Do unused SIM cards "expire"?

[mandos]

Hello, Everyone,

I'm not exactly new to PM, but have a noob-sorta question. Back in the early months of the pandemic PM sent out some free SIM cards to certain PM clients as a cool promotion. I got one of these SIMs, too. Until now, though, I haven't had a need for it. I'm hoping to be able to mail this 15-month old, never-used SIM to a relative.

Does anyone know whether my SIM is still usable, or whether it has "expired"? If it hasn't expired, will it ever expire if left unused? Also, if you guys have an answer, can you guarantee it's accurate? (I don't want to disappoint my relative by sending her a useless item.)

(If anyone's able to help, it may take me until tonight to respond.)

Thanks.

[darlicious]

@mandos 

Thank you. That is very kind of you to say.....and you have made my day!😃

[mandos]

@darlicious :

I'm filing away all that great info -- especially the detailed protocol for contacting moderators (never tried contacting mods yet). You're making a huge difference helping (perpetual) noobs like myself here. Thanks a million for taking time to offer your helpful input!

[LurganIeUk]

@darlicious 

oops I fixed it. Thanks

[darlicious]

@mandos 

Well I knew nothing when I first started but I knew if I wanted to refer people ( like me) I had better learn and with the help of my fellow community members I did. The bonus was also earning a community reward for my efforts!

@LurganIeUk forgot to add security question and answer to the list. If you have all that info then its easy enough to verify your relatives account through your community account and sending a private message to the moderators when they are needed or create a community account for your relative linking the email for their self serve account with the community account you create and then you log in thru their community account to get support. Either works.

When private messaging the moderators for account issues follow this method.....it works like a charm!

Spoiler

Send a private message...   Contact the moderators by sending a private message and leave a detailed message explaining your issue and the info to verify your account by including the following information:  

1. Full name and address on pm account. ( Or province and postal code for newer accounts.)
2. Email, phone # and pin #.

If  you cannot remember your pin # include at least three ( if they apply)of the following:

1.  Date of birth (n/a on newer accounts.)
2. Last payment, date, amount, type and last 4 digits.
3. Alternate phone number if any.
4. Security question and answer.
5. Plan amount, any add ons or promos on account.
6. Last 4 digits of sim card.
7. Any rewards in your account.
8. Autopay y/n?
9. Account #.
10. Frequently called/texted phone numbers in the last 30 days.  

The average wait time is 2 to 4 hours but be prepared to wait up to 48 hours for non urgent requests. Current wait times are about one hour and are probably even less as I have had some very quick responses in tne past week.

Keep an eye on your private message box the envelope icon next to your avatar for a little number to pop indicating a message from the moderators. Responding promptly will speed up service times.

 Do not post any of this info in the community only in your private messages when communicating or contacting the Moderator_Team.

  To send a private message to the moderators click below
 : https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

[LurganIeUk]

---

@mandos wrote:

@darlicious@LurganIeUk

Haven't expected to receive any more replies/ideas from anyone; forgive my lateness in responding, guys. Thank you for all that helpful advice. My relative may agree to my offer of helping her manage her account; so recording all the info from the SIM is indeed a must...

(Still learning the ropes of navigating this forum. I appreciate the tip on the use of the "@"...)

---

You will need to record more than the SIM number. 

Name and address on account......can be true but does not have to be.....what ever it is record it. 

Also record. 

Phone number

Pin number 

Start date

The answer to your security (verification) question. 

My Account email login

My Account password. 

[mandos]

@darlicious@LurganIeUk

Haven't expected to receive any more replies/ideas from anyone; forgive my lateness in responding, guys. Thank you for all that helpful advice. My relative may agree to my offer of helping her manage her account; so recording all the info from the SIM is indeed a must...

(Still learning the ropes of navigating this forum. I appreciate the tip on the use of the "@"...)

[darlicious]

@mandos 

As answered sim cards do not expire there us always a tiny chance you get a dud but unlikely....at the moment there is a chance the sim card does not provision correctly upon activation so one might think its a dud....but its not. Its just activation system being a bit of a dud.  The rule of thumb in this situation being if the card has been charged and you test the sim card in another phone if you still get nothing you contact the moderators to reprovision the sim to the account.

As @LurganIeUk mentioned about CCS standard practice you should record the sim card # (take a photo) before you send it to the relative. This will also allow you to activate the sim card once it  arrives at the relatives if they are not so computer savvy or if it gets lost in the mail etc...

When I activate on a referrals behalf I write all the sensitive account info on the pm card that the sim card came in and give it to my referral to put somewhere safe and secure  but accessible for future reference. With their permission or if I help manage an account I keep a record of this info as well so that I also back up their back up of account info as it's easy to forget if you don't access your self serve account on a regular basis.

Edit:

BTW...to tag another member just tap the "@" key and a box will pop up with usernames or keep typing the name until it does appear....just an FYI.😉

[LurganIeUk]

BUT....

I don't why......CCS does keep a record of the SIM # that they sell you. 

[Triguy]

Your relatives might be interested in bonus 2GB promo.  https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/FLASH-SALE-2GB-of-monthly-bonus-data-fo...

Also if they sign up with your referral code which is your account, they can save $10 and you can receive $1/referral.

[mandos]

Thanks for this extensive and complete set of info!

[mandos]

Had no idea about this possibility, softech. My relative might be able to use this info. Thanks!

[mandos]

Love all those extra what-if ideas... I too like to think of various contingencies, however unlikely. I believe they call this vice (a tendency toward "negativity") "defensive pessimism"... 🙂

I appreciate your wry sense of humour. :)) Thanks for your input.

[mandos]

Thanks for the info, Triguy.

[Anonymous]

@mandos 

SIM card never expire, but have not been activated.

How To Activate Online visit Here  for more information,

Activate your Public Mobile SIM card
You'll be up and running in just 4 easy steps, Here 

Plus, get 2GB of monthly bonus data for free* when you activate on plans $35/mo+

online only for that Promo code for 2GB ,  2GBBONUS , that monthly bonus for 2GB no expires but you have to keep your plan and if you changed your plan you will lost the promo 2GB you know,

put it the email for it and the same email when the do a new activate, HERE 

Good Luck and your welcome to public mobile

with a Beautiful Service 

you will be very happy

[softech]

.. another thing.. if you relatives are activating a new line,  some local kiosks might give out FREE SIM card if you activate with them.  Check around.  

[Anonymous]

 @mandos : lol but no one here can guarantee anything around here. The company could go under. The company could choose to invalidate all currently inactivated SIM's. The company could move to eSIM only.

Darren Entwhistle might know a thing or two if that detail isn't too far beneath him. The big bosses might know a thing or two. The mods likely wouldn't know anything.

[softech]

@mandos  no.. they won't.  no expiry.  

Just make sure they have never been activated.  Activated SIM cannot be reused.

[Triguy · Accepted solution]

Sim cards don't expire as long as they have not been activated.

[JK8]

@mandos 

The new SIM card does not expire. It will be fine.