Can't contact EE from the USA - I recently changed to a SIM only plan

[smx94]

Can't contact EE from the USA - I recently changed to a SIM only plan (yesterday) but cannot link my account to this SIM so I'm unable to top this up - how can I go about topping up the SIM/linking this to my account whilst here?

[bristolian]

What did you change to your SIM-only plan from - what were you on before?

If this was just a change of payment plan and you were connecting to US networks prior to it, then you should still be able to connect now.

[smx94]

I was on a monthly SIM only plan which gave me 150GB data per month - I've moved out to the US for the foreseeable, but wanted to keep my EE Sim as I'll be travelling back fairly regularly. Problem is I can't top it up now as I can't link my account via the app

[bristolian]

A change of payment plan is just that, and has no reason to alter your roaming status unless you explicitly request roaming is enabled or disabled. You were on a pay-monthly plan, and remain so - "top up" is usually a phrase associated with a prepayment PAYG phone. Any charges you incur abroad will be added to your monthly bill which you pay in arrears, the opposite of PAYG where you can only spend what credit you have.

[smx94]

Sorry if I wasn't clear - I specifically asked to move to a PAYG Sim plan. That is where my issues are - I now can't get in contact with EE to top up my PAYG Sim

[bristolian]

If you have changed from pay-monthly to PAYG, that is different.

All new PAYG SIMs need to be first activated on EE's UK home network before they will work abroad, and this includes migrations from pay-monthly.

Your new PAYG SIM now needs to be used in the UK before it will work abroad. You can contact EE CS from any working phone on +44 7953 966150 to arrange a top-up, but this won't solve your issue of having a connection to foreign networks.

[smx94]

Would have been useful if EE had told me that before confirming and switching!

Do you know how long my number will be linked to that SIM before it gets disconnected entirely? I wont' be in the UK until May now... panicking about all of the 2FA's I have setup on this number...

[bristolian · Accepted solution]

Non-usage of PAYG falls under the hibernation policy and you have 6 months before initial steps, and a further 3 months grace

https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Pay-as-you-go/What-is-pay-as-you-go-and-flex-hibernation-and-how-do-I-... 

[smx94]

Amazing - thank you! I'll be back in May, so enough time to activate it then!