topic Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network in SIM cards & Porting

Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

ee1992ee — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 12:35:23 GMT

I received a SIM card and my new phone and the SIM is not activated, and neither is my contract. Despite waiting weeks and weeks and having to write to and complain to Equifax because they couldn't validate my ID (as, due to EE website not working, I made several orders). I was misled by the person who set up my contract.

EE have been useless and I regret switching after 15 years with O2. They now say it'll take up to 72 hours to activate my contract which, oh, what a coincidence, would be the weekend when the team don't work. And then I might need a SIM card. And then wait longer for number porting.

After hundreds of hours spent on the phone and emailing, and nothing even approaching recompense or speediness, I have to ask if anyone else has had such a poor customer experience?

It's like they don't actually want customers..

I was going to get an Apple Watch when this is FINALLY activated and get my family onto EE but they have been the worst company I've ever dealt with. Their tagline should be 'computer says no'

Re: Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

ee1992ee — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 12:39:15 GMT

The mobile care team would like to help but they come up against inflexible processes and have no power to escalate or expedite.

The exec complaints team would like to help too but are told computer says no.

The culture at this company disempowers employees, disregards customers and shows a disconnect between senior leaders and those at the coalface. It is not working.

Re: Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

Christopher_G — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 15:40:36 GMT

Hi @ee1992ee

Welcome to the community.

I'm really sorry to hear about the start of your time with us. Mostly the activation process is pretty straight-forward and goes through without a hitch. I'm sorry that this hasn't been the case for you. It sounds like the issue you're having may be a complex one. Do you know if a ticket has been raised to our technical team for investigation?

Chris

Re: Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

ee1992ee — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 16:21:19 GMT

Hi @Christopher_G

Thanks so much for responding. I wanted to join EE with its better coverage and speed but have honestly spent at least 50 hours writing emails and making phone calls because of hiccups in the Equifax process identifying me due to the multiple orders (when website malfunctioned) and a whole load of other issues which I won't go into.

I have been working evenings and weekends to make up all the time lost just trying to join EE. It's been so painful and it goes on and on.

I don't know if a ticket was raised - I wasn't told that one had been. I asked for and did get an account number though (not that this links to my EE online account or helps get me on the network).

Chris - this has been the worst experience I've had with a firm and I would do anything just to get it fixed!

Re: Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

Katie_B — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 18:25:28 GMT

Thanks for getting back to us so quickly @ee1992ee.

I have picked up the private message you have sent and will respond to you in private.

Speak soon,

Katie 🙂

Re: Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

ee1992ee — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 18:53:57 GMT

Thank you Katie!

Re: Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

ee1992ee — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 18:03:52 GMT

I have spoken to EE again and they have told me that it might take up to SEVEN DAYS for my new phone SIM to activate. I have not been told this before and was given a much shorter maximum timeframe.

Could someone please confirm that it will be a maximum of seven days and that there will not be further delays or issues? Is someone actively working on this? I had so many issues getting the phone in the first place that it feels almost like punishment for switching.

Re: Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

Christopher_G — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 08:21:00 GMT

It sounds like it is being handled by our technical support team, @ee1992ee.

I can't guarantee anything with timescales, but can say that the team will be working on the ticket to get you up and running as soon as possible. Please keep us updated with what happens.

Chris

Re: Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

ee1992ee — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 08:31:11 GMT

I will, Chris. When I was buying and Equifax were making it as difficult as possible to get ID&V confirmation despite sending all requested evidence, EE gave me dates of a month, a day, a week and other timelines which did not correspond with reality.

Eventually it went through and I noticed that after 14 days my phone was available to be bought upfront online but was not being sent out to contracted customers!

For the SIM activation I've been told immediate, 24 hours, 36 hours, 72 hours and now 7 whole days. I don't believe it can possibly take that long, it must be mean it's gathering dust in long queue. If it takes that long then I only hope this is the end of it. The customer experience has been so much worse than any other company where you sign a mutual contract and people have the integrity to say what they're going to do and then do what they've said, because it's putting customers in a fully informed position pre-contract and then treating customers fairly to bring about a good outcome.

