Transfer to EE, not as smooth as they tell you...

[#1]

Just to warn people tranfering to EE that it is not plain sailing.

I transfered two SIMs with the help of a CS agent, it all sounded like it would be easy, but there were a few roadhumps..

Firstly the new SIMs were sent with no indication of which one matched our PN SIMs for the automatic number transfer.

Secondly despite being told, and my double checking because we were going to be travelling to visit a sick friend, the number transfer didn't get initiated when we put the new SIMs in the phones but a couple of days after the call.

Fortunately I'd taken the new SIMs with us so we could get our phones working again - though of course we got the SIMs wrong way round because we had to guess.

And finally, I've just had a bill from EE AND THEY ARE CHARGING DELIVERY ON THE SIMS £3.49 each - the agent never told me about that, and why couldn't they send both in the same envelope anyway?

PlusNet - please get the right information to your CS agents, and have them alert people to the charges - I've never been charged for the SIM delivery in the past so certainly wasn't expecting it.

EDIT: typos

[#2]

I just called EE 150 and quickly got talking to an agent who offered to refund the overnight delivery charge. A nice start to our time with EE 🙂

I did ask that she higlighted to managment the issues I'd had in the transfer so that EE and PN can get the right information to customers. It's a shame as the automatic number transfer is a neat idea, but it felt like rest hadnot really be sorted and communicated to the team.

[#3]

Just as an update to MY journey transferring from PlusNet Mobile to EE.

Phoned the agent on Monday to transfer my 2 PlusNet Mobile accounts to EE, and he told me that they'd deal with the PAC code (which was sent to me anyway) and the transfer would be automatic..

Tuesday morning the 2 SIMS turned up in SEPARATE evelopes (as above) - and I put the 2 EE Sims in 2 spare phones I had lying around

NO TEXT messages to say that the process was going through - nor (as above post) to say WHICH SIM number was replacing which one..

Wednesday morning - woke up to 2 text messages to say that the transfer had gone through - and everything is working fine..

Although I DID stick my MAIN SIM card in my Ipad Air2, and the one I just use as Data in my MAIN phone.  But that was a simple swap over..

Yet to see if I will be charged the delivery fee - which was NOT mentioned at the time...

[#4]

I've re-checked the delivery paperwork and only one SIM was charged delivery, the agent said that it was special next day, it did turn up via courier (DPD I think) several hours after the one delivered by our postie mid morning... but I never asked for special delivery

Although I DID stick my MAIN SIM card in my Ipad Air

Well with a 50:50 chance I'll guess wrong 9 times out of 10 too 😉 (same with queues at the till in the supermarket)

From a process point of view I was impressed when I was told that the number transfer would be triggered when the SIM registered, and I had charged my old phone to do that in when we got back home. BUT what happend to me, reading your experience, and (now) several others here it looks like it is the ordering of the SIM that starts the ball rolling on the number transfer - that doesn't seem like a good idea to me. What happens when (not if) the new SIM goes missing on its way to you, I've read at least one post here where that happened. Someone could 'steal' your number with the SIM and you'll have hours trying to persuad PN or EE to get control of it again...

In retrospect I think I'd have been happier, even without the complication of our short trip, doing it with the PAC for security and not having tp swap the SIM when you (inevetably 😉 get them wrong way round...

[#5]

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@Multiplex wrote:

From a process point of view I was impressed when I was told that the number transfer would be triggered when the SIM registered, and I had charged my old phone to do that in when we got back home. BUT what happend to me, reading your experience, and (now) several others here it looks like it is the ordering of the SIM that starts the ball rolling on the number transfer - that doesn't seem like a good idea to me. What happens when (not if) the new SIM goes missing on its way to you, I've read at least one post here where that happened. Someone could 'steal' your number with the SIM and you'll have hours trying to persuad PN or EE to get control of it again...

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Speaking to the advisor - he did say that once the NEW Sims are "switched on" by placing them inside the phone that the PlusNet Sim WAS in - then the transfer process starts.

But, like you say, if you get a "dishonest" delivery driver - you're stuck!!!

[#6]

An alternative is to purchase the sim plans yourself directly from EE using the PN discount codes and do the number transfer yourself. That's what I did. Not necessarily 100% smooth, had some hiccups too, but potentially quicker and less confusing as it doesn't go through PN support.

[#7]

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Speaking to the advisor - he did say that once the NEW Sims are "switched on" by placing them inside the phone that the PlusNet Sim WAS in - then the transfer process starts.

But, like you say, if you get a "dishonest" delivery driver - you're stuck!!!

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What we were told doesn't match my and other's experiences, but it's almost certainly not the Agents fault, either the process got changed after they were trained, or something is not going to plan.

And the most likely cause of loss of the SIM is simple loss; falling in the guts of a sorting machine, falling behind the panneling in the delivery van, delivered to the wrong address and thrown out by the occupant, etc. But that will still be a problem - my wife's PN SIM had gone "Emergency calls only" before we tried the new EE SIMs... so if one was lost we'd have had to ask for another SIM and tried the PAC route, but that may have failed as PN may have thought the number was already transferred. All the time that was happening my wife would have had no phone for 2FA...

[#8]

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@pkw wrote:

An alternative is to purchase the sim plans yourself directly from EE using the PN discount codes and do the number transfer yourself. That's what I did. Not necessarily 100% smooth, had some hiccups too, but potentially quicker and less confusing as it doesn't go through PN support.

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You may well be right, as long as the discount code doesn't identify you and start the number transfer off...

Certainly, in retrospect, I should have looked in to that more. But it seemed easier todo both phones on one call to a human and not mess about on the carious web pages

[#9]

Perhaps a better way of actually "starting" the transfer would be for YOU as the customer to TEXT a code from the EE Sim to start the process?

Then that way both PlusNet & EE would know you have the new SIM in your possession.

Just a thought...

[#10]

Well, here's the thing . I am in the process of ordering my EE sim, and the system tells me the process to swap your number over will be started in 2/3 days.  Now we've a bank holiday, I fear the sim won't arrive in 2/3 days.  So no, it does not say the process will be started when you insert your sim.

I'll carry on anyway.

Update:  They wanted a credit check - for £6 per month!

And now order confirmed there is this:

"

Thanks for joining EE, it's great to have you. You'll find details of your new plan in this email, so please keep it safe.

And just a little reminder that your new number will be transferred to your current number within 24 hours. "

WHAT!?

[#11]

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@Stampy wrote:

Perhaps a better way of actually "starting" the transfer would be for YOU as the customer to TEXT a code from the EE Sim to start the process?

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Indeed, that's pretty much the standard PAC procedure anyway 😉 (or maybe I miss-read that emoji)

[#12]

Perhaps I should not have said keep my own number. 🙄  (I don't switch providers very often)

[#13]

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@Norrette wrote:

Well, here's the thing . I am in the process of ordering my EE sim, and the system tells me the process to swap your number over will be started in 2/3 days. 

Now we've a bank holiday, I fear the sim won't arrive in 2/3 days.  So no, it does not say the process will be started when you insert your sim.

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I didn't use the webpage to order the SIM - I called 500 and a Customer Service agent did both SIMs for me and told me that it would be triggered by making a call from the new SIM, and I double checked that because we'd be on the road for a couple of days. Others have reported the same message from CS.

And just a little reminder that your new number will be transferred to your current number within 24 hours. "

WHAT!?

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Exactly - PN/EE need to be consistent, accureate, and clear about what the process actually is.