PrePaidGSM.net Forum (Archived) - View Single Post - What to do with old SIMS if revisiting same country years apart?

gmmour · 20-03-2008, 17:06

As far as the actual SIMs are concerned, since you asked about it, no, you cannot re-activate them... In most countries you have to get yourself a new SIM card, but this is quite cheap!

Sometimes, it's technically possible to use the old SIM but still you have to purchase a new connection package which already includes a new SIM in the price... So, there's no real reason for you to re-activate the old SIM!

Your question is legit in the US, where you can walk in, let's say, a TMO store and ask them to activate a new prepaid account with a new number, on an existing expired TMO PAYG SIM, but in Europe, activation and new SIM are usually in one package and one price, it will sound very weird to them if you want a new activation with an old SIM, because the price is the same either way. They will have to activate the new SIM first and THEN change the SIM on the account to the old one... And since most European prepaids are automatically activated by the user on the new SIM, it will be more difficult to convince a clerk to change the SIM registered on your new account, to the old one you have from a last visit...

As far as the old number is concerned now, in no case can you get this same number after the account has expired... In Greece though, even if your account expires after 12 months (6 months on MVNOs), you still have a 1 month grace period, to reactivate your account without losing your number, but this is of no importance in your case, you've probably lost your number a long time ago!

	(#11)
gmmour (Offline) Member Advanced Member Posts: 92 Join Date: 03 Oct 2006 Country:	20-03-2008, 17:06 As far as the actual SIMs are concerned, since you asked about it, no, you cannot re-activate them... In most countries you have to get yourself a new SIM card, but this is quite cheap! Sometimes, it's technically possible to use the old SIM but still you have to purchase a new connection package which already includes a new SIM in the price... So, there's no real reason for you to re-activate the old SIM! Your question is legit in the US, where you can walk in, let's say, a TMO store and ask them to activate a new prepaid account with a new number, on an existing expired TMO PAYG SIM, but in Europe, activation and new SIM are usually in one package and one price, it will sound very weird to them if you want a new activation with an old SIM, because the price is the same either way. They will have to activate the new SIM first and THEN change the SIM on the account to the old one... And since most European prepaids are automatically activated by the user on the new SIM, it will be more difficult to convince a clerk to change the SIM registered on your new account, to the old one you have from a last visit... As far as the old number is concerned now, in no case can you get this same number after the account has expired... In Greece though, even if your account expires after 12 months (6 months on MVNOs), you still have a 1 month grace period, to reactivate your account without losing your number, but this is of no importance in your case, you've probably lost your number a long time ago!