How to replace lost/failed phone via SIM change when traveling

[jd3408]

I have had a phone fail when traveling, which can cause big problems when banks insist on verifying transactions via SMS. To avoid future problems I take an old/spare phone with me with an unactivated Fido SIM card in it. I was told in the past, and again today, that to swap SIMs I just have to login and enter the old and new SIM numbers, which is fine.

But when I checked the Change SIM option in the Fido UI today, the first prompt I get is for a verification code sent by SMS. So if I need to change SIMs because my phone is lost or not working, how can I activate the new phone/SIM?

(Also, I have MFA via email enabled on my account - why does Fido not use email to verify rather than SMS?)

[jd3408]

Thanks @FidoNajat, that's the way I understood it should work. But it doesn't work that way when I login:

• Beside my phone number I click on View Usage & Manage
  • This takes me to Account Overview > Mobile Dashboard
• Near the bottom I click on Manage SIM
  • This takes me to Account Overview > Mobile Dashboard > Manage SIM
• I click on Change SIM
  • This takes me to Account Overview > Mobile Dashboard > Manage SIM > Security Verification
  • Where I have to enter a 6 digit code that has been sent via SMS to my phone.
  • No problem, unless my phone is lost or broken...

Is there another route through the UI that avoids this?

(When I chatted with support about this issue I was told that this was the way it works, and if I had a problem when traveling I would have to fix it when I got back to Canada - which I didn't consider a very helpful solution.)

Thanks.

[Cawtau]

Hello Jd3408,

  Welcome to the community!

  Sorry to hear you're having issues updating your SIM card. From what you note, it appears as though your one phone is not working properly (as opposed to being lost or stolen). Are you able to use that SIM card in your back-up phone? I understand the SIM sizes might be different. Depending on when you got your SIM cards, many of the relatively newer cards are multi-sized SIM cards. If both of your SIM cards are of that type, you might be able to remove and/or mix and match pieces to make it fit in your back-up phone.

  Obviously, if you had lost your phone or it was stolen, using your old SIM card would not be possible.

  I don't remember requiring a verification code SMS the last time I needed to update my SIM card. Though, that was some time ago now and I was not abroad at the time. It's possible you were sent the verification code request because the system recognised your access to your My Account was from outside of Canada. If that is the case, accessing your My Account using a VPN with a Canadian location might not require the verification code.

Hope this helps 😀

Cheers

[jd3408]

Thanks for the update, @Cawtau, but to clarify: I wasn't trying to change my SIM, but just checking the SIM change process at fido.ca in advance. (I was at home, in Canada, with my phone working fine.) I had no intention of completing the change, but wanted to make sure it would be possible if I needed to.

If you go through the same steps at the Fido site do you also get prompted for a verification code?

Thanks.

[Cawtau]

Hello again,

  Thank you for the additional information. I just attempted to change my SIM card and was prompted for a verification code as well. I guess they changed the system when the ability to obtain eSIMs from My Account was added.

  It does seem rather problematic to receive the current SMS verification if device is lost/stolen or damaged. That said, I can understand the possible reasoning for it though. If someone's My Account was compromised, it would prevent the nefarious party from being able to gain access to the line via new SIM card or generating a new eSIM. Similar to the port-over process. However, it doesn't work in some situations. Perhaps @FidoSolutions could forward a suggestion to the appropriate department to offer an option for receiving the verification code: either via SMS or email?

  Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance 😞

Cheers

[Cawtau]

Hello,

@Cawtau wrote:

... Perhaps @FidoSolutions could forward a suggestion to the appropriate department to offer an option for receiving the verification code: either via SMS or email?...

  Upon reflection, I'm not sure a verification code sent to email would alleviate those security concerns. If nefarious actors do have access to a customer's My Account, they could easily change the email address to one they control and have the verification code sent to them.

   Unfortunately, I'm not sure if there is a better way to verify an authorised SIM card change without the SMS verification code or the change done in-store.

Cheers

[jd3408]

Thanks for confirming the issue.

Given that motivation for the UI change. could not Fido allow me to purchase and register a backup SIM in advance (verified in the same way as a SIM change, but in advance) which I could later change to without SMS verification if required?

Thanks.

[Cawtau]

Hello again,

  Unfortunately, I don't think what you wish to accomplish is doable. It is not possible to have the same number active on two SIMs (physical or eSIM) at the same time. You can purchase a back-up SIM card at any time, however, if you register your new SIM card, your old one would be deactivated.

Not what you want to hear, but hope this helps 😀

Cheers

[jd3408]

Thanks. I understand that only a single SIM can be linked to a phone number. I would like to have a second SIM registered in my account (unable to be used elsewhere) but not linked to my phone number. I could then choose to use it to replace an existing SIM that was lost or otherwise unusable. This would not be useful to someone who compromised my account (they would not possess the backup SIM) but I could use it without requiring SMS verification.

[Cawtau]

Hello again,

  Your phone number is associated with the SIM card. It is not possible to register a new SIM card without a phone number. If you wanted to register another SIM card on your account, it would require its own phone number, which would also require its own line.

  I understand that adding a new line is obviously not what you want to accomplish. Unfortunately, what you suggest is not possible.

Hope this helps 😀

Cheers

[jd3408]

Or, alternately, give users the option to revert to not being allowed to purchase an eSIM online (this must be a recent change), but then also not require SMS verification for a SIM change.

[Cawtau]

Hello again,

  I understand not everyone wishes to take advantage of the new eSIMs. However, many other customers have been asking for the ability to obtain an eSIM without having to go in-store (yes, recent change). Unfortunately, it would not be feasible to maintain two different systems for SIM card updates.

Cheers

[FidoNajat]

Hey @jd3408! Here are the steps to follow to update your SIM card: 

1. Sign in to your Fido My Account on fido.ca.
2. Select the phone number for which you’re activating the SIM card. (Note: A SIM card that came with a device upgrade can only be used for that device’s phone number)
3. Select Change my SIM card. 
4. Enter the 20-digit old SIM card number starting with 89302 and then the 20-digit new SIM card number starting with 89302. (Please do not enter any spaces)
5. Select Continue.
6. Select Submit.
7. Turn on your phone with the new SIM card. You’ll see signal bars to indicate that the SIM is activated successfully.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.