My kingdom for a Virgin sim card

"Like a Virgin..." Had the pleasure of having my phone ****** last night in Cape Town. Spent the day, since 8am this morning trying to locate a Virgin sim card for an iPhone5 but to no avail. Finding a horse on the streets of Claremont would have been easier. 5 phone calls to the 'champs' at their call centre proved their staff, bless them, willing, but uninformed, mis-informed and at a loss of options to offer me.

The ONLY Virgin Mobile store in at Cape Gate, 33,9km away from where I live in Claremont. So I was told to try Edgars, PicknPay, Shoprite/Checkers, CNA, PEP or Jet, and that they ALL stocked Virgin sim cards, and yes even for iPhone 5. I went to all but PEP and Jet (only because by the time I was able to get to them they had closed it being Saturday) in my area and guess what? Nada. So they offered to courier a sim to me, at an extra cost of R150 to me, and a 3-5 working day wait. Most convenient. 7 days without a cell phone is very convenient?!? Feeling slightly peeved at how everything had played out today I decided my Virgin relationship, after 7 years, must come to a vaseline-less end. But get this: You can't port a number without a sim card from your previous provider. Unless of course you cancel your contract, which requires a 30 day notice, after which your number is released to a pay as you go option. So I had to suck it up and assume the position of optionless acceptance. Given this rant, acceptance is not something I am prepared to aquiesce to. Let's break it down shall we: -****** phone -Need new sim card -There is only 1 Virgin Mobile store in the whole of Cape Town, 30-34 km from the City centre and surrounds -Out of the 8 stores who are recommended by Virgin to stock Virgin sim cards 6 did not -So you can't get a sim but they will send you a sim, presumably from Joburg, at R150 for the courier - most couriers charge R60-70 -The couriered sim will then take 3-5 working days to be delivered - Most couriers will deliver in 24 working hours

It has been so much fun Virgin. I'm off to greener pastures. But not before I have to pay for this month and the extra R150. No service. Literally.