SIM Swap Shenanigans - Page 2

Anonymous · ‎11-06-2013

I broke my phone today. It annoyed me. I got an iPhone 5 on eBay which will be here tomorrow. I found out I need a different size SIM so I thought I'd get ready for it's arrival by buying a Nano SIM and activating it. I'm aware O2 will provide one for free, but it was only down the road and a couple of quid - my nearest O2 is an hour away.

SIM swap website didn't work. I call 202. The automated voice told me no less than 4 times to hang up and chat - so I did.

10 minutes with the chat agent and he tells me he can't help - I need to call.

I call.

The VERY RUDE chav on the other end of the phone laughs when I tell her my story, "You can't just go out and buy a SIM and activate it on your account."

I ask why

"That's a pay-and-go SIM. They don't work on the contract system."

"But I used to be a pay-and-go customer. I moved to contract and I didn't have to change my SIM."

She gets a right attitude at this point, "It's a security issue, if you want someone buying a SIM card and taking over your account whenever they like then that's fine, but we here at O2 don't think that's a good idea and don't allow it."

"If it's a security issue I'm happy to answer all the security questions you want to ask. Why are you being awkward?" (At this point I know I'm not going to get anywhere, but when I get attitude I like to push their buttons.)

"You're the one that bought the wrong SIM. It won't work."

So I gave up and requested she send me one. I have a feeling I'm not going to get it.

Anonymous · ‎18-06-2013

As predicted, I was never sent a SIM and I had to travel over an hour to an O2 shop to get sorted.

I understand the security risks. However, there are just as many risks with all the other transactions you can do over the phone and that's why they ask you 20 security questions before they will help you. This should be no different.

An O2 SIM is an O2 SIM. It shouldn't matter where I got it from. If I'm paying my bill every month and I want to use a different SIM they should accomodate.

Finally, "just visit an O2 shop" isn't that easy for some people. My only issue is I'm an hour away. Some people have mobility issues. Some people don't have transport. If you can order a phone and sign a contract online/by telephone you should be able to do everything online/by telephone.

Anonymous · ‎18-06-2013

@Anonymous wrote:

An O2 SIM is an O2 SIM. It shouldn't matter where I got it from.

Unfortunately, you are wrong here. O2 Customer Setvices will only activate an O2 sim sent out by them - unless you are in the shop when they give you it.

This is a security measure and if you feel it is unfair, you should read the amount of threads here about hacked accounts and then hopefully you will see why O2 have brought in this measure.

Also, a Pay And Go sim card can't be used on a contract phone because of the actual physical make up of the sim card. It isn't that O2 won't activate it, it's that they physically can't.

Anonymous · ‎19-06-2013

Opium Wrote:

Also, a Pay And Go sim card can't be used on a contract phone because of the actual physical make up of the sim card. It isn't that O2 won't activate it, it's that they physically can't.

Nope, not true. I was a pay-and-go customer before I signed up for a contract. I called 202, agreed to the contract over the phone, and wham-bam-thankyou-ma'am I was a contract customer. No SIM swap. No having to go to a store. It took about 5 minutes.

When they are making a sale they'll bend over backwards to accomodate. Once you're a customer you have to start jumping through their hoops. O2 = O O

Anonymous · ‎19-06-2013

@Anonymous wrote:
Opium Wrote:

Also, a Pay And Go sim card can't be used on a contract phone because of the actual physical make up of the sim card. It isn't that O2 won't activate it, it's that they physically can't.

Nope, not true. I was a pay-and-go customer before I signed up for a contract. I called 202, agreed to the contract over the phone, and wham-bam-thankyou-ma'am I was a contract customer. No SIM swap. No having to go to a store. It took about 5 minutes.

When they are making a sale they'll bend over backwards to accomodate. Once you're a customer you have to start jumping through their hoops. O2 = O O

I can't see your account so obviously can't comment on specifics (perhaps you were on sim only or something previously) but the sim cards are physically different.

There is no way to activate a contract on a pay as you go sim card.