Takealot's unreasonable respond policy cause customer great loss

I purchased a Samsung Z Flip from Takealot in March 2022. In August 2022 the sim reader became faulty and I returned the phone to Takealot requesting it to be replaced as it was still under warranty. Takealot rep**** that they do not have stock available (yet other Samsung Z Flips are listed) but that they can send it for repairs or refund me the amount I paid which is R5000 less than the current listing price. I had to respond within 24 hours otherwise they will just refund my account with the purchase price. I responded within 48 hours and not 24 hours and they refuse to assist me any further due to not responding within 24 hours. Me as a customer is now without a phone and it will cost me R5000 more to replace it, yet the phone was under warranty and would have been fixed by Samsung, within the warranty. Takealot has not dealt fairly in dealing with this matter causing their customer to be in the worse possible situation given all scenarios'. If I knew that Takealot is so unreasonable about dealing with products under warranty, I would have taken the phone to Samsung myself to repair and would still have a phone, repaired under warranty, costing my nothing. Takealot has caused me a great loss.