Yes, you can.
Note: You will lose your new sim card number though. You need 3 sim cards (numbers) if you want to keep two of them.
I ordered a new sim card (make sure to tell them when you want it shipped not the delivery date. Ask them when the first bill will be too and make sure to tell them to note it down) and that was on a 24 month contract (unlimited data) with a new number. I wanted my old sim (number) to have the contract and they could do this.
Calling 150, this is what happens (paraphrasing):
Me: I want to have this number (the one I'm calling from is my old sim/number - pay as you go with £34.70 credit) to have the monthly contract of a new sim card I ordered. I want my credit to also be transferred over to the contract. Please make sure to note down my existing credit (this is important, because they can't quickly check how much credit you had once the transfer is complete).
Them: Okay, we have written noted down how much credit you currently have and that you want it transferred over. Now tell me the number of the new sim card so we can get the transfer process started.
Me: Okay, the number is ... (read out the number from the label received with the new sim card in the post).
Them: We'll transfer over the contract to the number you're calling from ending in ... . [... Wait a few minutes] It's been done now and it can take 48 hours... Line gets disconnected. My phone says 'no service'.
Me: I swapped out my existing sim card (that was in my phone) to the new sim card (it now has my old number). I went online and saw that my email address no longer has any devices/numbers connected to it. So I connect my old number back to it again.
I check my phone with the new sim card inserted and it's working.
I check my contacts on my iPhone and my card (my name) and it shows my old number still.
I go back to check my online account and notice the balance is £0.00 and the credit hasn't been transferred over to my first bill.
I decide to call 150 again to ask them why.
Them: Your balance shows £0.00 I can't check back to see what your previous Pay As You Go balance was. Let me check the notes. Oh, I see £34.70 is written here in the notes. We will add this credit to your next bill (not your first bill). Is that okay?
Me: Okay.
So it wasn't already done it seems. I had to call to make sure...
I also contacted the online chat and they said wait 7-14 days for it to be transferred to my bank account. This was wrong/incorrect information. For now, avoid using the online chat because they have less power and are inconsistent to what is said in phone calls. Nor do they make any notes (although the transcript of the conversation is still saved for them to view over - I can't see the transcripts though nor do the people on the phone check that).
I also noticed a £50 deposit service charge for my first bill. I asked them to remove that from my first bill and they did so. I checked my online account and it still shows on it. But they said from their system, it has been removed and I will only be charged my first months bill amount. I will check my bank statement to make sure I have been charged the correct amount (hasn't currently taken place yet).
How EE could improve:
- Confirm the shipping date (not delivery date) of the new sim card.
- When transferring from pay as you go to pay monthly, keep the balance of the pay as you go credit in the account (somewhere). Have that amount credited to the first bill (deduct from that).
- The £50 deposit service charge - shouldn't be added in as the default without telling the customer first. In all my phone calls / online chats, this was never mentioned.
If it must be added in as a default (through whatever system used such as credit check), if a customer asks for it removed afterwards and they do so, have the online account (that the user has access to) be updated straight away to reflect this.
- Have customer service tell you that once the transfer is complete, your sim card will no longer work and will show no service. You must change the current sim to the new sim card, it will still have your old number though. This should occur before they've confirmed the transfer process, so I don't just randomly get disconnected mid-call.
- Be able to change from Pay As You Go to Pay Monthly (and vice versa) without having to order a new sim card.
I'd recommend sending in a complaint, if you (like me), also want these problems more easily resolved:
https://ee.co.uk/contact-ee/complaint
