SIM card failure or service failure?

It happened that my iPhone was having a SIM card failure in the past few weeks. I tried to restart/ reboot my phone for umpteen times but to no avail of getting the phone service back again.  It took me a few days before I finally relented (primarily because I was bogged down with tonnes of imminent tasks in that particular week) and went to Maxis centre to fix my phone.

A recurring problem. If you notice, it happened once but revived previously.

After telling the front line about my problem he directly transferred me to the backline for a simcard replacement procedure. At the counter while waiting for the replacement, I asked the person in charge for reasons that led to this issue. To my utter astonishment, she accused me to use my phone while charging it. As I know exactly when my phone stopped functioning, I retorted that I did not charge and use but I was surfing Facebook and replying a few incoming texts through whatsapp. She then went on to say I shouldnt do that since I would overheat my phone and spoil the SIMcard.

This was when I felt the whole thing was ridiculous.

For that moment, my mind went wild with questions zip-zapping around every corner in my mind, screaming that I should not give in so easily.
Isnt it absurd that I shound't Facebook and Whatsapp at the same time?
If I cant do those tasks simultaneously, what for I  use a SMARTphone?
As you (the employee of Maxis) know that this SIM failure issue is very common, and mostly due to overheating, which end you think should be put to blame. The phone user? The service provider? The SIM card manufacturer which the service provider deals with? Or the Mighty Apple Inc? As you also know that there are so many similar cases happen, shouldnt you issue a better SIMcard, that can resist heat, (providing better service) to your customers at the first place?
Or I am the one who should bear the responsibility for not keeping my phone "cool" enough?

As I was upset to hear the absurd accusations and being charged RM25 for the new card, I decided to bombard my questions and doubts to their technical department. I demanded to check my old SIM card to make sure that it was really spoilt before replacing it. However, as it was already replaced in the backline, any service it carried was terminated by the system and rendered useless/void.

 I  questioned the technician "Shouldnt Maxis check my old SIM card before replacing it?"

You dont know if the SIM card was really unusable by just a look at it right?

 Fortunately, the technician understood my intention. He agreed regretfully that they should have checked the SIMcard first before directing the customers to replace their card immediately. And to my relief, he helped me to waive away the RM25 charge in the following month bill and expedite the reactivation of the telephone service.

......

This post is not meant to find fault of any party. It means to serve as a reminder to my readers that if you happen to come across this problem, please request to check the SIMCard (if it is still usable or not) first before replacing it.

The old obsolete SIMcard.