O2 refused to sell me a preloaded sim card

[Anonymous]

I live in Canada and travel each year in the UK for up to a month.  Two years ago I got an iPhone sim card from O2--pay as you go. It was perfect.

Last year I also got an iPad data sim. Worked like a dream.

This year I tried to get TWO iPad sim cards (iPad 3 and iPad mini), the clerk said I couldn't buy one unless I had a UK debit card! He claimed it was Apple that insisted on this.

That sounded weird, so I went to CarPhone Warehouse and they provided me with a THREE sim card for both.

I guess O2 lost out -- but can anyone confirm why O2 cannot sell me a preloaded sim card, but THREE can?

[Anonymous]

Not come across this myself before.

The only stipulation I've had when picking up a payg sim was that I was required to put £10 onto it.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like rubbish to me

[Bambino · Accepted solution]

Maybe you should go back to the O2 store and show the assistant what you bought. He's clearly been misinformed and shouldn't be telling customers that.

[Anonymous]

The shop assistant was clearly misinformed! The question I'd have is, although he was clearly in the wrong but he had an excuse ready. Where did he hear that Apple insisted on this?

[Anonymous]

He won't have heard this from Apple in any variation.

He's most likely been told by the manager of the 02 Store to push certain services / products as they are not reaching their target / margin !

I've had one 02 store employee straight barefaced lie by saying their computer system was down ,and wouldn't be up for a few hours ,so they couldn't sell me an iPhone 4 in payg.

I have two stores in my home town so to kill time I ended up having a look in the 2nd shop, was approached, told her I wanted the iPhone 4 on payg, was sat down and had one in my hands five minutes later.

I challenged the 'computer down' excuse and the look on her face said it all. Her reply was they hadn't been down at all.

I was tempted to revisit the shop to face the guy but just instead voted with my feet and wallet and don't visit that store anymore !

[jonsie]

Only explanation I can see is if you were paying with a non-UK card and the store couldn't process the payment but there are definitely no stipulations made by Apple that you have to have a UK debit card to buy a preloaded sim. Where do they train these guys?