Virgin Media Community

[AlwaysLearning]

My octogenarian mum has a Nokiasaurus with a PAYG from the Dark Ages. The sort where you just buy some credit from time to time. But that's all she needs - to make the occasional call and text. She has no interest in data.

Just now she's recovering in hospital and she's had a stack of txts telling her to swap to the new SIM before it expires. Odds are it's lying on her doorstep. 

So, why does she need to swap SIMs? And what will happen if it's not done before October? Her fear is she wakes to find her phone has stopped working.

[dannylau]

Virgin are switching networks, if it's not done it will indeed stop working at some point 

[AlwaysLearning]

So after 45 mins on hold, I finally get through to a human in customer service. I explain the challenge, but honestly don't think I got a consistent reply.

If I understood correctly,
- the handset has to be unlocked before the SIM swap.
- a PAC isn't needed to make the SIM switch.
- the old SIM gets spiked 30 days after the new one is sent whether the new SIM is activated or not.

Does that fit with the views here?

[Paul_DN]

Hi AlwaysLearning,

Thank you for reaching out to us in our community, A PAC code is only needed if you are taking your number to a new provider, once you receive the new sim it must be put in the phone within 30 days.

Depending on the handset you may need a network unlock code.

Regards

Paul.

[AlwaysLearning]

After another 45 min wait in the queue, VM are going to sent out a replacement new SIM. Seems this cancels the original 30 days and starts a new 30 days. At least this buys me some more time to arrange support for a remote SIM change over ... I'm 300 miles away from my mother so it isn't easy.

[Paul_DN]

Hi AlwaysLearning,

Thank you for coming back to us, sounds like a military operation, I hope you manage to get your mum sorted.

Kind regards

Paul.

[Spacey123]

Seems you’re having better luck than me!  Trying to sort a similar thing for my mother but am unable to get anyone to mail a new SIM!

so difficult when you’re trying to help them remotely. 

[-tony- · Accepted solution]

if the phone originally came from VM it will need unlocking and that is not always easy with older phones - if they can provide an unlock code then its a matter of putting the new sim in and entering the code and hopefully it will work

you mention Nokia and there are many posts on here where users have had problems

if they cannot give a code - assuming the phone is locked or it will not unlock they can send a replacement phone foc i believe

[AlwaysLearning · Accepted solution]

I remember years ago my mum had to put a password on her account so my sister could sort something out. This time around she had no idea what the password was, but I was able to guess. This seemed to get me access to her account via calling Customer Services. The chap I spoke to was happy to send the replacement new SIM to a different address but only time will tell if it actually turns up here or not.

[David_Bn]

Hi AlwaysLearning,

Do please let us know how you get along and if you need further assistance, we'll seek to assist you on our Community Forums

Kindest regards,

David_Bn