SA Birkenstock refund and customer support shocker

I ordered a pair of Birkenstocks via the official South African website (Bash) in December 2025 as a gift. Unfortunately the recipient didn't like the shoes, so I returned them via the noted refunds process and within the returns period, and sent a direct request asking for a refund (as the returns form on the website limited me to a voucher option). Once the return had been processed I received a voucher for the website*, and reached out again to support asking for a refund instead. I was informed by support agent Laaiqah that I should have asked for a refund instead of a voucher when completing the refund form, and I couldn't change to a refund now. I pointed out that their form didn't include the option to ask for a refund, and her later response to this is that I wasn't "eligible" for a cash refund, so could only have a voucher anyway.

Their Returns and Refunds section says nothing of the sort, and the Consumer Protection Act is clear about my having a choice of refund vs voucher.

I've asked twice to be put in contact with someone who can sort this out, and instead I'm in an ongoing disagreement with a support agent who really doesn't care to support. I'm nearly R2k out of pocket while I argue about their own terms and conditions. I'm flagging this report to the US company as well, as there are no local contact details available for Birkenstock that probably aren't going to end up with the same support agent, and I doubt the international parent company would appreciate this type of service being connected to their brand's great reputation.

(*Oh, and about that voucher - I briefly considered using it on something else because I'm tired of having the argument, but the voucher can't actually be used online. I would have to go to a store to buy the thing I bought online in the first place because I wasn't close enough to a physical store to go there.)