How to activate SIM?

[RSDraig]

I have a new SIM card, how do I activate it? The instructions on the SIM packaging (i.e. go to sky.com/sim) don't work - it just takes me to my account page that lists the already active SIMs on my account, but not the new one.

ChatGPT (because I've spent 90 mins on Sky help pages with no useful info whatsoever), says to go to https://www.sky.com/myaccount/mobile/activate-sim/1/with-code, this is more useful, but gives me a message: '

We're still activating your SIM...'

but it has been 4 days since I received the SIM, and I haven't tried to activate it yet (can't find anywhere to do it!), I've simply put it into the phone. The phone shows 5 bars of signal, with an 'x' and 'emergency' message.

So, what do I do? The SIM packaging says to 'enter your activation code from this pack', but where?

I've tried calling, but no answer, chat is closed and Sky help info is no use!

[caesarome]

@RSDraig 

That is the link to use:

https://www.sky.com/myaccount/mobile/activate-sim/1/with-code

If you can't activate the sim due to this error you will have to find away to contact Sky so they can activate it for you, there are links to their social media sites at the bottom of the page  if you do not have access to another phone.

[RSDraig]

Hi, thanks, thats the link I've tried to use, it just says that Sky are 'still activating the SIM', there's nowhere for me to enter an activation code.

As for 'trying to find a way to contact Sky', that is exactly why I am here, there doesn't seem to be a way to do so.

[caesarome]

@RSDraig 

We are just customers here so I would try the social media route tomorrow if you are still seeing that activation message.

[RSDraig]

Hi,

Thanks for the help.

I'm reporting back so other users can understand the challenges.

I tried the social media route (message on Facebook) yesterday, but no result, they said that someone would be in touch first thing this AM, but nothing!

So, I called. 90 mins on the phone, typical time is 15-20 mins per call, then the agent goes quiet, usually after about 10 mins and I end up on indefinite hold (I waited 20 mins in silence at one point), I'm cut off or just transferred to someone else and have to start the process again. At a guess there is something wrong with the account and its too difficult for someone to fix! 

I ordered and was deliverd a physical SIM (which is what I wanted), but an eSIM shows on my account, so at a guess that is somewhere at the core of this - it looks like the Sky SIM provisioning made some mess of it all!

So, I've invested over 3 hours of my time and still no activiated SIM, no idea what to do next and no way to clear this eSIM off my account.

I've spoken to 6-8 call centre staff, had loads of 'AI' conversations both on the phone and via Facebook (all of which just wasted more time).

I tried to raise a complaint in the hope that might actually get some escalation to someone, but after 20 mins 'arguing my case' to get the complaint raised, I'm not sure if it ever was - I suspect another device to just get me off the phone, certainly no email confirmation has come through. 

I now have to wait '3-5 days' for someone to look at my case and determine if it is actually possible to activate a SIM!!!

Needless to say, I'm not going to wait for that, its much, much easier to get a SIM somewhere else, and we;ll likely move our other SIMs over - I doubt if Sky will care.

But, there's 3 hours of my life I can't get back - what a shambolic mess and I can only advise anyone else that is trying to do somethign simple like getting a SIM activated - give up now, its just not worth it!

I don't expect a response, certainly not the helpful/unhelpful kind of 'we're just fellow customers trying to help, so don't get annoyed'! I am postung this on a sky.com forum and expect Sky to deal with it, not delegate their customer service to other customers!

[RSDraig]

Its been more than 24 hours since I posted this message, 36 hours since I contacted Sky on social media (facebook),  23 hours since I last replied to a Sky support email - and no response to any of those contact points. Calling is no use, as I proved yesterday with 2+ hours on the call, the call agents disconnect, transfer or put me on hold after about 15 mins when they realise that they can't solve the issue quickly or sell me something.

Its ok though, Talkmobile do a really good deal, an activated SIM is already on its way to me, and once I prove that it works (it likely will, these are really simple things, though for reason, not for Sky), we'll move the rest of our Sky accounts over.... better customer service (not proven yet, but is anything worse than being completely ignored?), better deals and the cost will be about 50% of our Sky contracts (never-ending silent increments has made the cost outrageous!).

I'll be surprised if anyone from Sky reads this (clearly not reading my requests for help), but its here for anyone else who is looking for an easy way to resolve Sky mobile issues - I figured it out yesterday!

[RSDraig · Accepted solution]

As I have said,  that link doesn't work for me. I have been working very hard to contact sky, if you read the thread you will see. I have spent over 3 hours on calls, just to be cut off, transferred or put on hold until I give up (I wait up to 15 to 20 mins when an agent places me on hold before I give up).

Social media only has bots. Every morning for past 4 days, the facebook bot apologises that no-one replied to me the day before. I reply to ask if I can get a response from a human, but never do.

I did get one email with generic advice, when I replied (3 days ago) to explain the problem I had, there hasn't been a reply!

So, exactly what 'contact method' will get me through to sky, and one where they'll actually look at and resolve the issue?

By the way, 2 days ago I ordered a talkmobile sim, it arrived yesterday,  I put it in the phone and it worked! 3 mins of my time!

I will now move the rest of my family accounts away from. Sky. I have also immensely enjoyed telling work colleagues and friends about this... for the sake of fixing a (sky created) problem, there will be dozens of accounts lost, and that makes me happy!