How can Apple justify a two week wait to unlock Apple ID?

I go to Sprint on Sunday 4-15-18 to activate an old iPhone 5 for my wife (because her iPhone 5S froze up and is now shot). We needed to log into the old phone to turn off "Find my iPhone" so it could be activated.She couldn't remember her password, so after 4-5 failed attempts Apple locks her phone (for security reasons) and puts her account into RECOVERY MODE. She remembered her password about an hour later. On Monday afternoon at 5Pm they tell me that I would be receiving instructions by 8PM to unlock the account. I get an email that tells me I have to wait until April 29th before I will be able to access the account. How is Apple able to control your life in this way?How can Apple justify Locking your account and putting it into recovery mode for 2 weeks when you know the password to your apple ID and my wife is without a cell phone for the next two weeks? They won't even give me the option of verifying my credit card info on file in order to prove my identity in relation to the Apple ID account. When I get this resolved, I have full intentions of never buying another Apple product again. I currently have a 27" IMAC, MacBook Pro, 2 iPads, and 4 iPhones. This is ********!! APPLE HAS TOO MUCH CONTROL!!!!! People should be able to call up and verify their security information (Just like a Bank) for their accounts and that should be the end of it. Their lives should keep on moving normally. NOT A TWO WEEK FREEZE!!!!!!! WITH NO CELL PHONE, NO EMAIL, NO VOICEMAILS, NO SMS, ETC....