 months, and have been on your current plan for 3 consecutive months (meaning you haven't switched plans in the past 3 months), then you can enroll.
Also as a bonus when you sign up, they give you $20 towards an accessory, which I used for my i730 slim battery, and only had to pay $19.99 for it after this bonus, with FREE shipping. You also get Merits cards that give you a 25% discount on accessories either through the Merits website or at Verizon stores. You also get FREE phone book transfers on any line within the account, and BEST OF ALL, you get to the New Every Two Upgrade Credit ($100) every 12 months. So those of you who got your i730 back in July, well, you can get $100 off another phone this coming up July.
So I suggest anyone that meets the criteria sign up, it's a free program, you get $20 towards an accessory, 25% accessories in the future, $100 upgrade credits every 12 Months, Free phone book transfers, and more. Did I mention it was free to sign up?
So if your i730 isn't holding up battery wise, get one for only $19.99 with this credit...
Hope this helps some of you i730/i830 owners...
__________________
-Michael
Need help setting up your i730/i830 or other WM2003/WM5 Phone, as well as the other hacks I have done, check out the MRailing Guides and Links
Also thought I would add that if you use FireFox to place an order on their system it won't work. You must use IE to order through their system. Just to save you some time.
__________________
-Michael
Need help setting up your i730/i830 or other WM2003/WM5 Phone, as well as the other hacks I have done, check out the MRailing Guides and Links
Thanks for the info, this works out pretty well for me... except that I just purchased a Lion Battery for $60!!! If only you had posted this about 4 hours ago, I would have settled for another Samsung/VzW battery for $40 less...
It won't let me sign-up, it says my number is not eligible? I've had the phone since August of 2005 and my monthly bill is $114 or so. So I don't understand why I'm not eligible. Anyone have any ideas?
I signed up on the 'core' plan in July, 450 minutes + unlimited data for $79.95. Paid my bills on time and the 'Merits' site says that I do not qualify. What gives?
There's one thing mrailing forgot. You have to be randomly selected in order to sign up. I called them and was told that I "meet the qualifications but don't qualify" and that they can't enroll me. It has to be done automatically through their system and that happens once a quarter. Also, you have to have a $79.99 base access plan, not counting your data package or any other add-ons. If you are on a share plan, your primary line has to be $79.99. I have been told though that even if you can't register online you should still be eligible for the equipment discounts, early upgrade, etc in the store or over the phone though if you meet the price. I haven't tested this however, but I think I will when I try to upgrade my 6600 to a 6700 or i730 in april, which will be at the one year mark for me.
Simply put though, if you meet the qualifications though and can't register, there is nothing you can do. You apparently aren't entitled to the same benefits as others who have been with Verizon for less time and pay less than you per month.
Hmmm. I was never selected or sent information about this at all. I first learned about it from Jim. I just went on the website and signed up. I am however on their $99.00/2000 minutes plan with added data etc, and my bill comes to $165ish/month. I am a non-business customer, and have been a customer since 1995, before it was Verizon. I have been on my current 2000/min plan for 14 months.
Mark,
The reason I made a new thread about this is I am going to add this information to the FAQ and I wanted all the information I posted in the first thread listed, as why I also linked to his thread about this. Also Google's search engine does some interesting things in the way it searches for information when indexing websites, especially those build around vBulletin. If the thread title has the information, it's got a greater chance to be listed in Google when people search for it (one of the reasons we ask for good thread titles). Also when using our search engine, people normally only read the titles when browsing through threads, so I want to have a thread appear in the search box for people to find, also why I cross-referenced his thread, so people could easily find the information. The reason I didn't change his thread title was because of the amount of people that posted in his thread, and if they come back looking for that particular thread, they might have problems finding it. Also with his thread no longer being active (until you bumped it with your post), changing his title would have made it hard to find for those original posts. So that's why I started a new thread instead of just using his.
__________________
-Michael
Need help setting up your i730/i830 or other WM2003/WM5 Phone, as well as the other hacks I have done, check out the MRailing Guides and Links
What plan are you on? My guess is that you were added by the all-encompassing mysterious "system" but simply hadnt received anything in the mail as of the time you signed up. I'm on the 1350min voice/data bundle which consists of a $79.99 voice plan and $30 data plan and my total bill is generally in the $140 range but I haven't been able to sign up. I've had that plan since sometime this last summer and been with Verizon in good standing since 2002.
Ok i am kinda confused i put in my name number an crap and i registered and i can log into the website so does that mean i am verified to go ahead and take advantage of the discount or do i have to wait until they approve me because i can log in and it does everything. When people have been denied has it dont it right when u try to register or have they sent you can email after the fact?
If you are denied, you can't register or login. So I would say that if you registered and can log in, you are in the program.
I am NOT on one of their special PDA/Phone packages. I am on the 2000 min/month with $45 data plans. My base plan is $99, data is $45, and insurance is $6, plus taxes and fees.
I just went on the site back when Jim first posted, signed up, registered, received my cards in the mail, no problems at all. From what I have read, yes, people with the pda/phone package plans have problems registering for the program.
__________________
-Michael
Need help setting up your i730/i830 or other WM2003/WM5 Phone, as well as the other hacks I have done, check out the MRailing Guides and Links
First off, Thank you for the info, I never saw the original thread but this thread helped.. second thing is, will any of my 5 lines with verizon eligble for the 12month upgrade? or just one single line?
mrailing, I have the same exact 2000 min + data plan as you - no special phone/pda package and am now told to email the merits program directly to solve my problem...