I have concerns that you do not have the systems and controls proportionate to the size of your business to be able to serve customers in line with your responsibilities as a regulated provider of consumer credit contracts.

A vague 'we're working on it' does not bode well. We'll see what happens by Tuesday but I expect it's sitting in a long queue and a technician will look at it on or after the deadline and decide I need a new SIM card or to wait longer. I am no longer letting hope triumph over experience with the network.

Re: Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

Christopher_G — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 08:34:27 GMT

The SIM activation process is usually really quick, @ee1992ee. It usually goes through within a couple of hours and no more than 24 hours, unless there's a technical problem.

It sounds like there's been a technical problem, which is why yours is taking much longer than normal.

I hope it's fixed soon for you.

Chris

Re: Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

ee1992ee — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 23:20:12 GMT

After spending more than now countless(!) hours emailing and on the phone to EE, and staring like a moron at the chat for hours at a time watching tumbleweed, I finally got to the point of successfully transferring from o2 after 15 years with them and the SIM was activated (thanks in no small part to this community). I am paying £150 a month but EE do not seem to treat customers fairly or act in line with FCA regulation. As a regulatory expert, I will be making a complaint to the FOS and FCA on various grounds but will also be complaining to Ofcom. I still do not have a functional EE contract, despite paying.

To summarise:
- EE failed to initiate my contract because they could not verify my identity with Equifax. I verified my identity by uploading documents manually with Equifax but this was apparently insufficient. EE kept moving the goalposts on timelines and failed to initiate my service in a timely manner. Their terms and communications were not fair and transparent in line with Ofcom regulations and I will need to pursue them through the routes available (Mis-selling)

- the way the contract was sold was misleading and I suffered significant delays and unexpected additional waiting for my contract to be activated (Mis-selling 2)

- I am being billed despite my number porting failing and not being able to receive calls or messages (Billing)

- The terms and conditions and advertising of the contract process did not in any way follow the reality, which was extremely burdensome and caused me material detriment (Terms)

- Despite EE agreeing to in-port my number from o2 by the end of Tuesday, I still cannot receive calls or messages on my new number (except from EE customers). This is in breach of the Ofcom General Conditions:

This condition requires all providers of public electronic communications networks to negotiate interconnection agreements with other network providers on request… aims to ensure that customers of communications providers are not overcharged and that they receive the services they are charged and pay for, that they can adequately control how much they spend on the usage of voice call and data services, and that they are treated fairly where they have not paid their bills.

in addition to the above, conditions B and C of the Ofcom General Conditions of Entitlement set out the disclosures and timelines that EE should have provided me and the information they should have obtained from o2 by the deadline of Tuesday at 6pm. This deadline passed and I still cannot receive EE texts or calls.

EE failed to mention the compensation requirements:

Once you have given your new provider the PAC, they will notify your current provider of the port request, and your number should normally be ported and ready to use with your new services within one working day.

Compensation if your switch is delayed

If the switch takes more than one working day or there is an abuse of the process by your provider, you are entitled to reasonable compensation from your provider. Providers must inform customers how to access this compensation and how it will be paid.

Right to port

When signing up with a new provider you can also request to keep your old phone number for free by contacting your new provider even if you have already cancelled your previous service (as long as you request this within one month of cancelling).

I am disappointed in many aspects of the EE service before and since joining and will address those separately in a comprehensive complaint to the FOS and FCA as a regulated contract is being provided here.

I feel as though EE do not care about my business and have made barely any effort to apologise for (let alone compensate for) the absurd delays since before I joined.

When I received my phone and SIM card, the SIM was not even activated. I had to wait days for that and EE were gormless instead of apologetic.

Now I have been promised a number porting from o2 but, here we are, 54 hours after the agreed deadline and many days after I called to ask for it to be complete, and I cannot receive calls or texts from non-EE numbers.

why did I not receive an apology? Why was this not expedited? Why has compensation never been mentioned?

why can’t they just get on with it and complete the port so I can use my phone and watch?

