Using an decommissioned SIMM card?

A few months ago my daughter was eligible for a Cingular upgrade phone (if
she signed up for 2 more years). She got a new phone and a new SIMM. We
kept the (less than a year) old phone and the old SIMM. Actually the
'old' SIMM was the new 64K chip.

She just lost her new phone, so I pulled out her old one, and called
Cingular to see if we could just have the previously used SIMM 'turned back
on'. The answer was that once the chip is pulled out of their database,
it's gone for good, and my daughter needs to get a new chip.

Is this true?

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› See More: Using an decommissioned SIMM card?

On Tue, 08 Aug 2006 10:44:38 -0500, Bruce <[email protected]> wrote
in <[email protected]>:

>A few months ago my daughter was eligible for a Cingular upgrade phone (if
>she signed up for 2 more years). She got a new phone and a new SIMM. We
>kept the (less than a year) old phone and the old SIMM. Actually the
>'old' SIMM was the new 64K chip.
>
>She just lost her new phone, so I pulled out her old one, and called
>Cingular to see if we could just have the previously used SIMM 'turned back
>on'. The answer was that once the chip is pulled out of their database,
>it's gone for good, and my daughter needs to get a new chip.
>
>Is this true?

Essentially yes, in part because of the risk of fraud. It's cheaper,
easier, and safer for the carrier to issue a new SIM. If you ask
nicely, the cost will often be waived.

--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS:
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

In article <[email protected]>,
Bruce <[email protected]> wrote:

> A few months ago my daughter was eligible for a Cingular upgrade phone (if
> she signed up for 2 more years). She got a new phone and a new SIMM. We
> kept the (less than a year) old phone and the old SIMM. Actually the
> 'old' SIMM was the new 64K chip.
>
> She just lost her new phone, so I pulled out her old one, and called
> Cingular to see if we could just have the previously used SIMM 'turned back
> on'. The answer was that once the chip is pulled out of their database,
> it's gone for good, and my daughter needs to get a new chip.
>
> Is this true?

yes.

John Navas <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> On Tue, 08 Aug 2006 10:44:38 -0500, Bruce <[email protected]>
> wrote in <[email protected]>:
>
>>A few months ago my daughter was eligible for a Cingular upgrade phone
>>(if she signed up for 2 more years). She got a new phone and a new
>>SIMM. We kept the (less than a year) old phone and the old SIMM.
>>Actually the 'old' SIMM was the new 64K chip.
>>
>>She just lost her new phone, so I pulled out her old one, and called
>>Cingular to see if we could just have the previously used SIMM 'turned
>>back on'. The answer was that once the chip is pulled out of their
>>database, it's gone for good, and my daughter needs to get a new chip.
>>
>>Is this true?
>
> Essentially yes, in part because of the risk of fraud. It's cheaper,
> easier, and safer for the carrier to issue a new SIM. If you ask
> nicely, the cost will often be waived.
>

I figured fraud was the main reason this would be true. I've also found
that 'asking nicely' has worked well many times, and I do have the old
card in my hand, so I'll give it a try and see if they'll either
reinstate the old card, or issue a new one without cost. I'll try at the
Cingular store nearby.

Thanks.

Somewhere around Tue, 08 Aug 2006 11:43:38 -0500, while reading
alt.cellular.cingular, I think I thought I saw this post from Bruce
<[email protected]>:

