But what is happening at SIM+? The virtual operator’s subscribers are complaining about abusive charges and hefty overruns on their packages. Customer service is unreachable. And the parent company is in receivership.
With inflation, the French are looking for good deals to save money, and this involves choosing their phone plan. Also, the four “big” operators (Orange, Bouygues Telecom, SFR and Free Mobile) and the countless MVNOs – “virtual” operators like Cdiscount Mobile, Auchan Telecom, Réglo Mobile, Prixtel or NRJ Mobile that do not have their own network – are engaged in a merciless war, with the help of temporary promotions and enticing advertising, to attract these potential customers. Among them is SIM+a very discreet virtual operator (created in 2008, it does not advertise), which relies on the Bouygues Telecom telephone network after having relied on Orange and SFR.
On paper, the MVNO has the good taste to offer simple packages, including 5G, at “round” prices, all without commitment, with the essential number portability. In addition to a small package at 2 euros with 4 hours of calls, unlimited SMS and MMS and 1 GB of data in 4G, it notably offers a very advantageous package at 5 euros with unlimited calls and 5 GB of data, which we had spotted and recommended in 2023, when the prices of the “big” operators were soaring. Especially since it included advantages of more expensive packages (use in Europe, double call, three-way conversation, reduced speed beyond the envelope, without additional cost, etc.). In short, perfect for users looking for very modest packages, at a very low price, whether for a child or for a second telephone line, with a backup mobile or a dual SIM card model. But, since the end of November 2023, many readers who have subscribed to the operator have complained on our forum of problems. So what’s going on at SIM+?
SIM+: Billing problems galore
Things seem to have started to get worse in late 2023, when a bug led SIM+ to charge a number of its customers per minute. They soon began receiving some pretty hefty overage notices… Since then, the bugs have multiplied and so have the problems with huge bills. Some customers, after several years of direct debits without too many problems, have received formal notices for failure to pay their last bill, even though everything was in order. In any case, it is impossible to reach someone to rectify the problem. And when a human soul miraculously picks up the phone, nothing is done. “I am always told that I will be reimbursed, that the request is on the billing desk, but nothing comes.”complains a customer on the Internet.
And the problems have multiplied in recent weeks with new billing incidents, as shown by this email received this summer by customers. “Hello, due to an incident related to an update to our billing system last month, some customers were not charged as expected in July. You will therefore see two charges this month: one for the period from 01/06/24 to 30/06/24, and the other for the period from 01/07/24 to 31/07/24.” A member of the editorial team, a former SIM+ customer, even noticed that his account was still active, even though he had cancelled his line several months ago.
And to top it all off, Customer service is very difficult to reach, even though the announced waiting time is less than a minute. In short, it’s an obstacle course to get an advisor and explanations.
SIM+: RIO no longer responds
Faced with these problems, many people are looking to jump ship by switching to another operator. But here again, the task is not easy. To obtain the portability of a telephone number (i.e. to keep a telephone number when changing operators), you must retrieve the corresponding RIO (the Operator Identity Statement, a code associated with a line with an operator). And then, good luck getting your hands on it!
On the one hand, the national number 3179 does not work with SIM+ numbers and redirects to its phantom customer service. On the latter, someone sometimes picks up, oh miracle, but refuses to give it out loud. The customer is told that he will receive his RIO within a few days. However, with a normally constituted operator, the precious sesame is obtained immediately by SMS after having made the request! In most cases, it is not received anyway and you have to call customer service again until death ensues.
It is also possible to request your RIO through the SIM+ website, but only once! Needless to say, you’d better make a note of it! Problem: according to the comments, the site was no longer working for a while, you actually had to go through a VPN with a foreign IP to access it. At the time of writing, however, the site is once again accessible from France.
But even once you have obtained the RIO, the adventure is far from over! Indeed, it does not work with all operators for the transfer of portability. You must then resolve to take a new telephone number or, with a bit of luck, ask the new operator to do the portability manually, in the case where it is possible.
SIM+: a company in receivership
In short, things are not going well at SIM+. The operator, which has clearly acquired a bad reputation among professionals, has not even been listed on package comparison sites for some time. And when If we look more closely, the situation really smells of pine. Indeed, CedeTel, the company that markets the SIM+ brand, is in receivership since December 12, 2023. However, when we finally spoke to an operator, she swore to us that this was not the case! Contacted by email, SIM+ subsequently did not respond to our requests for an interview for an official explanation. We are still waiting.
If you are a SIM+ customer and are experiencing these difficulties, there is only one thing to do: run away, even if it means having to change your phone number in the process. Be careful, keep a close eye on the movements in your bank accounts in the months that follow, to be sure that the direct debits have been suspended. If this is not the case, contact your bank without delay to object and suspend future direct debits.