Boost Mobile review: SIM card activation

I do not live in the US.

Via the Boost website I applied for an eSIM. I paid and was told that, to activate it, I should call the Call Boost.com activation line (833 502-6678) and quote my order number. On arrival in SFO I called the number and was told that I would get a text message on my new Boost number to verify my identity. Of course, I could not receive the number because the SIM was not yet active.

I was transferred to the verification department who, tried the SMS route. Since that didn't work they said that they could verify my identity by asking me some questions based on my credit history. I explained that, since I did not have a US social security number, I had no credit history. They said that I could come into one of your offices with photo ID to confirm my identity. I explained that that would not work for me since I needed to leave to a small town in California.

In short, there was no way for me to activate the card. I ended up buying a SIM card from a booth at the airport.

I later called customer support to request a refund of the fee I'd paid for the SIM. They could not give it to me since they could not verify my identity! The support agent that I spoke with agreed that the best way for me to get the money back would be to dispute the charge with my credit card company, which I did.

On March 7 I was charged a further $26.70 for the card I could not use. Now back home I started a chat with an agent who... wanted to send me an SMS to verify my identity! There then followed a call to your verification department and the same fruitless procedure I'd gone through while in the US. There was no way to refund my charges or to close my account due to the vicious circle of being unable to verify my identity. In the end, your agent advised me to:

1) Turn off auto-pay.
2) Dispute the charge with my credit card company.
3) Then the account would automatically be closed when my next payment was not made.

This seems like a very round-about way of doing things, to say the least.

I cannot be the only would-be customer from overseas who has run into this catch 22. If you have found it tedious to read my account of this process, imagine what it was like to endure it! It makes it effectively impossible for a non-US resident to use the Boost service, but there is no way to discover that unless one goes through this lengthy and frustrating process.

If I can make a concrete proposal, Boost should either:

1) Institute a verification process that is viable for non-US residents (perhaps via email), or
2) Make it clear in your application process that the service is meant for US residents only.

I would welcome any comments you might have regarding this message.

BTW I initially sent this message to [protected]@boost.com.au, an email address I received from one of your account specialists! It is for a separate company in Australia(!) that has no connection to Boost USA.