ESim activation while overseas with an international plan HELP!

[godugh1]

I am in Belgium until next month.  I have had an international travel plan with Verizon for several years as I travel constantly.

My Pixel 5 was damaged beyond use so on Feb. 5 I bought a  Samsung Galaxy S25.  After six hours dealing with Verizon I was finally told that I could not activate the phone until Feb. 7 when the phone launched in the US.

I could live with this  because at least I could call my existing number and retrieve VM's but then Verizon informed me this was not possible because they had disconnected my service to activate the ESim.  I will not go into the details of the next several hours of stress while I had my phone number of 25 years reactivated.

on Feb. 7th I called again (using my Belgian number) and after another three hours I was told it was not possible to activate the esim while my new phone was in transit and the phone access was pending.   Apparently without my authorization Verizon sent a Pixel phone to address in Philly where no one resided because - well - I'm in Belgium.

In short I have spent a total of 16 hours and two days online and on the phone with customer service and tech support while they bantered me back and forth like a ping pong ball. I  have been told countless conflicting reasons of why they have not been able to activate the esim and every step Verizon has taken has complicated the issue and cost me valuable time and money.

The Samsung S25 has been launched in the US.  I have an existing Int'l travel plan. They have confirmed that I am the owner of the destroyed Pixel 5 (which was delivered yesterday but the delivery was not accepted).  They have my IMEI number (at 25 times).

Can anyone tell me how to end this nightmare.  I need my phone for work  and  I have a 90 year old mom with dementia who I call once a week.  These are hour long sessions as you can imagine and I would really like to do it on my Verizon plan that allows me to call the states for free.

Someone please help.  I am beyond desperate.

[vzw_customer_support]

godugh1, we're here, and we understand how difficult can be without services specially when you travel outside the US. We'd love the opportunity to partner with you and find a solution. Let me send you a private message to go over this situation in detail and find a solution together. 

-Art

[godugh1]

I have heard the same thing over 15 times in the last few days.  I am out of minutes on my Orange account wasted all on being on hold with Verizon for countless countless hours.  It is company policy to tell me you can help me and then after an hour or two you are forced to admit that this is out of your purview.  Exactly how do you plan on helping me?

I am sure other people with this issue would like the answer as well so no need to keep it private.  What are you going to do for me and how are not going to waste more of my time - I  am now on the third day of this nightmare.

[vzw_customer_support]

We hate to hear that you have had any trouble while traveling and know it's important to be able to keep in touch with loved ones. We are sending a private note so we can get personal details on your device and account. 

-Meg

[godugh1]

Here is an update.  After telling me the esim could be activated:

A. After Samsung Galaxy S5 was launched in the US on Feb 7

B. After the phone delivery they sent to a location in Philly is returned to them and the pending is removed

C. It can indeed be activated because I have a current international plan and they have confirmed that the Pixel 5 was indeed mine

D.  Here is the best one:  The esim can not be activate unless I am in the US and within a Verizon Network

So take your pick.  That an esim can not be activated unless the Verizon customer comes back to the US and stands near a Verizon signal everyone all of the world traveling that might have their stolen, misplaced or broken can not have access to the Verizon service until they take plane ride back to the states solely to activate their service.

Good luck to anyone who has their credit cards on their phone.  Or if it is their work phone.  Or if their family is distressed because they no longer contact you.

Verizon has your back.  As long as your back is in the US.

[SynthpopAddict]

Sorry to hear your phone broke and now you can't get the S25 activated on Verizon.  I am presuming the S25 is unlocked?  If it is not unlocked, then you are going to have to ask the Belgian carrier to unlock it.  Below is a link for International Services Support toll-free numbers which you can call from a landline, if you're out of minutes on your mobile plan:

https://www.verizon.com/support/pdf/BPOD-I2400-Toll-Free-Numbers-V5.pdf

If the issue is that the phone must be connected to Verizon's network in order to activate - then it will not be possible to get your Verizon line going until you return home and Verizon ought to suspend your Verizon number for the time being so you don't have to pay as much for your US phone number at least.  If you can use WiFi calling on your Belgian service, that would be an option to be able to call your family members and other contacts in the US without having to pay enormous international calling charges?

[update] Since your S25 is an international version, I hope that won't be an issue with Verizon either, as international versions are typically built only to support GSM technology, while Verizon was historically CDMA.  These technologies were more for the 3G days, but one never knows.  You can run the IMEI on the compability checker here:

https://www.verizon.com/bring-your-own-device/

[godugh1]

Thank you but your information is incorrect.  Please Google esim while abroad Verizon S25 - just about anything relating to the subject at hand to confirm this.

I have had my phone number for 25 years. It is on my business cards, my website and my advertising both print and online.

I went to the link you suggested.  From the options Tablet, Phone, etc. I clicked phone and immediately got this message before even having the opportunity to put in the make and model of said phone:

error notification
Looks like this device isn't compatible with our network. Please call 800-922-0204 or visit a store for help

LOL 

And so day five begins with the Confederacy of Dunces.

[SynthpopAddict]

You're welcome.  I don't know if your busted Pixel 5 was also eSIM or if it had a physical SIM card in it.  If it had an actual SIM card, try putting that card into the S25, because the specs I could find on the S25 says it can use an actual SIM card. 

https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s25-13610.php

The international version doesn't support Verizon's mmWave n260/261 high-band 5G, which is the only issue I can see with having a non-US version of the phone.  As for the "not supported" error message on the BYOD link, I'm wondering if Verizon is blocking access to that part of the website to any overseas IP addresses.  I've read a few threads recently where there are other issues with getting S25 phones activated because there's a problem with the release date, but that's another story.

