I got yet another response from Office of President. See below.
So, basically it is possible to get new activated SIM mailed. Just takes a lot of time digging. Can't wait to get phone up and running again. Next step is replacing my Ontario Photo ID card.
Thanks for your help.
Hello again,
Glad you were able to come to an agreement with the Office of the President. However, it should be noted that most of the information requested can be obtained from a compromised account. As previously mentioned, there have been instances whereby customers' accounts have been fraudulently accessed. Providing those answers is not as secure as proper identification verifcation.
While I do understand certain accommodations might be required under some circumstances, it can be exploited by scammers:
~taken from links provided in my earlier reply.
To be clear, I'm not suggesting your situation was not genuine. However, it is a scenario employed by scammers. Gaining access to an account and a little social engineering...
Honestly, I do not know of a better solution to the situation. However, posting how to get around providing proper identification verification publically might not be the best for customer security. In addition, people should be aware of the possible implications of bypassing identification verification.
Cheers
Hello again,
It was never about winning 🙄 It's about customer security.
@wheatleyrules wrote:
...I could have purchased new cell on account and received it and active sim via mail...
Not exactly. ..
@Cawtau wrote:
... subsequent device purchases generally do not include activated SIM cards. Doing so would automatically disable the customer's current SIM card. A phone line can only have one active SIM card associated with it at a time. If customers require the use of a new SIM card for their new device, they would need to update the SIM card information online as outlined in my earlier reply above. After updating the SIM card information, the old SIM card would no longer work.
If you purchased a new phone on your account, the SIM card you received would not have been automatically activated. You would have needed to update the SIM card information online which would require responding to the verification text or go into store for verification.
No, I don't think I'm overthinking the situation. SIM-swap fraud is real and on the rise (see here, here, and here etc). If you ever become the victim of the fraud, you wouldn't think it's been overthought.
Cheers
Hello again,
When you first get services and a device with a mobile provider the SIM card would be already activated. However, subsequent device purchases generally do not include activated SIM cards. Doing so would automatically disable the customer's current SIM card. A phone line can only have one active SIM card associated with it at a time. If customers require the use of a new SIM card for their new device, they would need to update the SIM card information online as outlined in my earlier reply above. After updating the SIM card information, the old SIM card would no longer work.
As also mentioned in my earlier reply, a reason for the verifcation requirement is to prevent SIM-swap fraud (see also here etc). Unfortunately, there have been instances whereby customers' accounts have been fraudulently accessed. If someone gains access to a customer's account and changes the address, shipping an already activated SIM card would inadvertently give scammers access to the customer's line, including any 2-step verification associated with the line. That is why they require verification of the account holder's identity. Generally, that requires accepted photo identification verification if the SMS verification is not possible.
I'm glad you received a response from the Office of the President. Though, I'm not sure they would be willing to forego security measures meant to protect customers' accounts.
Hope this helps 😀
Cheers
Hello again,
Thank you for the additional information. While you should be able to have a SIM card mailed to you, I would reiterate that you would unlikely be able to update the SIM card information online. You may still likely need to go to a store with valid photo identification in order to update the SIM card information in your account. So, given your situation, the customer service representative wasn't necessarily wrong in that having a SIM card mailed out to you would not have solved your issue.
Hope this helps 😀
Cheers
Hi Mandy02!
Welcome to the Community!
Here's how it works:
The store needs at least 1 piece of photo ID before they can complete any account related activities. The following are acceptable:
- Driver’s License
- Canadian Passport
- Provincial ID or Age of Majority Card
- Citizenship Card
- Native Status Card
- Senior Citizens Card
- Armed Forces ID
- University Student ID
Provincial Health Care cards can't be used as photo ID, because of provincial regulations which limit their use to health care purposes.
If you were planning on processing an upgrade or an activation, you need to show at least 2 pieces of ID with the following information (this is due to the sensitivity of the transaction):
- Photo of the customer
- Date of birth
- Customer’s billing address
Acceptable IDs for upgrades & activations include the photo IDs listed above, as well as:
- Credit Card
- Banking Information (i.e. cheques with name / address)
The store was in fact correct and followed the companies' authentication policies. Keep in mind that the authentication process is different in store and over the phone.
Let me know if you have any questions 
Hi linzerfeet!
We ask for a photo ID to ensure that the person doing the upgrade is really the account holder. Though your credit card has your name on it, it unfortunately happens that people get their cards stolen.
Here are the picture ID's that we accept should you not have a valid driver's licence:
- Provincial ID or Age of majority card
- Passport
- Citizenship card
- Native status card
- Senior Citizens card
- Armed Forces ID
- University student ID
- Company ID
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hello Wheatleyrules,
Sorry to hear your phone and wallet were stolen. However, you should note the forums are community-driven and not intended as a venue for customer services. We do not have access to customers' accounts nor would we be able to answer your question.
If you haven't already, you might consider reporting your device as lost or stolen (see here and here). That would prevent any unauthorised usage on your line.
I understand your wallet was stolen so you may not have your regular identification. Unfortunately, Provincial Health Cards are not accepted as photo identification (see solution above). Do you have any of the other acceptable pieces of photo identification listed? You may need to replace your stolen identifications prior to replacing your SIM card.
I also understand you may have been told different things regarding obtaining a replacement SIM card. Fido can send you a replacement SIM card. However, it would not be associated with any line. You would need to update the SIM card information yourself. In general, customers are able to manage their SIM card information via My Account --> My Usage. From your Dashboard, the option to Manage SIM is near the bottom of the page under Quick Actions. However, since you no longer have your physical SIM card, I don't believe you will be able to use the online system update the SIM card information or to obtain an eSIM. Part of the process requires responding to a verification text sent to the current SIM, which you unfortuntely no longer have (see here and here). That requirement is to prevent SIM-swap fraudulent activity. Usually, customers in similar situations would need to go to a store to obtain a replacement SIM or eSIM so their identity can be verified.
If you wish to discuss your situaiton, you would need to contact customer service. In addition, they can also be contacted via Live Chat, Facebook, or Twitter. Those methods can be accessed via the contact page posted above. However, you may still need to go to a store with proper identifcation.
Hope this helps 😀
Cheers
