Coincidentally, I received an email reply to a couple of questions I'd asked via the ebay store about these SIMs.
1) Officially, they need to be activated within 45 days. (I was hoping that wouldn't be the case, since I had in mind an 'emergency' ready-to-go application.
2) It does appear that they can be activated via text message if one isn't porting in a number. I'd noticed that in the Ebay description, and asked for clarification. I didn't really get clarification, but did get the same info copied-and-pasted.
Without the 45-day expiration, this would be a nearly ideal 'what if' solution, since it's the only service I'm aware of that can be activated without internet access. (I suspect that there are still some true 'burner' phones at convenience stores that will self-activate, from providers we've never heard of....) I'm guessing that the 45-day limit can be stretched, as some have stretched the 45-day Mint requirement to considerably longer periods-- but it kind of removes the function of an emergency phone if one is dealing with a Schrodinger's Cat situation.
