closing date to return sale items not advised and therefore i cant return their product....

i called the Woolworths Brooklyn mall branch on the 11th September 2017 to find out if i could return an item that was a gift and had no slip, i advised the consultant that it was a sale item , she said yes i could, what she failed to tell me was that the closing date was on the 12th September 2017, i then went to the store on the 14th September 2017 to return this item.....the consultant i got at customer refused to return the item because the date had passed , i advised them that but i wasn't told so what should i do about it now , as i dont have a slip and i wouldn't have known when i should return and the consultant i spoke to didn't advise this to me , "well theres absolutely nothing we can do sooo..." the response i got .... i called headoffice in cape town , cut along story short im not happy with woolworths at all cause im sitting with something that was bought from them i cant return it ......

please help