SIM Card Issue

[AlexandrTheGreat]

Here's a riddle. I'm having trouble with a new SIM card not being recognized by my phone.

After recently moving back from the Middle East, I've purchased a a pay-as-you-go Virgin Mobile SIM for both of our phones. I've activated both, following the same steps as much as possible (names, IMEI, phone numbers are different). Her phone works no problem, but mine says "No SIM card - Emergency Calls only". I have a Moto G (2nd Gen) that was purchase new and unlocked from Staples about 18 months ago. I bought my wife an identical phone at the same time.

I've followed their customer support steps (reboot x7, hurray....) and even tried a factory reset with no luck. I talked with their physical booth location, with no progress (they rebooted it again, and suggested factory reset). And picked a few other IT location brains to no avail.

I've tried swapping the Virign SIMs: both work on her phone, neither work on my phone. I've tried our old Etisalat SIMs from the Middle East, both are recognized on my phone, just no reception. I've also tried a Rogers SIM but it also remains unrecognized.

For general usage, my wife plays candy crush and that's about it beyond "phone use", I don't really play any games. Both of us use most of the same apps (my wife probably has a few extra, and is more likely to have a virus/malware than mine). Also, a factory reset should have dealt with most virus/malware anyways.

Any suggestions to try would be very helpful. Virgin at this point has refused to issue a refund because the SIM works (in my wife's phone), but their advice is pointing in a circle (Physical Booth <-> Call Center).

I've also just tried Wiping the Cache Partition, but no luck with that either. Still recognizes Etisalat SIM, but no Virgin SIM.

Thanks a ton.

 

[AlexandrTheGreat]

For anyone else that has a similar issue, the paper behind the SIM trick worked. I guess the Etisalat SIMs are fractionally thicker than the North American counterparts.