Changes in PAYG workflow?

[MacClumsey]

Previously, it was my understanding that, when one buys a PAYG subscription pack (e.g. 8 Gb for 10 GBP), these 10 pounds counted towards the balance and effectively gave one corresponding amount of data straight away. Now, it appears as though this amount only buys you a SIM and ability to top up the balance, but this top up should be done separately, as yet another payment. Is this right? Because this is what I am seeing - it looks like the deal only included small amount of free trial data, and now the balance is zero. I cannot find where this change is described explicitly, can anybody help?

[Katie_B]

Hello @MacClumsey. 

Thanks for coming here. 

Have you purchased a pre-loaded EE SIM?

Katie

[XRaySpeX]

There are 2 main ways of getting a PAYG SIM from EE:

1. Get a free PAYG SIM & top up later at your convenience in order to buy the primed pack.
2. Buy a PAYG SIM for a price (e.g. £10 for an 8GB pack) which immediately goes towards your credit to buy the primed pack. There is no immediate need to top-up further.

Which have you done? You seem to have mixed up the 2 methods.

In both cases the pack will start when you start using any of its allowances & you will need to top-up again when the pack expires & you want to continue with it.

[MacClumsey]

I went to EE store and purchased what I thought was a preloaded SIM for 10 quid. I even checked it immediately, and the data was there - although now I think it was some kind of trial data, only a few Mbs. However in a few hours it transpired that my balance was zero and I had no data, no calls and no texts. Customer support wasn't helpful either, kept talking about some 16-digit voucher - except I never got any vouchers and neither expected that - for a preloaded SIM. A good option would obviously be to visit the store in person, but I have already left for the part of the country where there are no stores. So I have essentially ended up without connectivity. I am pretty sure the mix-up wasn't mine, since I did exactly the same thing in the past, and it worked as expected. But this assurance doesn't help at the moment.

[XRaySpeX]

What does texting AL to 150 from your no. fully report verbatim (it is free)?

[MacClumsey]

Your current balance as of today 19:08 is £0.00. For more info on your packs, add-ons or free boosts, go to the EE app or ee.co.uk

For info on our other Text Services, reply HELP or go to ee.co.uk/textservices 

To reiterate, mobile data used between purchase and the moment I realized it's gone was around 50-60 Mb at most, according to the phone stats, and calls/texts weren't used at all. Therefore it couldn't have been depleted "regularly". Actually I checked balance even before mobile data stopped working, and it was already 0, but I thought it was some kind of technicality. Now I realize it was only trial data.

[XRaySpeX]

The credit might take a day to appear.