What It Takes Just To Give A Refund For Good Customer Service and Goodwill?

The following complaint was received from a customer who purchased chicken at a supermarket: 

I am a public health specialist. I went to Master Mac, the new supermarket in Stony Hill Square on Sunday January 5, 2020.  It was my first time there and this was because they just opened in December and I was visiting my parents who live in the area and their household needed groceries as did mine. I do not live in the area.

I purchased five carton boxes of groceries including a tray of Best Dressed Chicken Deboned Breasts for my household, which cost $1,243.64 (see bill attached). It was the only tray of deboned chicken breasts in their fridge. The chicken was semi-frozen at the time (please see picture of the tray attached) .I deposited some of the grocery at my parents' home and drove straight to my home which is about 5 miles away. The chicken was still semi-frozen. I placed the chicken in the freezer immediately. On Tuesday I asked my housekeeper to take the chicken from the freezer and defrost it. She pointed out to me upon thawing it that as soon as she cut the plastic wrapping away, she sensed a stinking odour. Three of the pieces of breast were greenish-blue. I re-packaged the chicken, placed the package in a clear plastic bag and replaced it in the freezer, because I knew that in this instance I was not scheduled to return to Stony Hill, until ten days later, today January 15, 2020. Any other method of returning it earlier than today (e.g. a taxi driver) would have cost me at least $1,000, so it would be pointless. 

I went back to Master Mac Supermarket in Stony Hill today, and went to the front desk where it seems like they handle customer queries and concerns. Another lady was before me who had just returned spoilt chicken (same brand) and they had refunded her money. I spoke with a cordial gentleman, about my chicken and presented the chicken and my bill which clearly showed the individual entry for the chicken I purchased. He told me that he could not take it back (give me a refund) because I had waited too long to come back. He called his manager (a Ms Anderson I was told) on the telephone to ask her and she said that she would not take it back (refund me) because they do not take back cold items and I had waited too long.  

I appealed to him and he said that if it was him he probably would but based on company policy he could not.

I was shocked. I asked him to let me speak to the manager, Ms Anderson. He went up the stairs to her and she said she would not come down. He tried to call her on the telephone and she refused to answer. His co-worker went up the stairs to her with the chicken and my bill, since the co-worker was the one who had refunded the person ahead of me for stinking chicken too. The manager refused to refund me and she refused to come down to speak to me or to speak to me on the phone. THAT IS THE ACT THAT UPSET ME MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

I need to understand my rights:

1. Do I have a right to get my money back for the stinking chicken?
2. There is no sign posted, or prior warning or caution given to customers at Master Mac Supermarket in Stony Hill, to the effect that when they buy "cold items" these items will not be refunded. Are the customers mere sitting ducks, who when they buy cold items must take what they get, spoilt or fresh?
3. Is 10 days after purchase a reasonable time within which to return a perishable item, considering that, unknown to me it was already "perished" at the point of purchase?
4. If 10 days is too long, what difference would it have made if I had discovered that the chicken I bought was rotten, 2 days after purchase or 10 days after purchase, i.e. suppose I had not opened the package until 10 days after purchase, and it was spoilt, should I just hug that up? 

The stinking frozen chicken is now back in my freezer, along with the bill. In the scheme of things $1,243.64 is not a lot of money. So why do I write? It is the PRINCIPLE of it all that bothers me. I feel that I have been taken for a ride by Master Mac. I feel that they are dishonest. I feel that they need a new fridge in which to store chicken for sale. I feel that they do not regard their customers highly - Ms Anderson, if she had just come down from the high tower of her office to speak to little me, it may have made a difference.

So you know what - I want my money back! Please advise me.

Note:  This went to the wrong email so I am just seeing it. This should be about giving good customer service. Even if the customer keeps it too long, for good customer service and the goodwill of the business, it seems to me that the common-sense approach is to take back the meat, refund the lady her money, apologize to her and give her a free replacement for the chicken. Invite her to come back to experience far better customer service.

Well I have heard the customer's side so contact will be made with the business owner.