Refund and returns policy, Larchmere Home

Refund policy template for an Australian online store

A refund policy has to set out what the law already guarantees, what extra the store chooses to offer, and the exact steps and times for getting money back, without ever suggesting customers have fewer rights than they do. This two page Australian policy for an online homewares store does that with the prescribed consumer guarantee wording, a three row problems table, 30 day change of mind returns and five return steps.

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Larchmere Home Pty Ltd, ABN 51 824 360 917, returns@larchmerehome.examplePage 1 of 2
Larchmere Home Pty Ltd, ABN 51 824 360 917, returns@larchmerehome.examplePage 2 of 2
Refund and returns policy

Larchmere Home sells bedding, tableware, lighting and decor online to customers across Australia. This policy explains what you are entitled to when something is wrong with an order, what we offer when you simply change your mind, and how to send an item back. It applies to orders placed from 1 March 2028.

1
Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law
Everything we sell must be of acceptable quality, fit for any purpose you told us about, and match its description and photos. These consumer guarantees come from the Australian Consumer Law in Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. Nothing in this policy takes them away, and they apply to sale and clearance items too.
Consumer guarantee statement
Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure.
Problem
Example
What you can choose
Major failure
A lamp that sparks, or a dinner set with three cracked plates
Refund or replacement, your choice
Minor failure
A cushion cover with a loose seam
Repair, replacement or refund, our choice, within a reasonable time
Not as described
A throw sold as pure wool that is a blend
Treated as a major failure: refund or replacement, your choice
2
Change of mind
The law does not require a refund when you simply change your mind, but we offer one. Return an item within 30 days of delivery, unused, unwashed and in its original packaging, and we refund the item price to your original payment method, or give store credit if you prefer. Return postage for a change of mind return is yours to pay; we pay it for faulty items.
3
How to return an item
Follow these steps so your return is matched to your order quickly:
1.
Email returns@larchmerehome.example with your order number, the item and the reason. For a fault, add a photo.
2.
We reply within 2 business days with a returns number and, for faulty items, a prepaid label.
3.
Pack the item securely with the returns number inside and send it to the address we give you.
4.
We inspect it within 3 business days of it arriving and email you the outcome.
5.
Refunds reach your original payment method within 5 business days of approval.
4
Exclusions from change of mind returns
For hygiene or practical reasons we cannot accept change of mind returns of pillows and pillow inserts once removed from their sealed bag, candles that have been lit, items personalised to your order, and gift cards. If any of these is faulty or not as described, your rights under the Australian Consumer Law still apply in full.
5
Timeframes at a glance
The times below are what we commit to; they do not shorten any right you have under the law.
Step
Timeframe
Change of mind return window
30 days from delivery
Reply to your return request
2 business days
Inspection after the item arrives
3 business days
Refund after approval
5 business days
Reporting a fault
Any time within a reasonable period for the item
6
If you are not happy with our answer
Reply to our email and ask for the decision to be reviewed by the store manager, who answers within 5 business days. If we still cannot agree, you can contact the consumer protection agency in your state or territory, such as NSW Fair Trading or Consumer Affairs Victoria, for free help.

Section by section

What each section is for, so you can keep the ones you need and drop the rest.

Intro
Who the store is, what the policy covers and the start date.
1. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law
The guarantees, the prescribed statement and a major, minor and not as described table.
2. Change of mind
30 days, unused and packaged, refund or credit, postage rules.
3. How to return an item
Five steps from the first email to the refund.
4. Exclusions
Pillows, lit candles, personalised items and gift cards, with rights kept for faults.
5 and 6. Timeframes and disagreements
Five committed times and the route to a state consumer agency.

How to adapt this document

First, swap the examples in the problems table for the products you sell; an electronics store would use a laptop that will not charge and a scratched screen. Second, decide whether you offer change of mind returns at all, and if you do, set a window and conditions you will honour every time. Third, if you trade from a physical shop as well, add in store returns with the same timeframes, and make sure staff never tell customers a sale item cannot be returned when it is faulty.

Which law the terms follow

The consumer guarantees come from the Australian Consumer Law in Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, including acceptable quality, fitness for purpose and matching the description, with remedies for major and minor failures. The prescribed consumer guarantee statement comes from the Competition and Consumer Regulations 2010. State and territory consumer agencies, such as NSW Fair Trading and Consumer Affairs Victoria, help customers with disputes.

What makes this document work

The law comes first, in the law's words

Clause 1 names the guarantees, says they cover sale and clearance items, and the callout repeats the prescribed statement word for word: goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. A refund policy that starts with its own rules invites the 'no refunds' mistake.

Examples make major and minor clear

The table pairs each kind of problem with a homewares example and the remedy: a sparking lamp or three cracked plates is a major failure with refund or replacement at the customer's choice, while a loose seam on a cushion cover is a minor failure the store may repair, replace or refund.

Change of mind is offered, not owed

Clause 2 says plainly that the law does not require change of mind refunds, then offers 30 days for unused items in original packaging, with return postage paid by the customer. Clause 4 lists the exclusions and repeats that faulty excluded items keep their full rights.

Questions people ask

Can an Australian shop have a no refunds policy?

No. A sign or policy saying no refunds is misleading, because the consumer guarantees cannot be excluded. A shop can refuse change of mind refunds, or limit them, but it must still provide a remedy when goods are faulty, not fit for purpose or not as described, including on sale items.

Can a customer get a refund on a clearance item?

Yes, if it has a major failure, because the consumer guarantees apply to sale and clearance goods too. The exception is a fault the store pointed out before the sale, such as a marked chip on a discounted vase, or one the customer should have noticed on inspection. Change of mind returns on clearance stock are up to the store.

Who pays return postage for a faulty item bought online?

For a fault, the business generally bears the reasonable cost of returning the item when the return involves a significant cost to the customer. This store sends a prepaid label for faulty items and asks customers to pay postage only for change of mind returns, which it offers voluntarily.

Is there a time limit on consumer guarantee claims?

There is no fixed period. The guarantees last for a reasonable time, which depends on the item, its price and how it is used, so a quality dinner set should last longer than a cheap candle holder. That is why the timeframes table lists reporting a fault as any time within a reasonable period.

Do I have to include the consumer guarantee wording in a refund policy?

The prescribed wording is mandatory in a warranty against defects, and many retailers also put it in their refund policy because it states the customer's rights accurately in the law's own terms. Quote it exactly; paraphrasing it in a warranty can breach the regulations.

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