Where to get sim, Walmart not giving it

[Indirab09]

So I went to my local Walmart I'm Calgary, and asked for a PM sim. 

The lady told me she can't sell me just the sim. She said they can only sell plans and Sims together.

Is this true? If so, where else can we get just the sim?? 

[computergeek541]

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@GinYVR wrote:

@KorthLondon Drugs only go as far east as Regina.

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There is a London Drugs location in Winnipeg.

[GinYVR]

@KorthLondon Drugs only go as far east as Regina.

[Korth]

I usually recommend Walmart or London Drugs because they're all over in Canada. I have no clue which mom & pop small businesses are near Somewhere Else In Canada - indeed, I've also been surprised by how many are located in my own area - and I suspect that people tend to ask because they haven't (or can't or won't) search for themselves, so simple and obvious answers are probably the best choices. 

[darlicious]

Large retailers like Wal-Mart, London drugs and the like are first in mind and roll off the tongue when anyone asks in this forum where to buy a SIM card. Wal-Mart is unique in that it captured a lions share of the pm SIM card and activation sale pie. Now most stores have adopted an unofficial policy of selling pm SIM cards only with activation.  I think it's common knowledge which big retailers and "chain stores" that sell pm SIM cards. In Vancouver alone I was amazed when I clicked on the map how many places within a square mile of my house sell sim cards. We easily overlook the little guy, a small business, the mom& pop store, an independent  mobile dealer in favour of familiarty and convenience.  So easy to jump in the car and head out to the mall. I challenge users especially in smaller towns to look for and post any and all retailers in their area that sell sim cards. And if you have to travel a significant distance to get one maybe it's time you became an unofficial dealer of pm SIM cards in your town. A community liaison in your small community.

[88cranston]

Who conned your friend.  I can tell you a few stories about elderly being taken advantage of.  It is sickening. 

[LP1]

A friend  was conned out of her public mobile account.

This Friend has helped 1,000's of people feed their families have electricity and heat.

She was Told by a sales person that she had to leave public mobile for a year then she could go back to public.

She is old so she signed up for a plan with another carrier, much more expensive than $15

Makes me annoyed that people take advantage of the old.

Hope this sales person gets paid back for their disgusting deed.

[88cranston]

Calgary, has London Drugs.  Go there. 

[sithibahia]

This is not true, perhaps the assistant was confused about the procedure.

You should be able to purchase a sim without a plan, but some stores often will require you to get a plan because it makes it easier for activation and payment at the counter rather than online. Again, this doesnt mean a plan is required ad may be that particular store's strange policy.

Try another walmart or mobile shop, and they're sure to provide you with a sim. Or simply speak to another representative other than the one you spoke to 🙂 Good luck!

[jonfirlotte]

I had to get my SIM card directly from public mobile, I can't find them here in Campbelllton NB

[GGPlayer]

Some Dollarama stores might sell it. But I bought mine from Amazon.

[darlicious]

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   @drsyxu wrote:
   

   Was able to purchase "just a sim card" from WOW yesterday in London ON.

   They asked me if I wanted to activate it and I said I would do that myself from home.

   Didn't give me any problems.  

   I was also told you can buy them from Loblaws all though I haven't confirmed that.

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Sorry you experienced untrained staff at those locations a follow up call to the manager would possibly help the next customer. The Wal-Mart employee didn't offer a free SIM with activation either? Activating online will give you the opportunity to access the rbc promo . Choose $40+plan put RBCREWARDS in promo box and pay with a credit card. Receive $10 off for 6 months and a 5gb data bonus. Enable auto pay for a $2 reward and 500mb monthly bonus. Don't forget your referral code on first activation page for your $10 credit.

[drsyxu]

Was able to purchase "just a sim card" from WOW yesterday in London ON.

They asked me if I wanted to activate it and I said I would do that myself from home.

Didn't give me any problems.  

I was also told you can buy them from Loblaws all though I haven't confirmed that.

[pgermaine]

You can also order online from Public Mobile or Amazon.ca and have it shipped for free!

[GR]

@RunningDutchman   London drugs,  wow mobile shop,  superstore.  Also there's 2 Walmarts around here and 1 will sell me a Sim card whenever I want one and the other refuses to sell me 1 without activation! 

[RunningDutchman]

The rep. in the kiosk in the Strathmore Walmart just told me the same: they do not sell just the SIM card anymore, only if they get the account set-up and plan selection done for you too.

[RickL]

Yup...just went to walmart to get a replacement sim and got denied.
I think PM needs to open up their own kios in malls. This will increase higher membership quicker.
Very inconvinient.

[stonechucker]

WOW wasn't a help to me the other week.  Wanted to buy a phone outright to use on Public Mobile.

"Oh we don't sell for Public Mobile, unless activating a 2 year deal."

Ummm???  Public Mobile doesn't have contracts, and they don't sell phones.  Uneducated sales staff, and no onsite manager (at that time) to deal with.

[szh]

I had the same issue when trying to purchase a Public Mobile SIM at the Walmart in Kanata. I ended up ordering online instead.

