Generally, a store does not have to give a refund or replacement if a customer simply changes their mind about a product.
Under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), the customer is only entitled to choose a refund or replacement for a major problem with a product covered by consumer guarantees.
In-store policies
Some stores have an in-store policy to offer a refund, exchange or credit note if a customer changes their mind. If so, this policy should be clearly displayed at the point of sale or included on the website, so customers can read it before buying.
It is okay for an in-store policy to have some limits, such as:
- 'No change-of-mind refunds on sale items'
- 'No change-of-mind refunds after seven days'.
However, the in-store policy cannot take away the customer’s rights under the ACL, for example No Refunds signs.
The following video explains what change-of-mind returns are and how they differ from returns covered by the ACL.