I bought an iPhone4 for my wife and since she is on VF with a plan she likes I got it from Apple, rather than VF.

The dilemma now was to get microSIM.   VF charge $30 for one so I thought I would try another route.

I eschewed all the fancy tools that are on Trademe that cut the standard SIM and tried to cut the SIM myself based on templates I found on the Internet. I tried with an inactive SIM first and that seemed to work. The iPhone said, inactive SIM and showed a bunch of ... in the top of the screen. Emboldened by my success I went to work on the real SIM. To my dismay and chagrin, the iPhone now said invalid SIM :-(  I guess I had cut it incorrectly.

So I thought, I will have to bite the bullet and pay VF $30 for a microSIM.

Then looking at the 2D prepaid plans and the two for one they are offering I decided to move her to 2D. So popped into the Wellington 2D store to get a microSIM and wouldn't you know it, they didn't have any!  Seems strange to open a new store and not stock such an essential item.

They pointed me to Dick Smiths where I was able to one for $20 with $20 included calls. So far so good. But upon inserting the SIM and calling 200 to activate it, the activation failed and I was bounced to a CSR. I was told that's unusual but since the call had gone through, the SIM was now activated.  I then tried to make call. Instead of connecting to the callee, the call was intercepted and I was told didn't have enough credit in the account. So another call to the CSR who seeing my balance was zero (it should have ben $20) was equally puzzled and said he would look into it.



At this point in time I have received one callback from the CSR saying I should be good for porting the VF number but the balance is still zero.

[edit] the account now has $20 in it - thanks to Julian at 2D

Since I have ruined my VF SIM card I sincerely hope the porting process does not require my responding to a SMS on the VF line since I now don't have a valid VF SIM card!

This experience is a bit unusual since it was a doddle to port my own VF on account SIM to 2D but it was to a N1 so I didn't need a microSIM.

I wonder what experiences are GZ'ers have had in this area.