Refund Please!

We purchased some shoes at Rage East Rand Mall and after wearing them once, the strap on the buckle tore. I did not fall or anything, the strap literally just tore as I was taking the shoe off. I asked my mom to go to the store at Carnival Mall as it is closer to home to return the shoes yesterday and ask for a refund and she was told she can not get one as 7 Days has surpassed since I bought the shoes. On the slip it clearly states that you can get a refund on damaged goods if purchased within 6 months. My mom was told that she can take a gift card which I do not want as the slip clearly states that I can receive my refund within 6 months of purchase.

Please assist as I do not want to even attempt to get another pair of shoes and all I want is my refund back. Retail Store employees like to lie to us and say that their store does not give refunds, only gift cards which I know is against the law. It's unfortunate that a lot of us are not aware of this and get taken advantage of, as a gift card just forces you to still purchase an item from that certain store.