Can you actually buy a 3GS in Ireland?

Question

I'm starting to believe that the iPhone 3GS is just a myth here in Ireland. I've been trying to buy a pay-as-you-go 32GB black model since June without success. Last year, I tried to buy a 3G from June up until December and couldn't get one then either. Out of stock, out of stock, out of stock...
There are two suppliers in Ireland: o2 and Carphone Warehouse. With o2, the 32GB model is listed as "out of stock" for all but the most expensive plan (iPhone 700). Carphone Warehouse have no information at all about iPhone availability on their website - apparently, you're supposed to individually check with each of their local stores.
Unlike o2, however, Carphone Warehouse do provide a contact phone number on their website. I've just spent the last hour on hold with them, only to be informed by what sounded like a prerecorded message that there was no one available to take my call because the building had just been evacuated. I kid you not.
You can't contact o2 except via webmail. Which they just ignore. I find it astonishing that companies in the business of getting people to talk to each other make it impossible for you to talk to them.
I've got €800 burning a hole in my pocket right now. I would like it to go to Apple, but if their sales agents in this benighted country are so intent on choking off the iPhone supply I may have no option but to look at other smartphones.
I'll give it till the end of this month. After that, I've had enough of this nonsense.

Answer 1

Thanks for the advice, Dave. I'm sorry but I don't buy the supply/demand mismatch theory in this case. It may have been true for the first couple of years of the iPhone's life but I very much doubt that it's true today, unless Apple is now being managed by morons.
I've just rechecked the o2 webshop and found that I can buy any model of the 3G for any tariff and for pay-as-you-go. Even my two brain cells tell me that this means that o2 originally didn't believe the G3 would sell well, were subsequently overwhelmed by the demand, and overstocked it when it was much too late and the 3GS was on its way.
To shift this outdated stock, they're restricting 3GS sales to their most expensive tariff. Essentially, o2 don't give two hoots for Apple's interests - they don't care about selling the iPhone, they only care about selling their own products.
Sometimes I think what this country needs is another Famine...