Can a store refuse to give you a refund in Australia?
When a store can and can't say no to a refund, what to send when it does and where to go if the answer is still no.
AI-assisted research and reviewed for accuracy. Something out of date? Let us know.
Only in some cases. A store can refuse a refund if you changed your mind, but under the Australian Consumer Law it must give you the choice of a refund or a replacement when a product has a major failure, whatever its sign says. Store credit doesn't count as that refund. If the store still refuses, a tribunal such as NCAT can decide, for consumer claims up to $100,000.
Already tried and got nowhere?
That's where we start. Our team takes it from here.
Is a store allowed to refuse you a refund?
Sometimes. A store can refuse a refund when you've changed your mind, but not when the product has a major failure. The Australian Consumer Law (ACL) gives every purchase automatic rights called consumer guarantees, and section 259 sets out what you can ask the seller for when one isn't met.
A "no refunds" sign doesn't take those rights away. The ACCC says it's illegal for businesses to rely on store policies or terms and conditions which deny these rights, such as "no refunds or exchanges on sale items". The NSW Government lists "No refund after 7 days" and "Exchange or credit note only for return of sale items" as other illegal signs. A sign that says no refund if you change your mind is legal.
| What happened | Can the store refuse a refund? | What you're owed |
|---|---|---|
| You changed your mind, found it cheaper or no longer need it | Yes | Nothing under the ACL. If the store has its own change-of-mind policy, it must follow it |
| A minor failure that can be fixed | Yes, at first | A free repair. If the store can't or won't fix it within a reasonable time, you can ask for a refund or replacement instead |
| A major failure | No | Your choice of a refund or a replacement of the same type, or keep it and claim the drop in value |
| You misused it, or were told about the fault before you bought it | Yes, for that fault | Nothing for that problem, though a different fault you weren't told about is still covered |
The ACCC says a major failure means the product is unsafe, is very different from its description, has a problem that would have stopped someone buying it had they known or can't do its normal job and can't easily be fixed within a reasonable time. The page on when a store will only offer a repair goes through that test in detail.
A refund for a major failure is the full price you paid, with nothing taken off for the use you've had. The ACCC says it should come back in the same form you paid, unless you and the store agree otherwise.
Store credit is not a refund. Section 263(5) of the ACL says a store can't meet a refund by letting you pick other goods from it instead. You can accept a credit note if you'd like one, but you don't have to.
You don't need the original packaging. The ACCC says a store can ask for some form of proof of purchase, such as a receipt.
The big electronics and appliance stores say the same on their own pages. JB Hi-Fi and The Good Guys both state that you're entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and that consumer guarantees have no set time limit. JB Hi-Fi's 30-day refund for unused, unopened products is a store promise on top of the law, not a cut-off for faults.
What should you do when the store says no?
If the refusal came at the counter or over the phone, put your request in writing before anything else. A written request is what a manager, an agency or a tribunal will ask to see.
Step 1: Keep your evidence
Keep your receipt or order confirmation, photos or a short video of the fault and the product itself. Write down what staff said and when, such as "no refunds on sale items" or "store credit only".
Step 2: Ask for the refund in writing
Email or use the store's written form so you have a record and a date. Ajust's recommended channels:
- JB Hi-Fi: a support request at support.jbhifi.com.au, or the store you bought from for in-store purchases.
- Harvey Norman: the Compliments & Complaints form, naming the franchise store you bought from. The CustomerFirst email only sent an auto-reply in Ajust's cases.
- The Good Guys: the contact form at thegoodguys.com.au/contact-us or customercare@thegoodguys.com.au.
- Any other store: whichever channel gives you a written record and a reference number, usually the web form.
Subject: Faulty [product]: refund request
Hello,
On [date] I bought a [brand and model] from your [store or website] for $[price]. Since [date], it has [describe the fault]. My receipt and photos are attached.
When I asked for a refund on [date], I was told [what staff said]. I would not have bought it knowing about this fault, so I am asking for a refund of $[price] to my original payment method.
Please confirm in writing within 14 days how and when you will pay it.
Regards,
[Your name]
Step 3: Hold the store to a date
If the store offers store credit or a repair you didn't ask for, reply in writing that you don't accept it and repeat the date. Keep every reply.
Already done all this and still being told "no refunds"? Here's what happens next.
