R250 charge for assistance at Vodacom store

I recently got a sim swap due to being ****** and losing my phone. When I downloaded WhatsApp on the new phone it couldn't verify me as it said my number is invalid. I went to the Vodacom shop at centurion mall for them to check if anything is wrong with the sim or the number. The guy just told me it's probably a software issue. My software was updated (with my own data because the stores WiFi was not working), WhatsApp was deleted and reinstalled and it worked fine. So why was I charged R250 for that service? Something I could've done myself. The guy assisting me told me it's a new thing that Vodacom is implementing where customers are being charged for assistance at a branch and the cost can amount to anything up to R650. I was shocked at this because the guy told me while he was busy with my phone and didn't even give me a chance to refuse the service by telling me upfront of the cost. What was going to happen if I didn't have money because he told me about the cost right as he was finishing with my phone? I have gone to Vodacom stores over the years for assistance and have never been charged.