Defective winter boots heel

I bought winter boots on special in November 2022 from Superbalist. As the weather permitted I wore them for the 1st time last week to only realize the one heel had a defect. I then decided to liase with their customer service department explaining the reason I want to return the pair for repairs or a swap, to only get a feedback from them saying they can't accept my request because the shoes were bought six months ago.

The boots were bought in summer of 2022 and there was no way I could have worn winter shoes in the middle of summer to have noticed they had a defect. I'm sad to learn that the company that I trusted with good customer service over the years didn't even give me the opportunity to send the shoe back for them to ascertain what the problem is. My hard earned money that I could have used towards supporting my family thrown down the drain.