Sky Mobile, coming to Ireland

Sky Mobile support is absolutely awful.

I clicked the button in my online account to replace my eSIM so I could switch it to a different phone. The system validated my information and sent an email saying to expect my new eSIM shortly. Instead, I received an email after saying "your order has been canceled." They had already disabled service on my existing eSIM, leaving me with no service.

I called Sky from another phone and explained that I had an issue getting a replacement eSIM and that my original eSIM was deactivated. Nobody understood the problem. I was passed around to 4 different agents and spent over an hour and a half on the phone.

None of them were able to simply issue an eSIM to me. They all kept offering to cancel my service and order new. I told them I did not want to lose this phone number.

I finally got an agent who understood she needed to issue a new eSIM, but the only way she could do it was by TEXTING a verification code to my number. She was not able to email a code. She couldn't understand that a SIM can't receive a text if it's not active and continued to argue that I should be able to receive a text even if the SIM has no service??? She kept saying it shouldn't matter.

Anyway, after all that, they said they'll have to escalate the problem somewhere else and will hopefully call me back on another line once it is ready.

UPDATE 1: I went to the store hoping they could easily just activate a physical SIM instantly. The store didn't have SIM cards. They said they could call support to order one, but it wouldn't be different from me doing that. I explained that I had tried to get them to mail me a physical SIM, but they kept saying they'd only be able to add a line and cancel my existing one - which I can't do, because I need the number…. What a mess.

UPDATE 2: I called the sales line in hopes they might know a better place to transfer me once I explained the problem. I believe he transferred me to his supervisor or something, because once he hit the button there was no hold music and someone almost instantly picked up. He claims to have sent a physical SIM, though I haven't received any email confirmation and it has been about 20 minutes. We'll see if something arrives by Tuesday.

When I ordered via the website it said I could port my number in the app afterwards. So I went with a new number for now. Time will tell if that was a wise decision or not :-)