>John Navas <[email protected]> wrote in
>news:[email protected]:
>
>> On Tue, 08 Aug 2006 10:44:38 -0500, Bruce <[email protected]>
>> wrote in <[email protected]>:
>>
>>>A few months ago my daughter was eligible for a Cingular upgrade phone
>>>(if she signed up for 2 more years). She got a new phone and a new
>>>SIMM. We kept the (less than a year) old phone and the old SIMM.
>>>Actually the 'old' SIMM was the new 64K chip.
>>>
>>>She just lost her new phone, so I pulled out her old one, and called
>>>Cingular to see if we could just have the previously used SIMM 'turned
>>>back on'. The answer was that once the chip is pulled out of their
>>>database, it's gone for good, and my daughter needs to get a new chip.
>>>
>>>Is this true?
>>
>> Essentially yes, in part because of the risk of fraud. It's cheaper,
>> easier, and safer for the carrier to issue a new SIM. If you ask
>> nicely, the cost will often be waived.
>>
>
>I figured fraud was the main reason this would be true. I've also found
>that 'asking nicely' has worked well many times, and I do have the old
>card in my hand, so I'll give it a try and see if they'll either
>reinstate the old card, or issue a new one without cost. I'll try at the
>Cingular store nearby.
>
Interestingly enough, I had gotten new 64K sims for the 3 phones in my
family, and soon after got 3 new phones from Cingular online, with new sims.
I didn't use the new sims, and when I talked to someone at Cingular one
time, they said it was a good idea not to use them, in case I needed one in
the future for some reason.

--
Marty - public.forums (at) gmail (dot) com
"Those are my principles, and if you don't like them...
well, I have others." - Groucho Marx

Marty <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> Somewhere around Tue, 08 Aug 2006 11:43:38 -0500, while reading
> alt.cellular.cingular, I think I thought I saw this post from Bruce
> <[email protected]>:
>
>>John Navas <[email protected]> wrote in
>>news:[email protected]:
>>
>>> On Tue, 08 Aug 2006 10:44:38 -0500, Bruce <[email protected]>
>>> wrote in <[email protected]>:
>>>
>>>>A few months ago my daughter was eligible for a Cingular upgrade
>>>>phone (if she signed up for 2 more years). She got a new phone and
>>>>a new SIMM. We kept the (less than a year) old phone and the old
>>>>SIMM. Actually the 'old' SIMM was the new 64K chip.
>>>>
>>>>She just lost her new phone, so I pulled out her old one, and called
>>>>Cingular to see if we could just have the previously used SIMM
>>>>'turned back on'. The answer was that once the chip is pulled out
>>>>of their database, it's gone for good, and my daughter needs to get
>>>>a new chip.
>>>>
>>>>Is this true?
>>>
>>> Essentially yes, in part because of the risk of fraud. It's
>>> cheaper, easier, and safer for the carrier to issue a new SIM. If
>>> you ask nicely, the cost will often be waived.
>>>
>>
>>I figured fraud was the main reason this would be true. I've also
>>found that 'asking nicely' has worked well many times, and I do have
>>the old card in my hand, so I'll give it a try and see if they'll
>>either reinstate the old card, or issue a new one without cost. I'll
>>try at the Cingular store nearby.
>>
> Interestingly enough, I had gotten new 64K sims for the 3 phones in my
> family, and soon after got 3 new phones from Cingular online, with new
> sims. I didn't use the new sims, and when I talked to someone at
> Cingular one time, they said it was a good idea not to use them, in
> case I needed one in the future for some reason.
>

Cingular may have suggested saving the new ones for possible future use
because (perhaps?) they had not yet been activated, and if activated and
later lost, you couldn't use them again.

I just got back from the Cingular store and they gave me a new SIMM. I
asked how much, and the clerk said, very matter of factly, "Oh, there's
no charge for that. They are free." He also activated it right there, I
slide it into the phone, and all works fine.

