REPAIRING A PHONE NOT USED AT ALL,WRONG ADVISE

I Bougt A cell phone and tablet at Pep for xmas for my kids on the 5th, that day we bought the phone we were never told about 7 days return policy, etc. the lady who assisted confirmed with me if there is problems I can return it. What is aggrevating me is that the phones was not proply checked by staff, it was not switch on otherwise they would have picked up that the phone is not switching on. Upon returning the phone the lady, Lynette at Hemmingways that assisted us the same day was so unfriendly and not even willing to assist,told us the only way is to send the pone for repairs. I asked her how can you send a phone for repairs which is new, which they havent bothered to check when it was bought. only sim cards was inserted and we weretold to charge for 8 hours. That day she also told us the make of the pone is not highly recommended to buy, because it gives lot of problems. My question is why did she not tell us the day we bought it to look at something else and why must I send a phone for repairs which has not been used and does not even have a phone number for that matter. When I asked her for my money back or another phone, she told me according to their policy phones cannot