Is this how we treat Customers?

This is not about the monetary value but rather the principle. Just an example how a customer is "only the guy who pays us money" and nothing else. I bought a PayAsYouGo starterpack on June 21st. Activated the SIM card and got a phone number. Then discovered a problem with the spare phone that I wanted it for and thought that I would get the phone sorted out before loading airtime so that the airtime would not "disappear" as it usually does if you don't use it up quick enough. This only to find out that 5 weeks later when the phone is finally fixed and I am trying to load airtime the SIM card is de-activated. Even tried to send myself an SMS to test. Phoned MTN Customer Care who say I must phone the Activations Department. They don't work on the weekend so I have to wait till Monday. They say that "if you don't load airtime, the number gets de-activated and re-cycled, that's the way it works". This happens - evidently - without warning , not up-front in the fine print nor before the cancellation is about to happen. After all we are only The Customer. What do we expect! Service! By the way, the customer who now has my number, at least had the decency to phone me back to enquire about the Test SMS that I sent him and offered to cancel the number so that I could have it back. The Network doesn't give a hoot. Not even an apology...