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Old provider sim stopped working, but new sim not arrived

thurrafork
Dabbler
Posts: 20
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎29-05-2019

Old provider sim stopped working, but new sim not arrived

Hello folks

I see that a few have had similar issues.

I recently decided to leave my EE contract and get a Plusnet sim only deal.

Great!

But just now my old EE sim stopped working - 'SIM not provisioned'. But my new Plusnet sim has not arrived yet.

So I am now without a functioning phone and without mobile internet.

And this is happening at the worst possible time due to some really unfortunate family circumstances.

What can I do?

I was assuming that the sim would arrive tomorrow, but I see that some people in the same boat have been without a solution for much longer!

I always imagined that cancellation of the old sim/contract would only be triggered when the new sim was installed in the phone and made it's first call. Something like that. 

As others have pointed out, it's awful that the process even allows the possibility that customers will be left effectively without a phone.

And then it just seems like mockery that the solution on the website for a delayed sim involves calling a number. I cannot make calls now and I cannot easily borrow another phone.

I'm really stuck.

Please help.

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7 REPLIES 7
Baldrick1
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 11,625
Thanks: 5,166
Fixes: 415
Registered: ‎30-06-2016

Re: Old provider sim stopped working, but new sim not arrived

@thurrafork 

I know that it’s too late for you but the problem is that of you give a PAC code to a new supplier then as soon as the code is used the old service is terminated. If this is done at sign up then you are stuffed until the postman arrives. What with Black Friday and Christmas post this can be fraught with delays.

If you sign up with a new number then submit the PAC code once you have the SIM you are in with a chance of minimising the down time.

Moderator and Customer
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thurrafork
Dabbler
Posts: 20
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎29-05-2019

Re: Old provider sim stopped working, but new sim not arrived

This makes sense in a frustratingly hindsighty way!

The process of ordering a sim includes a question of whether I'd like to keep the same number. I chose yes. Then I was prompted to enter a PAC in order to facilitate this.

I had not known how the whole sim/number-transfer/PAC thing worked, so I trusted this procedure. I had no reason to distrust it.

If it's possible to use the PAC later when already in possession of the new sim, and if indeed using it later is the only way to avoid suddenly being without a functioning phone, then for goodness sake why isn't that the procedure?!

davids1
Hooked
Posts: 9
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎18-09-2019

Re: Old provider sim stopped working, but new sim not arrived

I agree entirely and am in the same situation. 

If someone wants to retain a number then it logically is a number they're actually using. Why would Plusnet have a default process which would render the phone unusable for an undefined period of time... at least without a clear warning that this would render the phone unusable until they get round to posting the SIM out?

Baldrick1
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 11,625
Thanks: 5,166
Fixes: 415
Registered: ‎30-06-2016

Re: Old provider sim stopped working, but new sim not arrived

I’m not disagreeing with either of you. Maybe a Mod should move this post to Feedback and/or a Plusnet staffer pick it up and pass the message on?

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TopazRSP
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: ‎03-12-2021

Re: Old provider sim stopped working, but new sim not arrived

I'm in the same situation and have no idea when my new plusnet sim will arrive. It has been three days and nothing in the post yet. Can't call customer services to check that one has been sent as I'm now disconnected from my previous provider.

 

It is just a matter of waiting for a few days in hope?

davids1
Hooked
Posts: 9
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎18-09-2019

Re: Old provider sim stopped working, but new sim not arrived

My SIM arrived today and worked straight away, including the old number. Hope yours does too. 

Hopefully the Plusnet team will note the comments on here (and other threads) and @Baldrick1 's suggestion and review this.

Any default option should not result in significant downtime, at least without appropriate warning and flagging up that you can port your number easily and safely once you actually have the SIM. It never even occurred to me they might switch the number before the SIM arrived! 

TopazRSP
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: ‎03-12-2021

Re: Old provider sim stopped working, but new sim not arrived

Totally agree. Gives me some hope that your issue is resolved as soon as it arrived.