Photo by Scott Murdoch from Burst

 

There is a strict maximum limit of 2 free sims per person*. Ordering more than the permitted amount is the reason why most orders are cancelled. 

PLEASE DO NOT ORDER SIMS IF YOU DO NOT INTEND TO USE THEM AS THE NETWORK INTENDED. NETWORK TERMS APPLY IN ALL CASES. SIMS ARE NOT FOR RESALE. 

* Two free sims per person or household in any 6 month period.

If you wish to purchase additional sim cards at a later date you should add one extra to the basket.

For example, if you want to order one more, add 3 to the basket.

If you want to order 2 more sim cards, add a total of 4 to the basket.

As the first two sims are free, Up to £1.98 will be deducted from the order total.

Note that sim cards are issued for personal use only and to be used "as the network intended in accordance with the networks terms and conditions". You must not order sims for anybody else o rfor resale. 

That one sentence effectively sums it up, but to understand what it means fully, lets break it down. 

  • For Personal Use Only

"For Personal Use Only" means exactly what it says. You must not order sim cards for anybody else as you are not able to accept the network terms on someone else's behalf. If you have special needs then you should contact the network directly. 

Sim cards also remain the property of the network. Their terms do not authorise you to obtain them for, or pass them on to or sell to anybody else to use. 

In particular, sim cards must not be ordered for group activities (such as student groups) or for resale or distribution to any other party. 

  • To be used as the network intended

This means that sim cards are issued to be used in your phone or tablet as they would normally be used by most people. In particular it is considered that you will using the sim card to make personal calls and texts, and use the internet services, topping up ss required.

They should not be used for multiple signups, vehicle trackers, endless streaming of movies or media for public consumption or redistribution. For example, you would not usually watch or stream 20 movies a day every day so it is not considered to be normal use.

  • In accordance with the network terms and conditions. 

Every network publishes their own terms and conditions which are generally similar, and cover the points mentioned above. In particular you should not be ordering sim cards unless they are for your own use, used in a phone or tablet or similar device, for making general calls, texts and internet access. 

This is why there is a limit of 2 free sims per person, as it is generally considered that the average user is highly unlikely to need more than 2 sim cards for personal use, for example in a dual sim phone such as those offered in our store. 

We know that historically when more than 2 sim cards have been ordered they are, in the vast majority of cases (over 98%), not used as intended. So while you may only be ordering more sims for your family, unfortunately the vast majority of people are ordering them for illegal use such as multiple account signups, spam texting and in vehicle trackers. 

Why can't they be used in vehicle trackers? My tracker needs a sim to work! 

It may well do, but it's not their intended use as defined by the networks. Unfortunately vehicle tracker manufacturers use sim cards in their trackers but have made no arrangement with the networks for this type of use. If a sim is not topped up regularly, the networks are losing money. Nobody will sell a product that loses money.

Sims are distributed free of charge by authorised distributors such as ourselves, because we get paid a small commission by the network if the sims are being used "as intended". But if nobody is topping the sims up or using them illegally, nobody gets paid. It also pushes prices up for everybody.

But they're free, so why does it matter?
You may think there is no harm in ordering a couple of extra sims even if you never use them. They're free, after all.

Unfortunately there's "no such thing as a free lunch" and many people seem to be oblivious to the fact that they are not free to produce, package and distribute. But unless the sim cards are being topped up "as intended" the networks lose money, we don't get paid and we lose money too. 

Mobile numbers are released and licensed by the telecoms regulator, Ofcom. The networks have to pay a fee each year for every number which is why sim cards have an expiry date - it makes no sense to pay for a sim card that nobody is using or topping up. Meantime we pack and post them for free at a cost of thousands of pounds every year. 

Regrettably, many people who order free sim cards do not realise this and probably do not care, but there are literally millions of sim cards issued every year that are not used "as intended". This costs the industry tens of millions of pounds and they can also be heavily fined by Ofcom if sims are misused, especially for illegal purposes. Those costs are passed on to the end user - that's you and me - so we all lose. 

