Prepaid data Sims unused but useless?

[kar999]

I purchased some EE and Three data Sims to use infrequently in a Mifi. I came to use a sealed EE 6GB 90 day sim only to find it said "invalid sim" in my EE osprey Mifi. Customer services told me this sim, and the others which are all unopened, I had were all useless with the numbers being either expired or reallocated to other customers.

Apparently I should have activated them all within a few months of purchase. Not really an option if they all expire within 90 days once activated. I appear to have paid good money for 6 sealed Sims all with 6GB 90day stickers on them that are now totally useless. The only indication of an expiry date is on the top up credit type card in the packet which says expiry 07/23 being some way off into the future!

I've been using similar prepaid data sims from Three for the last few years with no activation problems. I've just put a 4 year old prepaid 3GB Three SIM in my Mifi and it was up and running.

EE - can someone please tell me how I can get access to the data that I have paid good money for on these unused sims please? If Three can get their Sims to work flawlessly it can't be that difficult surely!

[XRaySpeX]

@kar999 : Sounds like they have gone into hibernation.

When did you purchase them? 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 add-ons.

FYI: The SIMs don't expire after 90 days; just the data add-on on them runs out. You can then buy further add-ons to continue using the SIM.

[kar999]

These were purchased a couple of years ago. They are Data only, loaded with 6GB which once started expires after 90 days so you can't activate them without the data  clocks starting to run down.

They are not like telephony Sims where a chargeable event like a text keeps the SIM alive. They are not add-ons. The Sims come preloaded with prepaid data.

The whole point of these Sims were to pop them in my Mifi to get the data for 90 days such as on holiday or in my case to run a remote IP camera network.

Three sell them as "internet with legs" data sim such as 12gb of data lasting 12 months.

[XRaySpeX]

I know! I had 1 once for a mobile BB router, It came with a 90-day data add-on & when it expired we topped up & bought more add-ons. After we stopped using it deactivated some months later & disappeared from MyEE.

You bought yours pre-packaged in a shop.

[kar999]

Thanks @XRaySpeX 🌝

Two of my data Sims also came in EE Mifi boxes but I never used them previously as I signed up for a mobile data contract sim. I need the prepaid data now at a new location.

My point is all of these Sims are still in sealed packaging and totally unused with "includes 6GB data valid for up to 90 days" stickers on them.

Customer service told me I needed to top them up to get anything now as the data I had purchased previously,  not activated and not used had expired.

Apart from the two which came in the Mifi boxes I paid £17+ for each of the others from Currys and they are still "brand new" having never been used or opened.

[Christopher_G]

Hi @kar999

Welcome to the community.

I recommend speaking to our Mobile Care team, they have access to your account and will be able to look into the status of the SIM cards for you.

Let us know how you get on.

Chris

[kar999]

@Christopher_G thanks. I briefly spoke to PAYG support last night and they just gave me the bad news. These sims won't show up on "my account" as they are individually purchased preloaded sealed data SIMs not registered to me personally. All they will see is my mobile telephone contract and a completely separate data sim contract.  Customer service said at least one of the data sim numbers were in use by another person so if I tried to top it up I'd be giving someone else credit!

Is the mobile care team different to the PAYG support? If so I'll call them. If not I'll list all 6 SIM numbers and try and escalate this to a formal complaint route via email somehow.

I've paid good money in good faith for data and got absolutely nothing in return!

Fortunately I've been able to use a Three data sim to keep my IP security camera working. 

[Christopher_G · Accepted solution]

They're part of the same team, @kar999

I've sent you a private message to get some information from you.

Please have a look and get back to me.

Thanks

Chris

[kar999]

@Christopher_G Customer services have contacted me and confirmed all the data Sims have expired and the numbers mostly reused elsewhere. The data I paid for but never used has gone so I wasted my money. Apparently it's an Ofcom regulation to recycle and reuse old inactive numbers after 6-12 months. Thankfully that's a policy Three don't seem to have adopted with their data sims which I'm using.

Fortunately I came to a reasonable resolution with EE customer services.

So, a word of warning to anyone who wants to buy preloaded EE data Sims from major retailers like Argos which are  currently on sale (see below) for £19.99

They will expire, if not activated, within a few months and you will have wasted your money. The packaging doesn't state this and the expiry date on the top up card such as 10/23 is meaningless. It's not the expiry date of the SIM as I thought.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8834209

If you do buy one of these Sims use it promptly and buy an add-on after it expires before in gets deactivated. Many thanks for the help @Christopher_G  and colleagues at customer service. 

[XRaySpeX]

@kar999 : Thanks! You're welcome 🙂 ! Glad I could be of assistance.