wanted: provider that does expire sim cards

Forums › New Zealand Mobile and Wireless › wanted: provider that does expire sim cards

jim.cox

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#311533 25-Jan-2024 05:54

Are there any providers in NZ that do a prepay sim that, while in credit, does not expire?

Twice now Vodafone have expired the sim card in my motorcycle gps/alarm - and taken the credit that was on the sim card.

It happens without warning, and I suddenly find it stops responding.

Yes, it probably was my 'fault', I 'should' have topped up the sim card. But it actually gets little traffic and in both cases it still had credit on it.

While I have been a Vodafone customer for many many years, to say that I am unimpressed would put it mildly.

Since I am about to have to sort a new sim and I really don't want to have to go through this again, now is a good chance to take my business elsewhere.

=mjc=
.

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#3186193 25-Jan-2024 06:41

I don’t know if it’s intentional but I have a Kogan SIM doesn’t seem to expire. I bought it maybe 3+ years ago with a one month plan on it at the time, never topped it up or bought a plan on it again. It’s sat in my iPad unused the entire time as I have an eSIM from another provider instead.

I’ve lost an old number before with OneNZs expiring policy.didnt realise it’d be so instant, as I set a reminder to top up on that day but it was gone by that point. Funny that Kogan is an MVNO of OneNZ and hasn’t got the same policy.

Goosey

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#3186195 25-Jan-2024 06:49

Usually the reminder messages are sent to the sim, but that’s obviously an outdated old method by telcos given it was in place pre tablets and other data only devices

makes you wonder why they haven’t challenged it and offer an optional reminder service via email instead of to the sim

answer - probally makes the “new connections” data look better….OR said telcos are too busy worried about their branding instead of things that matter (which would naturally sort the branding and love factor metrics).

eracode

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#3186201 25-Jan-2024 07:30

Error in your thread title - ‘not’ missing?

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freitasm

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#3186205 25-Jan-2024 08:03

The subject is wrong then? You want one that does NOT expire.

Dynamic

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#3186208 25-Jan-2024 08:20

While it does not answer your question, I've got three IoT devices with SIM cards and I have calendar reminders every six months to top them up so they do not expire.

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#3186217 25-Jan-2024 08:59

If you use 2degrees you can data share to a prepaid sim card and it won't expire.

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kiwiharry

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#3186309 25-Jan-2024 10:34

tardtasticx: I don’t know if it’s intentional but I have a Kogan SIM doesn’t seem to expire. I bought it maybe 3+ years ago with a one month plan on it at the time, never topped it up or bought a plan on it again. It’s sat in my iPad unused the entire time as I have an eSIM from another provider instead.

I’ve lost an old number before with OneNZs expiring policy.didnt realise it’d be so instant, as I set a reminder to top up on that day but it was gone by that point. Funny that Kogan is an MVNO of OneNZ and hasn’t got the same policy.

FAQs for Kogan indicates their Sims also expire.

DO KOGAN MOBILE SIM CARDS EXPIRE?
Yes. If your SIM card remains unused for 90 days, you will not be able to keep your existing mobile phone number, and your service will be deactivated. Once your mobile number is deactivated, Kogan Mobile is unable to retrieve it for you.

https://help.koganmobile.co.nz/hc/en-us/articles/360032903731-Do-Kogan-Mobile-SIM-cards-expire

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Goosey

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#3186334 25-Jan-2024 12:01

kiwiharry:
tardtasticx: I don’t know if it’s intentional but I have a Kogan SIM doesn’t seem to expire. I bought it maybe 3+ years ago with a one month plan on it at the time, never topped it up or bought a plan on it again. It’s sat in my iPad unused the entire time as I have an eSIM from another provider instead.

I’ve lost an old number before with OneNZs expiring policy.didnt realise it’d be so instant, as I set a reminder to top up on that day but it was gone by that point. Funny that Kogan is an MVNO of OneNZ and hasn’t got the same policy.

FAQs for Kogan indicates their Sims also expire.

