Activate Orange SIM card before leaving Canada?

[Ex_Brit]

I have an unlocked KRZR K1 and am using Rogers as my service provider at home in Canada.
I just acquired an Orange UK Pay-as-you-go Call Abroad SIM card for use when I visit the UK soon, a trip I do at least twice a year.
I called their UK 0800 number (in India..LOL) using VOIP and they said it was activated and they gave me a phone number and said to wait 24 hours for some text messages to arrive that would set it up.
They stated that I would receive 4 text messages that would activate the card.
Right now it just sits in the phone and shows no signal bars at all and so far - no text messages. It's not quite yet 24 hours but I'm wondering if I did the right thing. Maybe I should have waited until I was in the Orange call area in the UK?
Advice anyone?

[mrfix]

If you left the UK before receiving any of the text messages then unfortunately your SIM card never got activated, try ringing your mobile number which you were given at time of activation from Canada if it goes to answer machine then it probably will work when you land back in UK again but possibly with restricted services ie no caller ID.

[Ex_Brit]

I just tried it using my VOIP and I got Orange Answerphone. I never received any of the texts as I activated it (stupidly) from Canada. Now I doubt that I'll be back until June as I've had to postpone my visit.
Will I be able to reactivate it properly when I return did I just waste my money (got the SIM on eBay from gosimcards in the UK)?

[mrfix]

from my past experience if SIM never gets activated properly 1st time chance of you having full services restored are zero but I am sure you will able to make and receive calls without any problem.

[Ex_Brit]

Thanks for the info.

[Junglizt1210]

If you mailed it here to me, I'd be happy to get it sorted for you (if it hasn't already)

[Ex_Brit]

Thanks for the offer but isn't it set for my own phone now - had to give them my IMEI number etc?
I emailed their Customer Service and they said it would be OK, just to contact them whenever I finally arrive in the UK.

[mrcamp]

I think you are fine too. You called it and got answer phone. That means the phone is already activated. A couple of years ago, I bought a brand new unactivated orane-UK sim card on ebay UK. When it arrived, just like you, I called the Orange customer service number from here in the USA to activate it. Got it done in a less than 3 minutes, and also received a text. GPRS was also automatically active on the sim. I also received 1 pound credit. Created online account, etc. All right here from the USA.

I read stuff here that the phone needs to be in the UK for it to be activated. And, that is definitely not correct. As long as you can get a hold of cust. service and give them some kind of UK address, you are fine.

[patrixl]

the real reason is that orange Pay as you go doesn't work in Canada. Only pay monthly. It may very well be activated but you won't be able to use it until you get to Europe..

Patrix

[tzar007]

I don't understand why would you pay for the pay-as-you-go sim for Orange.
I travel to London every month and first time I went I walkstad into Orange store, bought 5 pounds of credit and got sim card for free (no IMEI numbers, they don't care what phone you're using as long as it is unlocked). Put it in my phone and I did receive 2 SMS messages from Orange. They were claiming it might take up to 24 hours but it started working after about 15 minutes.
So my suggestion is wait until your next visit. If your existing card works fine, if not walk into first Orange store buy 5 punds credit and you'll get new sim card for free. Easy.

[Ex_Brit]

Because if I had gone to the UK as planned I would have arrived already knowing my UK phone number and would have been able to activate it immediately.

I'll see what happens. It didn't cost me much anyway.