It's also worth noting that illegal use of sim cards can also land you in trouble. If a network is fined they will often try to track down those ordering and misusing multiple sims and take legal action against them. Court cases where the networks have reclaimed thousands of pounds are not uncommon. 

So would you rather pay £10 a sim?

If the problem isn't contained we will likely go back to the time when it costs £10 for every sim you buy before you even get to use it. Postage and packing costs increase year on year too, so the higher the losses the more likely it is that prices increase for everybody and ultimately free sim cards will become a thing of the past. 

We can only ask that you to respect the free offer of two sim cards, not to order more than you need personally, and not to misuse them or order them if you do not intend to use them.

The free sim offer is not intended to be a free-for-all to provide you with free stock for resale, parts for your tracking devices or something you can use for multiple signups. Personal use only means exactly that. Two free sims per person/household means exactly that.

Unfortunately if you genuinely wanted a few extra for your family it is precisely the abuse of the offer that has now led to the networks insisting on order restrictions, so we are all now suffering from a direct consequence of people abusing the offer in the past, whether deliberately or not. 

So why not just send me two sims instead of canceling my order? - a blunt warning.

Look at it this way. If you went to a supermarket and picked up three items on a "Buy One Get One Free" offer, and tried to walk out of the store without paying for the extra one then you would be shoplifting, or in otherwords stealing. Be advised - if you place multiple orders to try to get around the offer, you won't get any at all for this reason. So if you want more than two sims it's essential you add your additional requirements to your basket and pay for them accordingly when checking out, as repeat orders are not accepted. 

Fraudulent orders are a huge problem for the industry as a whole as literally millions of sims are misused every year, and so the limit is very strictly adhered to. Basically, if you breach the terms of the offer, you're not going to get the offer. 

We appreciate that some people may not have intentionally placed separate orders to obtain more free sims, but regrettably a great many people do and we have no way of knowing which ones are intentionally fraudulent. This means that they are trying to obtain an item for free that should be paid for. This is known as "gaming the system". 

This also applies to those trying to game the system by using alternate names and/or addresses. Also note that in some cases you may only be allowed one sim card in total, as that is all the network will allow. This will be shown on the listing where applicable.

We also reserve the right to reject or refuse to accept any order without providing a reason or notification of cancellation. 
Generally you can purchase more sims, up to 4 in total, but do note that some sim cards have a total limit of one per person. 

 

How to make sure your order is accepted

  • DO NOT order more than the limit stated for each sim, 

  • DO NOT attempt to order more than 2 free sims

  • DO NOT order more than 4 in total

  • DO NOT order sims for anybody else

  • DO NOT place repeat orders. If you want more than one sim you MUST add them to the basket and check out in one transaction instead of placing separate transactions for each one, as these are classed as repeat orders.

    DO NOT order for trade use or resale

  • DO NOT order from a business address

  • DO make sure your full correct name is given

  • DO make sure your address is correct, including formatting (see example below)

  • DO make sure your email address is correct and valid

  • DO make sure you order from the same location as your home address

Format your home address as follows:

RIGHT

Mr. Joe Bloggs
3 Home Avenue
Mytown
Essex
AC12 3DE
 

WRONG:

joe b
3 home a
essex
ac123de 

Sim card orders are now very strictly monitored so do make sure your order details are correct. It's important because if any part of them is not valid, such as your phone number or email address your order is extremely likely to be cancelled without notification. We can not accept orders using a "pen name" or business name, you must use your full name. 

We do not spam and we will only use your contact details for processing your order and informing you of dispatch etc. (unless you have joined our mailing list), but many cancellations are due to people leaving false email addresses.

If your email order confirmation notice "bounces" and is returned undelivered, your order will be automatically cancelled and we can not override this
Please help us to maintain the offer as is, and help keep the internet a safer place for everyone. Thank you.