SIM card transit days included in bill

Tontilly

I've recently changed networks from Three to Ecotalk. I was surprised and disapointed to discover that the billing period for a monthly contract with EcoTalk begins on the day the order is processed, meaning that I am paying for a service I can't access whilst the SIM card is in transit. In my case this has turned out to be 7 days. EcoTalk uses the EE network and so I asked EE what their policy is for their direct customers. It's the same. 

Even though the sums of money involved are quite small - especially during a normal Postal service period - I feel it is unacceptable for a company to charge for a service they know their customers can't use even if it is usually just for a day or two!

No explanation was given for the policy by EE. EcoTalk told me it was in place to 'ensure a more efficient customer journey' and on further questioning, to 'reduce the amount of contact the customer had to ensure the customer journey was at ease for each new customer that joined us.' (!)

I wondered why account activation can't happen automatically when the SIM card is inserted into the phone.. If this is not possible, at the very least, a couple of days should be added to the monthly allowance to allow for Postal delivery times.

EcoTalk have agreed to credit my account with the missing days, which I have accepted, but I still believe their practice is unethical.

Dibble_Grubb

I take your point about the unethical practice of charging customers before they can access the service. If you step back and look at the bigger picture, however they are much more ethical than other mobile phone providers. Ethical Consumer rates Ecotalk at 10.5 points for the ethics of their relations to climate change, people and politics. That's an ethical Best Buy compared with other providers such as Three (4 points), Tesco (1 point) and Asda (0 points!!!!).

chistery

People would complain whatever they do.
If they allowed two days before the SIM was active, it might arrive next day and not work - people would be "fuming"
People think they can order a contract SIM and leave it months till they want to use it, again, fuming that they are charged from day one.
Some networks now deliver the eSIM at sign up, that's the way forward for some, connected straight away.

Farway

A Lazarus thread, especially as OP has only posted 3 time in 7 years