topic Re: Is it a scam? in Pay as you go

Is it a scam?

Lukjs — Thu, 15 May 2025 13:06:30 GMT

I bought a phone card, but the number is already in use by someone else. I topped up £10, and the shop & customer service said they can't refund. I feel very helpless!

Re: Is it a scam?

Peter_W — Thu, 15 May 2025 15:11:38 GMT

Hi @Lukjs.

Welcome to the Community 😊

What you've posted here certainly looks like a genuine SIM, and I've not come across issues with scams around retail pay as you go SIMs before.

When a number is assigned to a SIM, if this isn't activated within a certain timeframe it'll be recycled to another SIM, which is why there's an expiration date on the packet.

Have you had a chance to query this with our team directly?

They should be able to check this all out via the SIM serial number.

Peter

Re: Is it a scam?

XRaySpeX — Thu, 15 May 2025 15:16:30 GMT

@Lukjs : That's a standard EE £10 PAYG SIM.

Why do you think the no. is already in use by someone else? You can't have 2 SIMs with the same no. & you hold the SIM with that no. So nobody else can.

Re: Is it a scam?

Lukjs — Thu, 15 May 2025 15:38:49 GMT

I have called her to go to the branch to handle it…

Re: Is it a scam?

Lukjs — Thu, 15 May 2025 15:40:19 GMT

Is it okay if I share it with you here? But it contains my personal information

Re: Is it a scam?

Lukjs — Thu, 15 May 2025 15:41:19 GMT

If I share it here will others see it?

Re: Is it a scam?

XRaySpeX — Thu, 15 May 2025 15:46:04 GMT

Yes, don't post personal info on this public site. Discuss it with CS as @Peter_W suggested.

Re: Is it a scam?

Lukjs — Thu, 15 May 2025 15:54:13 GMT

Some time ago, I legally purchased an EE SIM card, which clearly displayed a mobile number I liked. I kept it unused for a while, and only recently inserted it into my phone. After inserting the SIM, I topped up £10 online and expected everything to work as normal.

But the SIM showed no network connection — I couldn’t make or receive calls. When I visited an EE store to investigate, I was shocked to be told that the number linked to my SIM is already in use by someone else.

The staff at the store acknowledged the issue and offered me a new number, but they said the £10 top-up could not be refunded. How is that acceptable? I paid for a number and service, only to be told it’s gone, and I have no way of recovering what I spent.

This is not a small issue — this is theft. My top-up is being used by someone else, and I’ve lost both money and access to the number I believed I had purchased.

Even worse, when I contacted customer service, I was told to go back to the store — and the store had already told me to contact customer service. I was pushed back and forth, with no one willing to take responsibility.

At no point was I treated like a valued customer. Instead of recognising that I was clearly the victim, I was made to feel like I was the problem. I was made to feel suspicious, as if I was doing something wrong — when in fact I did everything correctly: I bought the SIM, paid for credit, and simply tried to activate it.

This is not a simple inconvenience — it’s a case of unauthorised use of a paid service, and I urge EE to take this seriously and fix it.

Re: Is it a scam?

XRaySpeX — Thu, 15 May 2025 16:00:56 GMT

How long did you kept it unused for a while? Did it exceed the expiration date on the packet? When was that and when did you buy it?

Re: Is it a scam?

Lukjs — Thu, 15 May 2025 16:01:10 GMT

I bought it about six months ago and it expires tomorrow

Re: Is it a scam?

XRaySpeX — Thu, 15 May 2025 16:07:54 GMT

If you hadn't been told that your no. was in use by somebody else I would have said the no. is still yours but had gone into hibernation after 6 months of non-use. Thus unusable until you ask CS to take it out of hibernation & reactivate it.

Re: Is it a scam?

Lukjs — Thu, 15 May 2025 16:14:30 GMT

I actually spoke to your customer service team before, but they were unwilling to handle the issue and just told me to go to the store. That’s why I decided to post here instead.

Re: Is it a scam?

XRaySpeX — Thu, 15 May 2025 16:17:27 GMT

Well, here can't fix it; only EE might.

Re: Is it a scam?

Lukjs — Thu, 15 May 2025 16:21:09 GMT

If EE were serious about resolving this, it would be easy — just check which SIM card activated this number, and everything would be clear. But it seems no one wants to take responsibility. Am I wrong to start thinking this might be a scam?

Re: Is it a scam?

Chris_B — Thu, 15 May 2025 17:12:56 GMT

@Lukjs If the number has already been recycled there’s nothing you can do. You don’t own that number just because you purchased a SIM card with that number associated with it at that time, the number belongs to the network and are allowed to recycle unused numbers.

Re: Is it a scam?

Lukjs — Thu, 15 May 2025 17:25:41 GMT

I understand that numbers technically belong to the network, but this is not a case of an old, inactive number being recycled. I purchased a SIM card that had this number clearly printed on the packaging, and I used it before any stated expiry date. I also topped it up with £10, only to find out the number is already in use by someone else.

If this number had already been recycled, then why was it still being sold in a sealed SIM package and still accepting top-up payments? That’s not just a mistake — it’s misleading and essentially charging for a service that cannot be delivered.

This is not about claiming permanent ownership of a mobile number. The real issue is that EE sold me a product linked to a number that is either already assigned to someone else or invalid — and then accepted my top-up payment on top of that. That is completely unacceptable.

I used this SIM card well before any expiration date, followed all the correct steps, and now I’m out of money, time, and trust — with no resolution offered. I expect a full refund and a proper investigation into how this happened.

Re: Is it a scam?

Alex_H — Thu, 15 May 2025 17:53:51 GMT

@Lukjs Was it direct from EE that you purchased the SIM, as it looks like it is Elite who have added the expiry date on the packaging which unfortunately has been incorrect.

At the time the SIM was issued it would have had that number on it but it will have since been recycled as mentioned due to non usage.

When it comes to the payment link on our website, you can top up or pay a bill towards any number on our online. I am sorry but it is correct we are unable to refund card payments when a top up has been made to the wrong account.

In situations like this we would recommend that you request a chargeback through your bank for the money. The top up would then be removed from the incorrect account and refunded back to you that way.

Alex

Re: Is it a scam?

XRaySpeX — Thu, 15 May 2025 18:57:12 GMT

It would seem to be extreme to be recycling nos. less than 6 months after someone bought a SIM with that no.

Re: Is it a scam?

XRaySpeX — Thu, 15 May 2025 19:03:14 GMT

Sorry, I only just noticed the Elite expiry sticker on the package.