Hmmm. I was never selected or sent information about this at all. I first learned about it from Jim. I just went on the website and signed up. I am however on their $99.00/2000 minutes plan with added data etc, and my bill comes to $165ish/month. I am a non-business customer, and have been a customer since 1995, before it was Verizon. I have been on my current 2000/min plan for 14 months.
Mark,
The reason I made a new thread about this is I am going to add this information to the FAQ and I wanted all the information I posted in the first thread listed, as why I also linked to his thread about this. Also Google's search engine does some interesting things in the way it searches for information when indexing websites, especially those build around vBulletin. If the thread title has the information, it's got a greater chance to be listed in Google when people search for it (one of the reasons we ask for good thread titles). Also when using our search engine, people normally only read the titles when browsing through threads, so I want to have a thread appear in the search box for people to find, also why I cross-referenced his thread, so people could easily find the information. The reason I didn't change his thread title was because of the amount of people that posted in his thread, and if they come back looking for that particular thread, they might have problems finding it. Also with his thread no longer being active (until you bumped it with your post), changing his title would have made it hard to find for those original posts. So that's why I started a new thread instead of just using his.
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Mrailing thanks for providing this information again. Now I understand why you started another thread.
I want to thank Jim for originally providing this information to this forum.
Jim, you rarely speak put when you do you really add to this forum.
mrailing, I have the same exact 2000 min + data plan as you - no special phone/pda package and am now told to email the merits program directly to solve my problem...
Maybe I was just in the system, but it let me sign up without a problem when I originally did. They also might have put some more blocks in place due to so many people signing up like they have. I hope you get it figured out, and only 4 more months until I am eligable for another $100 discount. Maybe I should buy another i730... Too bad Verizon really doesn't have any "rumored" good Smartphone/PDA phones on the horizon, guess you guys are stuck with me having an i730.
__________________
-Michael
Need help setting up your i730/i830 or other WM2003/WM5 Phone, as well as the other hacks I have done, check out the MRailing Guides and Links
I ordered my $20 battery on February 28, and it is on the vehicle due to be dropped off by fedex today, very quick turn around.
__________________
-Michael
Need help setting up your i730/i830 or other WM2003/WM5 Phone, as well as the other hacks I have done, check out the MRailing Guides and Links
I have been trying for this merits program for a while and haven't been able to register yet (I do meet the eligibility criteria). Finally called VZ and they are trying to figure it out (I am not too hopeful). I am not sure of the reason why it is not working. And I have a separate 2000 minute phone plan and $45 pda plan since when i730 came out last year.
They say nothing on their site about being invited to join the program, just that you have to meet their requirements to join. I just reread their whole site and rules, and it doesn't say anything about being invited, just that you have to have monthly access of 79.99 (to me meaning base plan like others have said).
Quote:
Customers are automatically enrolled in the Merits program, and are not required to take any action to receive standard program benefits including the early equipment upgrade eligibility, free address book transfers when equipment changes are made and 25% off accessory purchases.*
Only those customers who register online will receive the additional online benefits, which will include notification via e-mail of promotional offers from our partners and new product notifications.
For customers with multi-line accounts, if one line meets the eligibility criteria, then all lines on that account are eligible for Merits benefits, with the exception of the early upgrade benefit. The opportunity for the early equipment upgrade is only available for the line that qualified for Merits membership, as long as the other eligibility requirements are met.
With this being said as long as you are paying for one of their $79.99 minute plans you are ALREADY enrolled, and just registering online gives you those benefits. So those of you that are already paying that rate, in July (if you got the phone the moment it came out) are eligable for the 12 month upgrade without registering online.
Take the time to read through the fine print there, and then call Verizon and tell them you want to register. They CAN refuse this program for anyone they choose, but even if you can't register and your 12 months are up, it looks like you could still take a printout of this in to a store and say that you are eligable.
__________________
-Michael
Need help setting up your i730/i830 or other WM2003/WM5 Phone, as well as the other hacks I have done, check out the MRailing Guides and Links
First off, Thank you for the info, I never saw the original thread but this thread helped.. second thing is, will any of my 5 lines with verizon eligble for the 12month upgrade? or just one single line?
This should answer that question:
Quote:
For customers with multi-line accounts, if one line meets the eligibility criteria, then all lines on that account are eligible for Merits benefits, with the exception of the early upgrade benefit. The opportunity for the early equipment upgrade is only available for the line that qualified for Merits membership, as long as the other eligibility requirements are met.
So depending on your lines. If two phones have $79.99 service each, then each will get the upgrade. But if only the primary line meets the criteria then you get the upgrade. Now they ALL get free phonebook trasfers and 25% off accessories, but only lines meeting $79.99 are good for Early upgrade.
__________________
-Michael
Need help setting up your i730/i830 or other WM2003/WM5 Phone, as well as the other hacks I have done, check out the MRailing Guides and Links
Maybe I should buy another i730... Too bad Verizon really doesn't have any "rumored" good Smartphone/PDA phones on the horizon, guess you guys are stuck with me having an i730.
I dont think any of us in this forum have a problem with you sticking with the i730!!!
I've had the phone since August of 2005 and my monthly bill is $114 or so. So I don't understand why I'm not eligible. Anyone have any ideas?
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