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Where to get sim, Walmart not giving it

Indirab09
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

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?? 

126 REPLIES 126

Strangely enough right now the very opposite is true right now with the title of this thread. In fact for a limited time Wal-Mart is giving it.....away for free along with a free month when You activate in store. For once I can say something good about Wal-Mart!

I suppose. But let’s not under mine every honest reseller. 

The reseller gains, possibly. 

PM gains. 

The buyer gains. 

@LurganIeUk 

 

They aren't interested in your 99 cents. Or your five bucks. They'll take it, of course, but it's not their main goal.

 

They are interested in setting up a victim for some kind of SIM fraud. If successful, they can access online accounts and even online money accounts. Maybe even go for all-out identity theft which steals things from the victim which aren't directly accessible through the phone. At the very least they can get somebody else to pay for "free" service on a burner phone for a short while. Sometimes they can even demand a "ransom" payment from the victim in exchange for returning all the cloud-account stuff they stole.

Or they aren't even the "malicious" criminals themselves. They're the information collectors and setup guys who make money selling the results of their work to other criminals.

 

They aren't all criminals. Yet many people still get victimized by these crimes nonetheless. SIM crimes are becoming rampant because they're alarmingly easy to accomplish and because it's becoming a big organized business in itself.

 

Why make it easy for them? Why risk it all to save less than ten bucks?


@Korth wrote:

@BEER wrote:

Try Ebay - 


Not a good idea, lol.

 

A pseudonymous vendor you may never be able to identify or contact (or legally persecute), even if the vendor keeps the Ebay account active instead of erasing or abandoning it for another.

 

And the risk of a compromised SIM card - the vendor may have simply copied the "secret" SIM ID number, the vendor may have hacked/modified the SIM card contents (and even introduce OTA script vulnerabilities or loggers which circumvent SmartTrust) - which is just begging the buyer to be the next victim of a technical or nontechnical SIM fraud crime.

 

Most Ebay vendors are legit. Few Ebay vendors are criminals.

But far fewer official vendors are criminals. And their opportunity to commit the crime is far more limited if they give you a sealed-by-PM SIM card without having a chance to write down the SIM card number or plug the SIM card into a SIM card reader.

 

The little chip built into a SIM card is just as valuable to thieves as the little chip built into a bank card or credit card. It's a physical security token attached to online security, like a key for a lock, and you don't want anyone else to copy that key or modify that lock. Just not worth the gamble of buying them from unofficial sources, even if it saves you ten bucks.


If an eBay seller was one of those "intentional dishonest" ones...they would not be interested in a 99 cent rip off. I have run into very very very few that have not shipped and did not give me a refund. And no huge risk of 99 cents vs $10 plus tax??

On the other hand I have dealt with many many many more con artist eBay "buyers" and they are out there!!!!

Korth
Mayor / Maire

@BEER wrote:

Try Ebay - 


Not a good idea, lol.

 

A pseudonymous vendor you may never be able to identify or contact (or legally persecute), even if the vendor keeps the Ebay account active instead of erasing or abandoning it for another.

 

And the risk of a compromised SIM card - the vendor may have simply copied the "secret" SIM ID number, the vendor may have hacked/modified the SIM card contents (and even introduce OTA script vulnerabilities or loggers which circumvent SmartTrust) - which is just begging the buyer to be the next victim of a technical or nontechnical SIM fraud crime.

 

Most Ebay vendors are legit. Few Ebay vendors are criminals.

But far fewer official vendors are criminals. And their opportunity to commit the crime is far more limited if they give you a sealed-by-PM SIM card without having a chance to write down the SIM card number or plug the SIM card into a SIM card reader.

 

The little chip built into a SIM card is just as valuable to thieves as the little chip built into a bank card or credit card. It's a physical security token attached to online security, like a key for a lock, and you don't want anyone else to copy that key or modify that lock. Just not worth the gamble of buying them from unofficial sources, even if it saves you ten bucks.

beedle
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

The Mobile Shop at Superstore was great. Good service, technical knowledge and advice at the one I went!