The watch, incidentally, does not work independently of the phone but that was to be expected and will be the next delay after this one. I’ve followed all the instructions set down online and reset network settings many times, reset phone countless times, spoken to EE who do not seem aware of their regulatory responsibilities or interested in a good customer journey or their duty to ensure good consumer outcomes.

o2 confirmed explicitly that they met and meet their Ofcom obligations. EE don’t even seem to acknowledge them.

why has joining EE and all the delays at every single stage been the most difficult customer experience of my life, been met with disinterest from the company, and left me now paying for a service which does not work? Why can’t they just get on and port the number so I can use it?

EE are looking like a stain on the industry and the worst contract a person can possibly take out.

Re: Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

ee1992ee — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 23:24:35 GMT

I am glad this has been merged with my previous comment as it’s clear that this single issue has been so painful and I’ve been told so many different things by every person I speak to.

I should add that after hours on hold or waiting on chat for EE, I get responses which are so templated that I think they are just reading off the website.

The Executive Leadership Team should be made aware of how bad the customer journey is, that nothing happens to make up for that, that staff clearly do not have the capacity/capability/training to carry out their duties effectively, and that interactions with the company do not speak of integrity or seeking to bring about good customer outcomes.

It is delay after mistake after excuse after made-up timelines after inadequate disclosures after basic failures to provide a proper phone service. Totally dysfunctional.

The only place you find coherent responses are from the staff on this community board, hence why I return.

to be an optimist for a moment, I guess the only way is up from this deep trough of successive failure?

Re: Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

ee1992ee — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 23:27:53 GMT

@Christopher_G if I knew of a God to pray to with some success, you would be featuring heavily tonight as someone who works tirelessly to help. One of the few good eggs I’ve come across in this company, I hope you’re rewarded handsomely!

Re: Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

ee1992ee — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 23:30:04 GMT

(More than 4.5 days ago!!)

Re: Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

ee1992ee — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 23:33:03 GMT

Sorry to bang on here, but key point that it should not be the customer’s responsibility to sort out whether the issue is with the gaining or losing provider. I’ve spoken to both, at length, multiple times, and both blame each other.

Re: Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

Christopher_G — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 08:11:16 GMT

Hi @ee1992ee

I'm sorry to hear that isn't fixed yet. I've sent you a private message to get some information from you. Could you have a look and get back to me please?

Thanks

Chris

Re: Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

ee1992ee — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 19:01:26 GMT

Update on this:
- o2 SIM card deactivated yesterday so that I didn’t have one number running from both networks. I thought this was exciting and rebooted/reset network settings about 40 times since to check if EE was fully functional.

- still unable to receive texts or calls. This means that I cannot get verification codes to access my bank accounts, emails or other key apps. I am an elected Councillor and my residents cannot reach me, and I cannot get into my email, so this is causing me real problems.

- spoke to EE and they said I would get a credit and this should be resolved by Monday or Tuesday.

- the frustrating thing is that the relevant porting team aren’t working over the weekend but if this was escalated to an Executive within EE I’m sure they could get someone to fix this in a second.

- so, I am left struggling to work, unable to serve my council residents and unable to access key apps. The credit on my bill is appreciated but I really don’t care about the money. I just need a phone that works.

- I am wondering whether to write to the Executive Team on this to let them know the harm that it is being caused and how disappointing it is that they haven’t gone the extra mile to resolve. Key people not working over the weekend is not a great excuse; you shouldn’t have a single person or team dependency when such harm, detriment and unfair outcomes are happening. Failure of systems and controls.

Re: Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

ee1992ee — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 14:49:35 GMT

Finally resolved.

unfortunately there is no resolution for others to use - if EE take against you because you make a complaint against them, everything seems to go at a snail’s pace and nobody is ready, willing and able to take personal accountability. The community forum team have been the only genuinely helpful ones.

i will be taking this up with OFCOM, the FOS and FCA but, after about a month, am glad to have a phone and network that actually works.

Re: Contract SIM not activated - EE: the computer says no network

James_B — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 14:51:47 GMT

Thanks for the update @ee1992ee

I'm happy to hear it has now been resolved. 🙂

James