ESim request to customer services has disconnected me!

[Chateau57]

I am about to take a delivery of a new iPhone 14. As I plan to use an eSIM in my new phone, I called Customer Services today to request an eSIM pack to be sent out (containing the QR code. I need to install it on my new phone).

The advisor told me that it would take three working days or maybe slightly more because of the Christmas post.

Shortly after the call ended. I noticed that I was disconnected from the O2 network on my current phone (which also uses an eSIM). I now have no working phone on the O2 network and my new phone, for which I ordered the same does not turn up for another four or five days.

my wife bought a new iPhone recently and went into an O2 shop to pick up an eSIM pack with a QR code. This was left to one side until she had the new phone delivered a couple of days later…..

it appears 30th one, requests and eSIM/Sim swap with Customer Services disconnects your current Sim from the network more or less immediately! It appears had I gone into an O2 shop and requested an eSIM pack then my phone would still be working until such time as I got a new phone and swapped it over using the swap my Sim process. 

Help !!

[Enlli]

Those on the new billing system can request an eSIM from My O2. I did that, got sent my QR code, scanned it in and everything worked as expected. Old SIM disconnected and eSIM enabled in minutes.

Great in future if you want an eSIM but if it's a replacement plastic one, still a problem that needs urgently fixing 

[Chateau57]

i too was told that too, but how are customers supposed to know if they are “on the new billing system”?! Customer services don’t seem to know. The eSIM fulfilment process at O2 is broken.

[Enlli]

@Chateau57 

Agreed the system is broken. O2 seem to be more like Virgin Mobile every day. It was supposed to be the other way round!

The only way I found out was going to SIM Swap in my O2 and the eSim option was there

[O2Emma]

Hi @Himesh I will send you a private message to look into this for you.

[JJJ_Frustrated]

I am an O2 eSIM customer and yesterday I initiated a SIM swap for my new phone.  I was immediately disconnected but no eSIM is being sent.

Customer services tell me it is now impossible to issue me with an eSIM due to 360 issues (I was apparently ported to 360).

Instead they're sending me a plastic SIM which will take 1-3 days to arrive, and is next-to-useless as the SIM slot in my phone is already taken up with my work SIM.

So I have no phone service or data now - I can't receive phone calls (waiting for one from the hospital), I can't log into various apps and services due to 2FA against my phone number using either a phone call or SMS (including the O2 app, various banking apps etc.), and apparently there is no ETA for resolution.

Is there anything at all I can do, bar requesting a PAC (which can hopefully be sent to my email or read out to me, seeing as I can't receive it via SMS) and moving to another supplier immediately?

[gmarkj]

Why were you requesting a new eSIM @JJJ_Frustrated ?

You should be able to get them in store, so if you can a visit to your local o2 shop might solve this - you will need some photo ID though.

This is another instance of the new SIM request switching off the old @Martin-O2 @RafaC @Breanna.

At what point will customer services/"the system" stop doing this? It introduces a large concern for fraud if replacement SIMs are sent out "live"...

[JJJ_Frustrated]

Honestly I've replied to this thread so many times, but when I try to post, the forum barfs and I lose my post.  Giving it another go but apologies for a short reply because I can't face typing out the whole answer yet again.

Short story:  new eSIM needed due to new handset not procured via O2.
I tried the O2 store nearest, they couldnt' help due to me being on the 360 system and the store not set up to service 360 customers.
Store called customer services who also spoke to me - conclusion no way for me to get an eSIM, only option plastic SIM which was ordered (received email this morning saying it has been delayed - so who knows when I'll eventually get online).
Plastic SIM not good for me as SIM slot already taken up with work SIM.

[gmarkj]

Looks like another store needs some additional training @ColinO2 as they are telling customer they cannot help due to the new system.

[Krustycarl]

Nice one o2. 

Ordered esim this morning and current sim cut off already. 

What a shambles and why is this issue still not been corrected?

[Bx917]

I am one of the many unlucky Virgin mobile eSIM users who have been left with no access to their calls after a bungled migration.

my physical O2 SIM and O2 eSIM packs arrived in the post. I waited for my virgin SIM to go dead then inserted my physical O2 SIM (removing my physical work SIM in the process). I then scanned my eSIM QR code which after thinking for a while said there was an error and to contact customer services. Which I did via phone using the physical SIM.

I then spent 36 mins of back and forth with the very pleasant call centre agent (mostly spend on hold listening to that incredibly painful LoFi polyphonic hold music - please please please change it).

the call was ended abruptly after the agent entered my physical SIMs SSN and I lost signal. I waited a bit for the signal to reconnect but it never did.

I accessed the webchat through the app as the only method available to me now as I am without a working SIM. It told me to try again during working hours - it was 7.20pm.  I tried again and got an agent who asked all the questions then ran out of time at 10pm. When I woke up this morning a new agent had checked my account saw that an eSIM was active against my number, pasted a bunch of promo material about O2 rewards and closed the enquiry conversation.

so I try again. Three ish hours later the new agent tells me there is an eSIM active against my number. I catch them before the 10min time out (unfairly quick considering I have to wait several hours for a reply!!!) and explain (again) that I don’t have the eSIM on my phone because the QR did not work.

1hr later they reply that I have the eSIM active on my account.

I explain again (again) that it may be active on my account but it isn’t on my phone, I have no access to calls or SMS and can only contact them via the chat when I am on WiFi which is incredibly frustrating since they aren’t reading the conversation history!

and so it goes on another few times.

I have finally managed to get the newest agent to offer switching my old SIM back on and posting me a new eSIM pack. 

Now, the old SIM hasn’t yet reactivated but if it does at least I won’t be entirely cut off from the world while waiting for a new eSIM to arrive. although, I will still be juggling back and forth between my work and personal SIMs which is annoying (and not actually great for SIMs). And reading this thread does not fill me with confidence that the system can actually do it so.

This experience has really not endeared me to O2. Nor encouraged me to remain on the network any longer than necessary.