Australian regulator penalises online retailer over allegedly misleading returns messages

What the primary source says

The ACCC says two notices concerned emails sent to consumers seeking refunds. It alleges the messages implied conditions or limits that may not apply under the Australian Consumer Law, including that only store credit might be available, that opened or used goods could not qualify and that the consumer had to pay return shipping.

A third notice concerned the retailer's website warranty against defects, which the regulator says omitted mandatory wording explaining that consumer guarantees cannot be excluded. The ACCC notes that warranties are additional to statutory guarantees rather than replacements for them.

The retailer stopped using the statements, added the mandatory wording and updated processes after ACCC contact. Payment of an infringement-notice penalty is not an admission that the Australian Consumer Law was contravened.

Why it matters

The useful distinction

An online returns policy cannot reduce remedies that legislation gives consumers. Retailers should separate voluntary change-of-mind policies and commercial warranties from statutory rights, and train customer-service staff so email responses do not contradict those rights.