No mobile number on new sim so can't contact support for non-activation issue

[mr-b]

Hi

I've ordered a Voda sim through mobiles.co.uk, but the sim refuses to activate, depsite waiting 24h, restarting phones endless times etc. "Emergency calls only".

I tried to obtain Voda support via chat or phone but of course they both want the mobile number up front which I can't access. There's no Voda specific acc or order # on the mobiles.co.uk order. Neither the sim itself or the plastic card surround have the number on, just a long number which IIRC is the IMEI #.

Is this normal?

Mobiles.co.uk say the sim should already be activated and to take it up with Voda.

[mr-b]

Tx, guess I'll have to wait until after the bank holiday to contact them.

It does seem strange though to have ceased the practice of printing the assigned mobile # on the surrounding card if it's so critical to the customer support process.

[mr-b]

Update on this from mobiles.co.uk, apparently I have to wait until the number port in date (31st Aug) for the sim and Vodafone account to activate. There was no mention of this wait period at order time or afterwards. When I've had sims before they have been active before my old number ported across.

Still I guess I shouldn't have been surprised given that the mobiles.co.uk email footer says copyright Currys!

[Mark]

I'm sorry to hear there's been a delay porting your number over to us @mr-b. If you'd have raised this with us before, we would've been able to speak to our Porting team to see if they could bring this forward for you. We could still do this for you, but with your porting date being just a few days away, it's not likely we'd be able to get your number transferred any sooner. 
Apologies for any inconvenience this delay's caused.

[mr-b]

Tx for the offer! Although I still wonder how one can do anything with a sim that comes with no phone number or any other Vodafone identifying number (save for IMEI).

I guess the intention behind the lack of initial phone number allocation might be to remove the potential process of a pre-port out number having to be disabled and then going back to the pool. But I wish companies would document these processes instead of glossing over it all with a "just pop it in your phone".