Bad experience as a new RED contract customer

I've mostly been a happy client, but not this time. Bought a new phone on contract, and it came with a new SIM card and cell number as one would expect - since nowhere along the online purchasing process was I asked whether I would like to keep my old number.

Phone arrived and the first thing I did was call RED customer service to ask them to change my number - they said they could not because it was too late and the contract was already active. I then went to a Vodacom shop at the Grove Mall, and the agent (guy) I found there also said he could do it, but it would be too much admin and so I should take it up with the Online Vodacom people. Now I am stuck with a new phone and a SIM card that I cannot use because I do not want to change my number - everything is linked to my current number so changing my number (just because Vodacom wants me to) would be a HUGE inconvenience. So for now, as an angry customer I have put their new SIM card away and inserted my old one into my new phone - problem solved!

In 2018 I managed to changed my number with Telkom following the exact same sequence of events - I did not even need to go to a Telkom store back then, customer service handled everything - so I am surprised how Vodacom, which is apparently SA's leading cellular network cannot do in 2022 something that Telkom could do in 2018.

Kind regards