[mimmo]

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@Stormywrote:

Just came back from the local WOW Boutique and got a SIM no problem. In fact the guy couldn't believe some of the BS that Walmart was saying.

P.S. For what it is worth while talking to the guy, they do get a commission for activating/setting up a PM account. Only $5, but that could be another reason for the BS from Walmart.

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The truth finally is revealed.

[Stormy]

Just came back from the local WOW Boutique and got a SIM no problem. In fact the guy couldn't believe some of the BS that Walmart was saying.

P.S. For what it is worth while talking to the guy, they do get a commission for activating/setting up a PM account. Only $5, but that could be another reason for the BS from Walmart.

[mimmo]

@Mary_M I know you are looking into this just one more to add to your list.

[Stormy]

Just had the same BS at the Walmart in Pickering. Was told that one of the reasons was for fraud prevention. What kind of fraud are you going to commit with a SIM card?

Was also told that Walmart was told by the Koodo reps that the activation in store was required. Like I am going to let some half trained monkey (no offence to the monkeys out there) set up my account when everything is online and self-serve.

[CalgaryBen]

@Indirab09 I had a similar experience, and decided to stop wasting my time running around and trying to find a PM SIM card at Walmart (which doesn't even have signage for PM, while the logos for Koodo, Telus, Virgin, Chatr, etc. are all over).

Go to Market Mall, Sunridge, Marlborough, Chinook Centre, South Centre, or CrossIron Mills and find the Wow! kiosk, and get it from there.

I'm curious -- which Walmart were you at?  I had no luck at Sage Hills.  Was going to try Royal Oak or even Airdrie Walmart, and then decided to save myself the grief and just headed to CrossIron, found the Wow! kiosk, and got what I was looking for with no hassle or wasted time (unlike Walmart, where the rep kept trying to push Koodo or something else on me).

[Indirab09]

Thanks everyone.

I got one from wow mobile. 

Quite ridiculous for authorized seller to pull off that stupidity. 

I'm surprised Public Mobile allows this. 

[Lg85]

I had a similar experience when I asked to purchase a Public Mobile SIM card at Wal-Mart in Calgary. The first two guys I asked, he didn't even know what Public Mobile was. I told the second guy Wal-Mart is an authorized retailer for Public Mobile.  He then asked his supervisor, who fortunately, knew what it was. So he went into a drawer by the cash register, and took out a stack of Public Mobile sim cards and gave me one. Seems like a lot of employees do not know Wal-Mart sells Public Mobile sim cards.

[bbdata]

Such a strange policy for a single store to adopt. It feels like a detached upper management person just made a blanket statement for all SIMs.

I had a similar experience a couple months ago where the person at Walmart insisted to activate the account for me otherwise the SIM is considered final sale. I denied it, informing them that I already have an active account, and the SIM I am purchasing was for a family member and I am perfectly capable of doing it myself.

I can only speculate two possible rational reasons.

1. Liability; they want to be sure a customer's sim is working to avoid the complication of complaints and returns from human error.
2. Commision; which I don't believe is relevent with PM? (I couldn't be wrong.)

[Korth]

If it's a hassle then don't bother with Walmart.  You can also buy PM SIM cards at WOW! mobile boutique (Marlborough Mall, CF Chinook Centre, Sunridge Mall).  Or order them online.

[Luddite]

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@mimmowrote:

@Indirab09 send @Mary_M the Walmart info in calgary. She is looking into it based from the thread mentioned above.

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Forget about it. Telus can't control Koodo reps. What impact do you think they will have on Walmart? The "retail" plan (mini) fiasco was probably a Walmart requirement to carry PM SIMs.

[mimmo]

@Indirab09 send @Mary_M the Walmart info in calgary. She is looking into it based from the thread mentioned above.

[wetcoaster]

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@koimr1wrote:

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@Indirab09wrote:

So I went to my local Walmart I'm Calgary, and asked for a PM sim. 

The lady told me she can't sell me just the sim. She said they can only sell plans and Sims together.

Is this true? If so, where else can we get just the sim?? 

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That doesn't seem right, she must be wrong. For example, if your phone is lost you will need a replacement SIM for the new phone you'd need to get. There's even a section in PM's Self-Serve to change your SIM (without changing your plan).

Go back and set her straight or wait until someone else is doing her shift. 🙂

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@Mary_M's post here: https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Retail/Purchasing-SIM-s-at-Walmart/m-p/224150#M248 supports your position (which I share...)

However, I'm curious why we have so many reports like the op's recently? As in: Who makes that decision about what / how services have to be sold. We obviously don't know how many different stores we are talking about, but it looks to me like this is not just an individual misinformed front line staff or a rogue cell department manager...

And who knows how exactly the process works and if/where that personal information is stored outside the Public Mobile self serve portal.

Time to stop by at the local Walmart cell desk for some "research" one of these days - if I'm not satisfied with their procedures I might actually consider ordering a spare SIM online, keeping it around just in case. No other source for SIM cards in my neck of the woods.