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spd2demun's profile

Expert

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24.3K Messages

Sunday, December 11th, 2011 6:57 AM

SIM Won't Activate

Long story short--last phone was returned (it came with a SIM), now the existing SIM from old phone will not activate.

 

This has always worked in the past.  I contacted CS and they couldn't activate the SIM; they said I needed to go to a store and buy a new one for $25!  Then CS said they could send a new one for free (I opted for that, but still hasn't arrived).

 

WHY is the old SIM no longer able to be activated by CS?

 

I should mention this is an ancient dumbphone which had no IMEI code inside back of phone, but we were able to retrive it with some keypad codes.

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Official Solution

Expert

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24.3K Messages

12 years ago

Apparently that IS the problem, the iPhone's micro-SIM!

 

Once you go to a micro-SIM phone, they PERMANENTLY deactivate the old (standard size) SIM.  Once a SIM is deactivated, it can NEVER be reactivated.  Thus, the reason for having to buy/get a new SIM. Smiley Sad

 

If going from micro-SIM back to another micro-SIM phone, there is no problem.

 

Sound right?

 

And something ATT sure didn't explain, nor did Apple!

Expert

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12.2K Messages

12 years ago


@spd2demun wrote:

Long story short--last phone was returned (it came with a SIM), now the existing SIM from old phone will not activate.

 

This has always worked in the past.  I contacted CS and they couldn't activate the SIM; they said I needed to go to a store and buy a new one for $25!  Then CS said they could send a new one for free (I opted for that, but still hasn't arrived).

 

WHY is the old SIM no longer able to be activated by CS?

 

I should mention this is an ancient dumbphone which had no IMEI code inside back of phone, but we were able to retrive it with some keypad codes.



was it one of the older blue sims?

Master

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10.2K Messages

12 years ago

Once SIM cards are deactivated, I do not think they can be re-activated. You will have to get a new one. 😐

Returned the iPhone?

Expert

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24.3K Messages

12 years ago

It's blue and white, ATT globe, with 3G fireball.

 

Yes, iPhone was returned.  So, I was thinking the iPhone screwed this up?

 

In the past, we've been able to take the SIM from one phone and put it in another with no problems.  I understand you can't have more than one phone active per number.

 

Just confused about this. Smiley Sad

Professor

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1.2K Messages

12 years ago

You can only have one SIM active, and they activated the new SIM, so the old one was deactivated. I think you can buy adaptors for the mini SIMs, and use the one from the iPhone, but it would probably be as expensive as buying a new SIM.

Expert

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24.3K Messages

12 years ago

That's what I thought, one SIM at a time.  But iPhone was returned, so it should have automatically been deactivated?

 

SIM stayed in iPhone when returned, was that the mistake?

 

 

Professor

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1.2K Messages

12 years ago

I thought the iPhone used a mini SIM, so it would not directly fit. I would have thought the sales Rep would have thought to give you a new SIM.

I suspect they don't keep track of deactivated SIMs, so they couldn't just reactivate.

Expert

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24.3K Messages

12 years ago

I am seriously asking for the veterans' opinions here--do you think what I was told is correct about the SIMs with changing from standard to micro, back to standard?

 

 

Master

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10.2K Messages

12 years ago


@spd2demun wrote:

I am seriously asking for the veterans' opinions here--do you think what I was told is correct about the SIMs with changing from standard to micro, back to standard?

 

 


I'm not sure if I would be considered a "veteran", but I'll help anyway. 🙂

What you were told is correct about the SIM cards - if you move from a standard-sized SIM to a microSIM, the original standard-sized one is permanently deactivated and cannot be re-activated. This is because your information from the standard SIM was already transferred to a microSIM.

I think what you're thinking is that you're stuck with having to use an iPhone and you can never go back to a phone that uses a standard-sized SIM. That is not the case. You can get a new standard-sized SIM and have your information carried over. If you had an older blue SIM card, you will not be able to get one of those back. No need to worry. 🙂

Expert

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24.3K Messages

12 years ago

I would say you qualify. Smiley Wink  And I will believe what actual users say vs. CS--following my own advice from the Uverse side. Smiley Happy

 

Some questions for future phone choices:

Are there other phones that use micro-SIMs, besides new iPhones?

 

Do all new phones qualify for a free SIM, if they don't come with a SIM?

 

If you go micro again, then want to go back to regular; will ATT continue to give a SIM for free?

 

My thinking is IF your micro-phone was lost or went in for repair, and you needed a temp phone (like a Go), you would be out of luck and no way to pop your SIM in temporarily?

 

I'm guessing eventually all phones will go micro, so we won't have to worry about this in the future?

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