A tale of two SIMs

[Midnight_Voice]

I had a Moto G on EE for years, starting 2013, but was told the service it used was going to be discontinued in early 2023. So I looked at deals for a new phone, a mid-range Samsung, but I couldn’t make EE’s numbers work for me, so I went with a two-year O2 deal, phone and data, that ended in November 2024,

After which I could make EE’s numbers work for me, I thought, with a £10 SIM-only data deal. So I waited, and I waited, and I waited, but the SIM didn’t arrive, and the O2 end date was looming. Accordingly, I went to the EE shop in town, where a nice man set me up with a new SIM. And I came home to find the SIM from EE had finally arrived 😢

But no worries, I thought, it’s been cancelled, so I put it in a drawer and left it, in case EE asked for it back. And a few weeks later, doing my admin, I found it, cut it up, and disposed of it.

Now, I’ve never been able to see my EE bills (which somebody is working on for me) but it was £10 in November (correct), £22 in December (what?!) and £33 in January (**bleep**?!). Which I only know from my bank statements.

But I’d gone through the whole O2 contract without spending a penny over the monthly minimum, except for once roaming in Morocco as our cruise ship sailed past it. So I didn’t think this was data. And lately, I haven’t left dry land.

And indeed it wasn’t data; turned out the nice man in the EE shop hadn’t been able to swap his SIM for the one that was coming, so he had done a whole new plan. Leaving the delayed SIM to continue as a further plan.

But, I said, I never activated it. Doesn’t matter; contract SIMs carry on costing, activated or not. Who knew? Did you know that? Does everybody know that but me?

Anyway, it’s being sorted out - fortunately, as it was EE’s mistake - but it still worries me a bit. EE post you a live SIM you are already paying for. What if you never get it, as some bad actor has intercepted it? Are there safeguards that would mean he couldn’t just activate it, and carry on at my expense? I hope so, but what are they?

Anyway, that’s December sorted. Can’t wait to get access to my billing, finally find out what the £33 in January was…

[Northerner]

Hi @Midnight_Voice 

Interesting post. 

There is an argument for esims here but not all phones accept them and the process to get one is just laborious. Ideally download the EE app, register for a new number (PAYG, SIM only) subject to credit check for the SIM only you should be on your way in no more than 10 mins. Cancellation should be as simple via the app. Maybe one day. 

The mistake in your post is the EE store should have just given you a new SIM but they didn't and you were not told or didn't check, which is no criticism but something people have posted about many times when going in store. 

The increased cost is likely a mixture of the yearly increase and maybe the end of an offer period. 

Thanks 

[Peter_W]

Morning @Midnight_Voice , thanks for taking the time to share the experience you had here with the Community.

I'm glad to hear that you managed to get on the case with this, did our team manage to cancel the second line and refund you the charges in this instance?

Please keep us posted on how things go with your account and January bill too, and if needs be we can go from there. 

Peter