MTN not so 'stay connected' friendly.

I've been with MTN ever since I've had a cell phone, some 18 years, currently had 2 contract phones and a modem until they were ****** last week. These items were all purchased online and couriered without any problems. I'm self employed and need a phone urgently only to be told that I have to go to a MTN store (130km round trip) to purchase, why?