Apple Watch showing "phantom" eSIM from Spark Digital

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Apple Watch showing "phantom" eSIM from Spark Digital - why will it not go away?

boosacnoodle

656 posts

Ultimate Geek

#270574 15-May-2020 17:08

I have an Apple Watch on a Spark Digital connection that appears to have an active eSIM. The issue: this shouldn't even be possible as it's not an offering, yet here I am.

The plan itself is sitting on "Activating" in the Apple Watch app. When removed it comes right back immediately. I have even gone so far as to factory reset both the phone & the Watch, removing the plans in both cases, and it STILL keeps coming back.

I called today and spoke with no less than 5 people between Spark Digital faults, MAC team and Consumer Faults, even getting transferred to an internal provisioning team at one point. The calls were dropped twice, I was hung up on & even gave me an inactive phone number to call back and yet nobody can see the active SIM card.

Can someone from Spark please PM me to get this sorted?

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459 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2484609 15-May-2020 18:06

Where did the watch originate from? Used or new?

Can you make and receive calls from the watch? If so what number is showing when you call from it? The same number as the phone it’s paired to?

Having a bit of a battle with Spark also at the moment with eSim Apple Watch etc. different situation to yours but a battle all the same!

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boosacnoodle

656 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2484661 15-May-2020 20:34

Bought the Watch in Australia from the Hermès Store.

I set it up briefly with my partners SIM which worked 100% fine - no issues. Removed my partners plan but then an eSIM popped up under my connection. The issue is that no one at Spark can see it, so they can't remove it. I'm honestly considering just asking my work to port my number out, then maybe try port it back in again to see if that will work. Fairly drastic and time consuming process, but it may well be the only option I can see left.

Unfortunately the support processes just aren't there yet at Spark to be able to escalate these kinds of, albeit probably quite rare, issues.

1eStar

1604 posts

Uber Geek

#2484813 16-May-2020 12:19

I suspect you need to reset the device, which may require you to contact Apple, rather than a Telco. Then set it up on the correct account, not your wife's.

hio77

'That VDSL Cat'
12984 posts

Uber Geek

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Voyager

Subscriber

#2484819 16-May-2020 12:40

1eStar: I suspect you need to reset the device, which may require you to contact Apple, rather than a Telco. Then set it up on the correct account, not your wife's.

I'm no apple watch expert as i'm sure you recall... but i'd agree with the above.

Certainly sounds like the esim is on the device, not the spark network.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

boosacnoodle

656 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2484908 16-May-2020 15:44

1eStar: I suspect you need to reset the device, which may require you to contact Apple, rather than a Telco. Then set it up on the correct account, not your wife's.

Nope, I have tried this many times including fully factory resetting both the Apple Watch and the iPhone.

Linux

10313 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#2484910 16-May-2020 15:50

You did not buy the Apple watch from SparkNZ so to be honest they should not support this issue!

boosacnoodle

656 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2484928 16-May-2020 16:40

I can see why you'd take that position, but Spark is the one that keeps putting the eSIM back onto the device & I have no control over that - they literally won't stop. The moment I remove it and go to search for new eSIMs it pops right up again. Effectively my Watch is now a hostage to Spark.

Conversely, I wouldn't expect Spark to support it even if I purchased it from them if, say, a Telstra eSIM kept popping up because they'd have nothing to do with it.

The support from Spark on this has been non-existent and left a very sour taste in my mouth.

geekiegeek

2513 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#2484962 16-May-2020 17:33

Why are you searching for new eSIMs? Spark are the only eSIM provider in NZ so what else are you trying to search for?

boosacnoodle

656 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2485017 16-May-2020 18:39

Possibly poor wording on my part. Basically the Watch searches for new eSIMS automatically and it keeps popping up with the Spark one.

1eStar

1604 posts

Uber Geek

#2485025 16-May-2020 19:11

I can't work out if you are trying to set up an eSim or not.
Here's a cut and paste from the Spark website:

eSIM is available for these watches sold by Spark:

Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) and later (on the latest software version) To check if there is a software update available, from your iPhone open the Watch app. Tap General > Software Update. Before installing an update, we recommend performing a backup. Download the update over WiFi to avoid using data.Samsung Galaxy Watch 4G and later (cellular models only)

If you already have one of these watches but it's not connected to the network, you can buy a plan for it from a Spark store.

Note, you'll also need a mobile plan from Spark, and we can't guarantee that eSIM will work on the watch if it wasn’t bought from Spark.

https://www.spark.co.nz/help/mobile/understand/understand-esim/

1eStar

1604 posts

Uber Geek

#2485026 16-May-2020 19:11

boosacnoodle

656 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2485033 16-May-2020 19:25

Yes - I have read all of the above and am intimately aware of what it says.

If seven people at Spark can't sort it, maybe nobody can.

snnet

1377 posts

Uber Geek

#2485034 16-May-2020 19:26

Is Spark currently the only mobile provider supporting eSim?

Would it stand to reason if this is the case, Apple knows this, and automatically assumes an eSim only device like an apple watch of that model will try to connect to the Spark network in NZ?

Just a thought

geekiegeek

2513 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#2485076 17-May-2020 07:19

snnet:

Is Spark currently the only mobile provider supporting eSim?

Would it stand to reason if this is the case, Apple knows this, and automatically assumes an eSim only device like an apple watch of that model will try to connect to the Spark network in NZ?

Just a thought

exactly what I was trying to say before. Spark are the only NZ carrier that support eSIM so that’s what it’s going to find. In other words, just ignore it.

boosacnoodle

656 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2485148 17-May-2020 11:46

geekiegeek:

exactly what I was trying to say before. Spark are the only NZ carrier that support eSIM so that’s what it’s going to find. In other words, just ignore it.

That's not the case as anyone else would be able to tell you in this thread that owns a cellular Watch. I can see it's actually downloading a Spark specific-numbered eSIM profile.

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