Dooped by Avis care hire

On the 13th of April 2018 I decided to go online and search reasonable car rental companies. Which I would use to take us to durian for the weekend on the 4th of May 2018. I found Avis and decided to make a booking for the VW polo vivo to be collected on the 4th and returned on the 7th for R1149. 00. Paid online and relaxed. So only to realise on the day of collection I paid with my debit card and not with a cheque or credit card. So when I asked the lady Palesa( lady who assisted me) at the Ormonde branch, why couldn't I collect the car she says they can't accept debit card payments. So I say no problem since that's the case then can I get refunded cause I had made my booking long ago. She calls customer services and they hands down refused to give me a refund saying I should have cancelled the booking three days prior to the collection date for wrong payment. Now my question comes here. If they don't accept debit payments then why did they accept my R1149.00 and refuse to give it back cause if was wrong payment why didn't their system notify them that the payment was not made with the right card. I spent the whole of that day calling customer services talking to people to no avail. From being put on hold for hours apon hours only to be told we can email you our terms and conditions and and all that *******. If you can't accept debit card payments at your offices why does your online payment accept it. And considering I made this booking waaaaaay in advance why didn't you guys see this problem. I'm pretty sure I'm not the first or the last to go through this **************** that Avis is pulling on customers. I was infuriated by the way they handled everything and just still very annoyed at the fact that they refused to give me my money back. Really disappointed in Avis car hire services and their lack of problem solving s****s to handle such situations. With cost of living so high no one can just stand to loose so much money. Completely and not even a portions refund. Utter ******* .