How to get the refund you deserve
Markeeta Waddington
The thought of asking for your money back in lieu of a faulty item may be uncomfortable, but Sarah Agar from Choice reveals how to stand up for your refund rights.
Agar tells TODAY Extra many people don’t realise that under Australian Consumer Law, if you buy something that doesn’t work or doesn’t perform the way it’s meant to, you have the right take it back.
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“Even if it’s out of warranty, consumer law applies above any warranty when it comes to faulty goods. Therefore, you can take the item back and ask for a repair, replacement or refund,” she explains.
Agar says it’s even more helpful if you act within 30 days of purchase and go directly to the store with your faulty product.
Sadly, for all those indecisive people out there, Australian consumer law does not give you the right to a refund for change of mind.
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However, most businesses have a change of mind policy with conditions attached such as returning within certain time frames etc. so it’s always worthwhile checking.
If you’ve lost your receipt – easy enough to do – don’t worry, you can still get a refund if you can prove that you purchased the item.
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“A receipt really is the best way to prove purchase so it’s a good idea to take a photo on your smartphone and store the receipts. Otherwise you can use a warranty card as proof of purchase, if you’ve filled it out, a credit card statement, or bank statement,” she says.
If the store you bought the item from has a loyalty club and you scanned your card, chances are there might even be a record from that - if purchase information is stored.
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Don’t waste energy kicking yourself for not extending your big-ticket appliance warranty either, because Agar says in most cases you can still get your money back.
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“Since Australian Consumer Law overrides any warranty, the question you have to ask is how long would this product reasonably last. If the product has become faulty within that period, then you could be well within your rights to claim it,” she says.
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