Quality... Please?! Customer Service? Hell No!!

I purchased a SMEG Kettle in November 2019 and my wife noticed the paint has started to peel around the top and handle. Given that the product costs an arm and a leg I contacted SMEG who said I must bring it to their offices in Linbro Park to exchange. As I no longer have the receipt they charged me a further R1600 to exchange saying that I would get the newer model as mine was very old? The new kettle is identical to the one we had before and you would think that when spending that amount of money there would be an exchange with no cost?! This besides the fact that I had to sit and wait for 45 minutes for the kettle to be exchanged. Can you imagine if they were busy