Forum Discussion
Failure to activate new SIM
Just order a SIM and tried to activate yesterday. The dashboard told me that it would happen in 2 hours and my old number will port on Monday. Activation didn't happen and a 4 hour web chat got me nowhere other than being told to wait as they are working in it. Still no progress today. Anyone else in the same situation? Customer Service not very impressive considering I'm a new customer đ
33 Replies
Yes me... extremely annoyed as the tariff still runs when suspending old sim yet cant use the new one when it arrives. waiting 24 hours now
Can I suggest reading the help articles that have been kindly supplied by Smarty Staff.
I believe that they will inform you that your assumption is not that the Tarrif runs from the moment you buy it while still waiting for replacement SIM. If it does it explains a compensation system.
I'll leave you to do some reading
I don't know if it's this group or just Smarty getting their act together but the phone just started working! Thank you so much if it was you chaps! I'm totally stoked!
Nice one !
As you were in Switzerland, even if you could have somehow got hold of a Smarty SIM, it still wouldnât have activated - SIM cards only activate for the first time when connected to their home network in their home country.
I am a Smarty customer who lost my phone whilst abroad. A new SIM card was ordered and sent, although time passed whilst I arrived home and replaced my phone. When the SIM card was placed in the phone it never activated. My account was suspended temporarily. When I got in touch with customer service the account seemed to be unsuspended but the SIM card still hasn't activated... for two weeks! For 14 days I've been going round in circles with several customer service reps, some worse than others, one who seemed to think I wanted a new contract and was trying to sell me a new contract, ignoring the fact I was just waiting to get my current contract back online. It has all been reported on the same chat thread. I've had about 6 customer service reps trying to "help" me and I'm still waiting for my card to activate. I'm constantly told it has been passed on to a team for resolution and next thing I know I've got a new customer service rep trying to talk me through the same problem, usually repeating what has already been said.
I think the person, StevenW, who had to go at you for simply asking if anyone else had experienced problem was a bit out of order. Customer service has been very poor and to think that after two weeks I'm still waiting for my service to come back on, just shows an appalling service. No one of any kind of rank, or technical expertise, has attempted to advise or support me and the worst thing about this problem is that my online banking has been screwed up by all this. My online banking is attached to my phone number and requires verification through phone messages it sends me. It's caused a real problem.
I'm stuck in limbo as I don't even think I can move my number across to another service until this problem is resolved. I have no phone, I have no number, but I'm still paying for the service. A few days ago they debited the bank account, that pays for my service, for a month's usage I haven't had! There's no real support here. I'm really stuck and really fed up.
I think what may have stuck me was that I received the sim quite quickly but was in Switzerland and had bought no replacement phone. That happened two weeks later. I tried to activate the SIM two weeks after it arrived. I'm wondering if that's what stalled the process. That's the only thing I can think that's a problem.
This is something that forum moderator Matthew_SMARTY needs to look into for you.
When you lose a phone, your SIM is blocked, to prevent unauthorised usage.
You should have turned off auto renew on your plan, that way you would not have been charged.
I didn't want to lose the contract as I think I'm still getting a good deal from Three's roaming charges, as I've had the account so long. The account seems to be unsuspended but the card still won't activate. They haven't sent me another new card or suggested doing that. They just keep asking me to check if the card is now active. It isn't.
I posted the same text twice and can't see how to delete a post so have edited this one out. Please read post below.
Problem has now been resolved. The activation eventually completed and the port of my old number had to be manually restarted by the tech complaints team. The port has just completed and all seems to work okay.
Thatâs good news and no doubt a relief.
PeterSc_2226258 Good news indeed! It's a pity you had so much aggro, but that should be the end of it hopefully.
Thanks for letting us know and good luck.
PeterSc_2226258 Did you try to port your number before you had confirmation that the new sim had been activated?
I can't help wondering if that may have thrown the system into disarray as it was trying to get the details of a sim that did not yet appear as cleared on the system.
I entered my PAC when I ordered the SIM. The process seemed to allow that and the dashboard says it will port on Monday. I have a smarty phone number but I can't understand why the most basic process falls over . I am told by my existing provider that the port cannot happen until the new SIM is active. Stalemate!
There is the problem - The Smarty system did not have a live activated SIM onto which to port your number.
Unfortunately, you âjumped the gunâ in the nicest possible way. If you had activated your SIM in the first instance and then gave Smarty your PAC code I doubt you would be in the situation you are now. When I joined Smarty in June of this year, I ordered my SIM, then, when it arrived, I activated the SIM first and then followed up the activation by porting my number across from EE by using my PAC code.The good news is that although you have bought your first months plan, your first month wonât actually start until your SIM has been activated, so you are not losing any days usage, whether the SIM is activated next week or at Christmas.
Welcome to the Smarty customers forum.
Smarty Agents are busy people, and they will get things done in time.
What makes you think you're more special/important than anyone else, just because you describe yourself as a "new customer"? There are plenty of new AND existing customers who are being dealt with, and by being less than complementary about Smarty won't put you ahead of anyone else.
If you "tried" to activate yesterday, the best you get is probably by Monday 5pm. Be patient.
You really need to learn how to communicate with people. This response is not helpful. It's simply arrogant and rude.
Nothing about the OPs post suggested he thought he was better than any other customer. But as a customer, he deserves a service that actually works and when it doesn't, expedient explanation and support. All customers deserve this. It doesn't make any of them special. They just deserve the service thry pay for to be provided to them.
Thanks for your "helpful" comments. I don't expect special treatment, but I do expect to receive the service I have paid for.
Your words suggest otherwise, get used to being in the queue just like everybody else, not as your "especially as I'm a new customer" suggest you want to be treated.