DO KOGAN MOBILE SIM CARDS EXPIRE?
Yes. If your SIM card remains unused for 90 days, you will not be able to keep your existing mobile phone number, and your service will be deactivated. Once your mobile number is deactivated, Kogan Mobile is unable to retrieve it for you.

https://help.koganmobile.co.nz/hc/en-us/articles/360032903731-Do-Kogan-Mobile-SIM-cards-expire

difference here is ‘unused’ - meaning no activity whatsoever. (That’s my interpretation)

everyone else says ‘expires after 12 months from last top up’ (words to that effect)

richms

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#3186353 25-Jan-2024 12:16

Goosey:

Usually the reminder messages are sent to the sim, but that’s obviously an outdated old method by telcos given it was in place pre tablets and other data only devices

makes you wonder why they haven’t challenged it and offer an optional reminder service via email instead of to the sim

answer - probally makes the “new connections” data look better….OR said telcos are too busy worried about their branding instead of things that matter (which would naturally sort the branding and love factor metrics).

Yeah, like telling you in their app that you use to check the balance and top it up would be what you would expect, but no, they use outdated communications methods to the device in question.

I have a friend whose old relative had their sim expire because they ignored the SMS. Kid had the telco app on the phone and just one day the connection disappeared from it.

Richard rich.ms

jim.cox

224 posts

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#3186483 25-Jan-2024 15:36

eracode:

Error in your thread title - ‘not’ missing?

"Bother!", said Pooh.

You are indeed correct, there is a negative missing from the Topic title.

=mjc=
.

jim.cox

224 posts

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#3186486 25-Jan-2024 15:41

Goosey:

makes you wonder why they haven’t challenged it and offer an optional reminder service via email instead of to the sim

Yes, in this case a warning SMS to the device in question will not work.

It could have been sent it to my actual cellphone or to my email address - both of which VF have (or rather had) on record and associated with the tracker sim phone number

=mjc=
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Handle9

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#3186503 25-Jan-2024 16:46

Dynamic:
While it does not answer your question, I've got three IoT devices with SIM cards and I have calendar reminders every six months to top them up so they do not expire.

We do the same with our NZ mobile numbers. $5 every year to keep the number is easy to maintain.

jim.cox

224 posts

Master Geek

#3186550 25-Jan-2024 19:25

Handle9: We do the same with our NZ mobile numbers. $5 every year to keep the number is easy to maintain.

VF's min topup = $10 and I'm doing around $3 worth of messages per annum. It's not that they steal the unused credit. Its not that it is real faff to get a new sim card and sort it out.

It is that I've been here before (about a year ago funnily enough) and I haven't learned my lesson.

This simple system needs to reliable - if my bike is stolen I want to know where it is - and I find it broken every year (just as well I test it)

VF is the weak link here. A min time to failure of 365 days is simply just not acceptable.

My system has to change.

Setting up some for of auto-topup might work, but to me it sounds like 2degrees might be the go

Thanks for the suggestions

=mjc=
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Linux

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#3186552 25-Jan-2024 19:34

@jim.cox OneNZ is not the weak link here! It is not fair that you blame the carrier

For that mobile# to be active costs the service provider! You agreed to the term & conditions by activating the mobile# attached to the SIM card

Handle9

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#3186553 25-Jan-2024 19:37

jim.cox:
Handle9: We do the same with our NZ mobile numbers. $5 every year to keep the number is easy to maintain.

VF's min topup = $10 and I'm doing around $3 worth of messages per annum. It's not that they steal the unused credit. Its not that it is real faff to get a new sim card and sort it out.

It is that I've been here before (about a year ago funnily enough) and I haven't learned my lesson.

This simple system needs to reliable - if my bike is stolen I want to know where it is - and I find it broken every year (just as well I test it)

VF is the weak link here. A min time to failure of 365 days is simply just not acceptable.

My system has to change.

Setting up some for of auto-topup might work, but to me it sounds like 2degrees might be the go

Thanks for the suggestions

It sounds like you are the weak link to be honest.

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