Eister
Great Citizen / Super Citoyen

I went to London Drugs in Vancouver last week and the service was great.  They offered the purchase of a PM Sim card, or a Sim card plus registration.  Either option for only the $10. price of the Sim card.
Have purchased twice from them and both times all went smoothly! 🙂

Triguy
Mayor / Maire

BEER
Town Hero / Héro de la Ville

Try Ebay - 

@ChadL London drugs will sell you the sim card without activation in-store

ChadL
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

Thanks again it sounds like it just may work out following your advice 

Jb456
Mayor / Maire

@ChadL  if you're having issues with Walmart just selling you a sim card. Try the following. (It works)

 

Go into Walmart. 

 

Say.

 

I lost my phone and have a new one now. I need a public mobile sim card for my account.

 

I already know how to do it via my account. I log in and simply change the sim card to the new number so I just need a sim card. Thanks.

 

 

As of yesterday sim cards at Walmart (South Shore of Montreal) were $10 plus tax. 

 

ChadL
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

Thank you very much 

@ChadL 

Last time i checked it was almost $20 :for a public mobile sim card at walmart! Go to the mobile shop at superstore  they sell it for $10+tax. If you can wait 5 business days you can order them from CCS for $2.99 + tax including shipping .

ChadL
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

I’m just after going threw they exact same Situation with Walmart not willing to sell me a Public Mobile SIM card unless I would be willing to leave them set up a new account for me but like I all ready have an account I just wanted another SIM card 

slugbug55
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

I got one in Place Longueuil CELLEXION boutique.

enyawsworld
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

I went to Walmart and they had no sim cards. I was quite happy in the end as I ended up at The Mobile Shop in Loblaws. What a great experience. saved me money on the sim card, set up my card and activated it and left with everything done except to wait for the transfer of my phone number. Would totally recommend the store and their service. Now i am live and so far happy i made the move to Public

Danchvn
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

Just checked the price in Walmart in my area the other day and they wanted $20 + tax. I didn't even bother to ask if they would just sell the sim or if they "had" to set up the account in the store. Decided to order the sim online were it cost $3.44 including tax and free shipping.

Jdeanm
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

If you go to zhers they have phones and sim card 

public1125
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

I'm sure this was answered before

 

1. You can purchase online (amazon, eBay and Public Mobile owns website) - safest for social distancing 

2. You can purchase at physical store.  There is a link to authorized dealers on this site

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/store-locator

Change your province accordingly

 

This is an old thread -

I had no problems buying one to take home and set my account myself, from London Drugs in Maple Ridge. 

Mikemak
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin
This question is a bit old but I know as of 2020 in BC you are able to buy just the sim card for $10


@winston11 wrote:



Yeah that's kinda weird. U can get in Wow Boutique, Mobile Shop or any convenient stores supposed to have it.


@winston11 @franklynliu 

 

You have both replied to Indirab09's message from March 8, 2018.  This person likely already has signed up or chose a different carrier.

franklynliu
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

Buy online from public mobile website, the cost is 10 dollars plus tax, delivered by Canada post, only several days will get your place.

winston11
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen



Yeah that's kinda weird. U can get in Wow Boutique, Mobile Shop or any convenient stores supposed to have it.

@Anonymous  I'm just thinking of another client for PM nothing else ,😝

Anonymous
Not applicable

@Jb456 wrote:

@computergeek541 

 

Ok no problem understand. @slugbug55 

 

You can meet up with me xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

That ok @computergeek541 ?


I vote no just on the experience reported by AE_Collector. Maybe he'll pipe in and share his experience. Keep transactions to pm would be my suggestion. But what do I know and who the heck am I to say. 🙂

@computergeek541 

 

Ok no problem understand. @slugbug55 

 

You can meet up with me if you need a sim card. $1.99 plus Quebec tax.

 

That ok @computergeek541 ?


@Jb456 wrote:

@Anonymous  haha good one my friend.

 

Not trying to give out my referral code just being helpful. I got a bunch of cards sitting here when Canadian Cell Supplies has then for $1.99.

 

Don't mind being helpful 😁


The issue here is with financial gain. As you paid $1.99, selling for $5 means that you're making a profit, although a small one. Don't get me wrong - It makes no difference to me if you sell them for $5 or $50, but the question is about using this message forum to advertise the sale of the sim cards.

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