Per your suggestion, I did Google "esim while abroad Verizon 25", and clicked a few links.  A Reddit thread from a year ago has a user reporting that a new Verizon eSIM cannot be activated because it has to be connected to Verizon first, which isn't currently possible in your situation.  A few other links say the same thing.  There's one blurb dating from 2022 saying it might have been possible back then, but things must have changed.

(https://www.reddit.com/r/verizon/comments/1802j7d/can_a_verizon_esim_be_reactivated_while_abroad/?rd...)

Otherwise, I'm surprised that Verizon cannot transfer an existing, active eSIM to a new phone since I thought this was just a file to download. The only other thing I can think of is if there's a new phone waiting for you at your home address (assuming UPS didn't return it to Verizon due to nobody being able to sign for the package) - if there is someone you trust who can retrieve that new phone and work with you and Verizon to activate that phone, then they would have to ship it to you in Belgium?  Otherwise, I feel your pain and am saddened to see that Verizon can't do better.  Phones break, get lost, or are stolen all the time and people travel for many reasons, so you can't be the only one in this situation.

[godugh1]

Ok now I am beyond the breaking point.  I have topped off my Orange plan and even purchased another sim through Orange on a travel plan just to be able to make calls to the US.  Mainly to my 90 year old mother that expects a call once a week at least and of course to Verizon to see if they can finally activate the esim - but I am according to Orange not allowed to make outgoing calls. And Belgium being Belgium everything is closed until Monday.

If Verizon had not escalated this situation I would have the ability to use my phone right now.  My family and clients could contact me.  I could talk to my mother.

Is no one responsible for this?  Is no one responsible for giving me incorrect information and misleading me every single step of the way?  From cancelling my phone number of 25 years to sending a phone without my authorization to an address with no one there to accept it because I am in Belgium.

Is this just the level of customer support we are being forced to accept?  Your entire life upended because no one is trained or qualified to do what used to be simple tasks.  When I was in the UK two years ago I was able to get an esim on my phone.  What has changed in the last two years?  

This is effecting my business and my personal life not to mention the countless hours that I will never get back trying to rectify Verizon's avalanche of mistakes.

I am beside myself.

[godugh1]

While I appreciate those Verizon employees that have sent me Private messages offering help please know that you would easily be Verizon employee number 20 or 21 that has offered advice.

I just had my minutes run out on my Orange Sim for the second time while on the phone with Verizon customer service and then Verizon tech.  After an hour and a half the very capable tech person admitted that yes they could in fact activate the Sim but that there was step left that she could not overcome - an obstacle put up by Verizon which would be the last and final verification of my account.

Apparently being a client with Verizon for over 20 years and having every available form of identification at the ready does not cut it with Verizon Security.  Although the blithefully sent out a phone to an address I am not even at.  The real problem is Verizon does not want to help because I did not buy my phone through Verizon.  Had I bought the phone through Verizon they would be more than happy to assist.  In fact they can assist.  They just choose not to.

This is another wasted day.  By everyone's account they can actually activate the esim.  In fact it would just be a matter of sending me a QR code.

The sad truth is Verizon does not support its customers.  Instead of sending the phone by FedEx to an address in Philly they could have sent it to me in Belgium.  I would have gladly paid for it.

I am looking into changing my service and will send a complaint to the FTC as well as letting others know on Reddit and other forums that if you travel overseas and something happens to your phone make sure that Verizon is not your service provider.

After 20 some years I a leaving the company and never looking back but I plan on making sure as many people as humanly possible leave with me.

[godugh1]

Here is the latest update.  Today a huge online promotion launched for my company.  A newsletter that was preprogramed went out 6000 people.

I received a phone call on the Belgium temporary number I have from someone that know me to tell me that my phone number was not working.  My US number was giving a message that the number was no longer in service.

I contacted Verizon and they told me that is because my number is not connected to a phone.To recap my phone stopped working and I contacted Verizon from Belgium to tell them the Pixel five was destroyed - that I had a new phone the Samsung Galaxy S25 and that I needed to have an esim activated.  This was Feb. 5 they told me I had to wait on Feb. 7 but in the meantime without my knowledge they decatived my phone number because it was no longer was connected to a phone and again without my knowledge they sent a Pixel 5 to an address where no one resided.

I thought everything  was okay because at the very least clients could leave a message  on my VM and I could retrieve it and contact them by other means.  

Accept that is not the case.  According to Verizon today they discontinued that service when I called on Feb 5.  The phone number is no longer connected to a phone.

The question that Verizon would not answer and ended the chat when I asked was this and I quote:

Tell me one thing for the record. Verizon knew that I was out the country. They knew that my Pixel 5 did not work. They knew I contacted them to activate an esim on a new phone.  Why did Verizon not inform me at this point that getting an esim on a new phone outside the country was not possible.

The online customer service agent ended the chat without answering.

They have offered no solution.  I can not emphasize the damage the misinformation and carelessness received from Verizon has damaged my business not to mention health.  I am in full panic mode with no solution in the offing and clients getting a message that this phone number is no longer in service.  I can barely breathe I am so stressed.

[godugh1]

I just paid 500 euro on my Orange Provider account for all of the hours spent on line with Verizon customer support, tech and Global tech support.  No other phone calls were made from this account.

If Verizon had just told me that they could not activate the esim on my Galaxy S25 and not spent hours keeping me online with empty promises this charge could  have been avoided.

As it stands I will come back to Verizon to cover this charge and update the community with their response.