How to get a replacement sim when abroad

[Diwedd]

Hello,

I am currently abroad and my sim has stopped working.  I am not longer receiving any text messages including one time pins from the UK.  I know EE won't send sims abroad and will send a replacement sim to my UK address.  I also know that the sim will need to be activated in the UK. 

My question is, if the sim is sent to my home address and a family member inserts it into their phone to activate it, will it work in my phone when I get it (eventually)?  The idea is that a family member will activate the sim and then post the sim card to me.  However, I don't know if the sim can be transferred from one phone to another. 

Many thanks. 

[Katie_B]

Hello @Diwedd. 

Thanks for coming here. 

Is your SIM a pay as you go or pay monthly SIM?

If you send a replacement SIM to your home address and this is activated it should work OK once you receive it. 

Katie

[XRaySpeX]

If it's a PAYG SIM, a call or text will need to be made while in UK.

[bristolian]

Are you able to receive voice calls?

Although it's part of EE's diagnostic process, I have some doubts that an inability to receive SMS is often caused by a faulty SIM.

[Diwedd]

Hello @Katie_B 

Thank you for your reply.  It is a monthly SIM.  Good to hear it should work.  I wonder if anyone can confirm whether it does work.  I am unable to do any banking at the moment, so if the replacement SIM isn't going to work, then it is no good. 

[Diwedd]

@XRaySpeX 

It's a monthly SIM, but by the sound of it, it will have to be activated in the UK anyway. 

[Diwedd]

@bristolian 

I am unable to get calls and text messages, so I assume the SIM has stopped working.  I inserted it into another phone and same thing - no calls, no messages.  It is for this reason why I am concerned whether a new activated SIM will actually work when I get it. 

[bristolian]

All replies on this forum are visible to everyone, there's no need to direct specific ones at individuals.

What seems to be missing from the descriptions thus far, is whether you have mobile network coverage where you are. If you don't have that, then lack of ability to call, text or use mobile data naturally flows.

SIM issues may be one potential cause if so, but there are others. Being clear on what the actual issue is, should be part of any diagnostic. So do you have network coverage but are unable to use it for a particular activity? Or do you not have network coverage?

And when you say you are "no longer" receiving texts, have you been able to do so abroad previously? In other words, has roaming (this is the term for using your phone abroad) worked for you previously - have you been able to connect to foreign networks in the past?

[Diwedd]

@bristolian 

Thank you for your reply.  Up until a week ago I could make and receive calls and send and receive texts without any problems.  I move around a fair bit where I am and I regularly got automated texts from EE welcoming me to the country in which I am currently based.  So, coverage has not been an issue at all.

I checked my roaming setting and it is active.  I previously connected to foreign networks without any problems.  This problem literally started out of the blue a week ago. 

[James_B]

Hi @Diwedd,

Does your phone currently show it has a connection with a mobile network in the status bar at the top of your home screen?

James