Hi-Fi Corporation - bad service and no understanding

I bought a 58" JVC 4K television set from them in August 2019, for my wife's birthday. Then came Covid and lockdown, and guess what, yes the TV packed up in April 2020. We live in a small town in Mpumalanga and bought the TV in Newcastle in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Therefore we could not travel over the "border" into Natal to take it back. When the travelling restrictions were lifted, I contacted them, which was in September 2020 and they rep**** that my 1 year warranty had expired. I mean, HELLO - COVID LOCKDOWN. But they were adamant and held with, "your 1 year warranty has expired".