Can't convert add-on from 10 pounds credit to text in South Africa

[gerasmus]

I am in South Africa on EE prepaid and have 10 pounds credit with long duration (4 months+) stay and not returning to UK until at least 2025.

How can't I convert an add-on from 10 pounds credit =>> Text/data? 

Non-descriptive error "Can't complete at this time" or something similar from ee.co.uk website

I changed phones and need to receive SMS to activate WhatsApp, Telegram etc, my home business is reliant on WhatsApp.

Since changing phones, I did not receive any welcoming text from EE

Even when using EE website doesn't convert credit => text/data without non-descriptive error.

How do I convert credit to text?

I've tried using a VPN to UK, no success.

This would be the first time that I would try to top up when outside UK. 

Phone: Redmi Note 10 Pro

SIM unlocked bought boxed sealed new in South Africa 03/2022.

[XRaySpeX]

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@gerasmus wrote:

SIM unlocked bought boxed sealed new in South Africa 03/2022.

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EE PAYG SIMs need 1st activating on EE's home UK network before they can be used abroad. If it wasn't you can't now use it until you return to UK.

[gerasmus]

I must have been extremely fortunate; I used the SIM without it having ever been in the UK. 

A friend of mine went to UK 09/2021 and bought the sim at Tesco, brought it back for me.

I inserted the sim into my Android phone and got a welcome SMS from EE, and that was it. 

I'm unlikely to set foot on British soil no earlier than 2025.

I have bank services tied to my sim.

You are telling me is that I have lost access to the sim? 

[XRaySpeX · Accepted solution]

Ah, that's a diff story. You originally said it was "bought boxed sealed new in South Africa 03/2022". Your pal must have used it for calls or texts in UK. But now after such a long time your PAYG SIM has been deactivated. 

From what you now tell me it was last used for a chargeable action over a year ago. EE PAYG SIMs are deactivated after 6 months of non-use. You then have a further 3 months to call EE to reactivate it before it is lost completely.

You needed to make a chargeable action like making a chargeable call or text, topping up or buying a Pack or Add-on, not just using your mins, texts or data from your pack.