What if the store still won't refund you?
Take it above the person who refused, then outside the store. Each route below can help, and each has limits worth knowing first.
| Where | What it does | Where it stops |
|---|---|---|
| Store manager, then head office or the complaints team | Can approve a refund the counter refused. The Good Guys says its store managers are authorised to provide an alternative remedy | It's still the store reviewing its own refusal |
| State consumer agency (NSW Fair Trading, Consumer Affairs Victoria, Queensland Office of Fair Trading) | Contacts the store and looks for an outcome that fits the law | Consumer Affairs Victoria says it cannot enforce an outcome and only a court or tribunal has that power. Queensland's Office of Fair Trading says it cannot force a business to compensate you or fix a problem |
| NSW Fair Trading consumer guarantee direction | If its complaint process ends without an outcome, it can direct the store to repair, replace or refund. The store must comply within 28 days | Products only, priced $25 to $3,000 (excluding GST) and bought in the 6 months before you complained. You and the store must both be in NSW, and you have 30 days to ask for one |
| Tribunal (NCAT, VCAT, QCAT) | Hears the claim and makes an order the store must follow | You prepare and run the case yourself. NCAT hears consumer claims up to $100,000 if you apply within 3 years of the problem. Its application fee from 1 July 2026 is $64 for claims up to $10,000 |
Legal Aid NSW can fund a Local Court or tribunal case about goods you bought, but only if you pass its means test and merit test and you've already tried the store's complaints process and an outside one, or those weren't available or practical.
Can someone take this on for you?
Yes. This is the kind of case Ajust takes on, when the product is faulty and the store won't refund it.
Our team takes over your claim with the store. We go past the counter to the store manager and the head office complaints team, put the refund request to the people who can approve it and hold the store to a date. If it still refuses, we can lodge with Fair Trading or Consumer Affairs for you in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, SA and WA.
No win, no fee. We'll tell you straight if we don't think we can win it.
What doesn't work
- Arguing with the sign. The sign doesn't decide your rights. A written request that describes the fault does more than a debate at the counter.
- Calling it a change of mind. If the product is faulty, say what the fault is. "I don't want it anymore" is the one reason a store can lawfully refuse.
- Taking store credit you didn't want. For a major failure the choice of refund is yours. Say in writing that you want your money back.
- Getting rid of the product. Section 262 of the ACL says you can't reject goods you've disposed of, so keep it until the refund is paid.
- Waiting on a promise with no date. "We'll look into it" isn't a timeframe. Ask for the date in writing.
Common questions
I lost my receipt. Can the store refuse a refund?
It can ask for proof of purchase, but the ACCC describes a receipt as an example, not the only option. Gather whatever shows you bought it from that store, such as an order confirmation email or the payment on your statement, and send it with your request.
How long after buying can I still ask for a refund for a fault?
There's no fixed cut-off. The NSW Government says your rights under the consumer guarantees don't have a specific expiry date and can apply after any warranty has ended. How long depends on things like the product's price and quality.
The store wants to send it away for assessment first. Is that a refusal?
Not by itself. The NSW Government says a business has the right to assess a product before it provides a remedy. What it can't do is leave you waiting with no end date. Ask in writing when the assessment will be finished and when you'll hear about the refund.
I bought it online. Can an online store refuse a refund?
The same consumer guarantees apply to online purchases. The ACCC says you return products that can be posted or carried back without trouble, and the business pays the shipping or collects faulty products that are large, heavy or hard to remove, such as an installed appliance.
The store agreed to refund me, then went quiet. What now?
Write to the store with the date it agreed, who agreed and the amount, and give it a date to pay. If that passes, the routes in the table above apply the same way. Ajust's team can also take it over from there and follow it up with the store's complaints team.
- ACCC: Repair, replace, refund, cancel
- NSW Government: Rights to a repair, replacement, refund, cancellation or compensation
- Competition and Consumer Act 2010, Schedule 2 (Australian Consumer Law), sections 259, 262 and 263
- NSW Fair Trading: Consumer guarantee directions
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: Resolve your problem
- Queensland Government: Understand the complaint process
- NCAT: Consumer claims
- NCAT: Fees at NCAT
- Legal Aid NSW: Consumer protection policy
- JB Hi-Fi: Refunds and warranties guide
- The Good Guys: Product faults and consumer guarantees
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