4 ms·
US is far from the only place where this is possible. It's entirely possible to use cash to purchase a used unlocked smartphone plus a prepaid SIM card here in
by selfhoster11 5y ago
US is far from the only place where this is possible. It's entirely possible to use cash to purchase a used unlocked smartphone plus a prepaid SIM card here in the UK.
- eptcyka 5y agoI don't think I've seen a non-CCTV'd store that sells those in years.
- dragonwriter 5y agoI don't think I’ve seen a non-CCTV’d store in the US for years, especially not a convenience store/gas station, so that's not a difference.
- zdragnar 5y agoYou might be surprised at the number of cameras that are fake, or not actually recording. It largely depends on whether the business has insurance and if the local police actually investigate petty theft.
- dragonwriter 5y agoConvenience stores and gas stations in the US are frequent targets of armed robbery, which is what the security is for, not petty theft. (There may be some that count on camera shells as a deterrent rather than having live cameras, but if so it has nothing to do with whether the police investigate petty theft.)
- Brajeshwar 5y agoUK actually handed me a SIM at the Airport (or did I just pick it up from a counter) and I used it throughout my stay for a few months. Isn't that the case anymore?
- ucosty 5y agoThere are vending machines full of SIM cards at Heathrow, so I'd say they're still available.
- ghaff 5y agoAre those card only though?
- selfhoster11 5y agoIt's probably a courtesy thing that one company or another arranged for you, or some kind of a promotion. I never had this happen to me. It's generally the case that if you want a prepaid SIM card, you go to pretty much any shop to buy it for a nominal fee (usually just £1, but shops that rip you off may charge up to £5 in some cases). As soon as you buy and activate a top-up voucher, you are good to go. At no point is your identity or a card payment required.
- Beltalowda 5y agoSame in Netherlands.