Bruce <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> Marty <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
>> Somewhere around Tue, 08 Aug 2006 11:43:38 -0500, while reading
>> alt.cellular.cingular, I think I thought I saw this post from Bruce
>> <[email protected]>:
>>
>>>John Navas <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>news:[email protected]:
>>>
>>>> On Tue, 08 Aug 2006 10:44:38 -0500, Bruce <[email protected]>
>>>> wrote in <[email protected]>:
>>>>
>>>>>A few months ago my daughter was eligible for a Cingular upgrade
>>>>>phone (if she signed up for 2 more years). She got a new phone and
>>>>>a new SIMM. We kept the (less than a year) old phone and the old
>>>>>SIMM. Actually the 'old' SIMM was the new 64K chip.
>>>>>
>>>>>She just lost her new phone, so I pulled out her old one, and
>>>>>called Cingular to see if we could just have the previously used
>>>>>SIMM 'turned back on'. The answer was that once the chip is pulled
>>>>>out of their database, it's gone for good, and my daughter needs to
>>>>>get a new chip.
>>>>>
>>>>>Is this true?
>>>>
>>>> Essentially yes, in part because of the risk of fraud. It's
>>>> cheaper, easier, and safer for the carrier to issue a new SIM. If
>>>> you ask nicely, the cost will often be waived.
>>>>
>>>
>>>I figured fraud was the main reason this would be true. I've also
>>>found that 'asking nicely' has worked well many times, and I do have
>>>the old card in my hand, so I'll give it a try and see if they'll
>>>either reinstate the old card, or issue a new one without cost. I'll
>>>try at the Cingular store nearby.
>>>
>> Interestingly enough, I had gotten new 64K sims for the 3 phones in
>> my family, and soon after got 3 new phones from Cingular online, with
>> new sims. I didn't use the new sims, and when I talked to someone at
>> Cingular one time, they said it was a good idea not to use them, in
>> case I needed one in the future for some reason.
>>
>
> Cingular may have suggested saving the new ones for possible future
> use because (perhaps?) they had not yet been activated, and if
> activated and later lost, you couldn't use them again.

Oops. Poor wording..

I meant:

Cingular may have suggested saving the new ones for possible future
use because (perhaps?) they had not yet been activated, and if YOU DID
ACTIVATE BUT NOT USE THE NEW ONES, and YOU later lost THE OLD ONES, you
couldn't use THE NEW ONES again.


>
> I just got back from the Cingular store and they gave me a new SIMM.
> I asked how much, and the clerk said, very matter of factly, "Oh,
> there's no charge for that. They are free." He also activated it
> right there, I slide it into the phone, and all works fine.
>

Bruce <[email protected]> wrote:
> She just lost her new phone ...

You did have them turn off the lost SIM, I suppose.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5

[email protected] wrote in news:[email protected]:

> Bruce <[email protected]> wrote:
>> She just lost her new phone ...
>
> You did have them turn off the lost SIM, I suppose.
>

Yep. But, she didn't tell me that she lost it until yesterday, at which
time it had been lost for seven days. *&^!@# !!!

I also inquired with Comcast billing about when the last call was
made/received on her phone in order see if it was still being used by
anyone else, and to see if a 'last used date' could help her remember
where she was when she last used the phone. The last time the phone was
used was August 1, so it had not been used once lost.

Bruce <[email protected]> wrote:
> I also inquired with Comcast billing about when the last call was
> made/received on her phone in order see if it was still being used by
> anyone else, and to see if a 'last used date' could help her remember
> where she was when she last used the phone. The last time the phone was
> used was August 1, so it had not been used once lost.

The last "lost" phone around this house was found under the seat in the car
upon the traveller's return.

Cingular disabled and reenabled the phone with no drama, and didn't charge
us for the days in between. I should have done that when vacationing out
of the country.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5

"John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Tue, 08 Aug 2006 10:44:38 -0500, Bruce <[email protected]> wrote
> in <[email protected]>:
>
> >A few months ago my daughter was eligible for a Cingular upgrade phone
(if
> >she signed up for 2 more years). She got a new phone and a new SIMM. We
> >kept the (less than a year) old phone and the old SIMM. Actually the
> >'old' SIMM was the new 64K chip.
> >
> >She just lost her new phone, so I pulled out her old one, and called
> >Cingular to see if we could just have the previously used SIMM 'turned
back
> >on'. The answer was that once the chip is pulled out of their database,
> >it's gone for good, and my daughter needs to get a new chip.
> >
> >Is this true?
>
> Essentially yes, in part because of the risk of fraud. It's cheaper,
> easier, and safer for the carrier to issue a new SIM. If you ask
> nicely, the cost will often be waived.
<snippage>

True this - but the real deal is that the old card is not actually "removed"
from the database - it is deactivated and marked as unusable. Same final
result but this allows Cingular to be able to find an old SIM if needed.