TMO Legacy Prepaid Plan - Keep Plan After Porting Number Out?

[OmniPoint]

*This post has been copied to the TMO Prepaid forum, sorry for the double post. I'm new and I can't find a way to delete this one.*

Hello - I've read and searched some threads but could not find a definitive answer.

The situation: my elderly father is on the Legacy Prepaid plan, where paying $10 keeps the plan active for another year. It is talk and text only. I am in the process of switching him to another carrier's plan that has data for him to use. My understanding is that once I port out his Legacy number to the new carrier, the Legacy plan will cease to exist.

Is there some way to keep that Legacy plan active, let's say by porting in a fresh Google Voice number? I'm open to suggestions and options, and would appreciate hearing from this forum. Thank you ahead of time!

[mframe]

I think when you port the number out, you will lose the plan. Is there a large $$ balance in the account? You could convert the plan to the $10 per month Connect Plan (1 Gb data) or $15 (3.5 Gb) Connect Plan. It would draw down the balance of the old plan before needing monthly payments (double check with the CSR about this).

If you do this, add another $1 beforehand (don't need $10), to set the expiration for a year out.

[OmniPoint]

There is a small balance on the account, as I've been preparing for the plan change. I've considered the Connect option, but when I inquired (a while back) there was much difficulty in getting the balance transferred. I was able to get a good intro offer on another carrier, but it looks like the Legacy plan will be closed on the port.

[dfriz]

Don't let that Legacy Gold plan get away. Only costs $1 a year to renew. The Legacy Gold SIMs are valuable, could put it on Ebay.
If he keeps the phone alive, just call people back on the new phone, you will eventually get everybody you want to hear from knowing your new number.

[jet1000]

There is a small balance on the account, as I've been preparing for the plan change. I've considered the Connect option, but when I inquired (a while back) there was much difficulty in getting the balance transferred. I was able to get a good intro offer on another carrier, but it looks like the Legacy plan will be closed on the port.

I don't think there's a way to revive the line after port with the old account balance and old legacy plan with a new phone number. And that's what would have to be done if one were to do this. You can check with customer service, but as far as I know, the only way to save those plans is to not do a port.

[Androided]

you may need call to add a new on-demand data line (or the lease cost data line) , then swap number between lines...
Later on, you can port the phone number out without impact on the grandfather plan

[PaulCrawhorne]

Risk losing the legacy plan doing anything like that

[Androided]

Risk losing the legacy plan doing anything like that

I don't think there's a way to revive the line after port with the old account balance and old legacy plan with a new phone number. And that's what would have to be done if one were to do this. You can check with customer service, but as far as I know, the only way to save those plans is to not do a port.

If you are smart enough, there are many ways to work around, I did many times similar thing - ported in/out and swapped phone numbers without any impact on 17 years old grandgrandfathered plan with t-zone