Can a shop refuse to give a refund in Australia?

Consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law are automatic and cannot be excluded by any sign, term or store policy. Goods must be of acceptable quality, match their description, be fit for purpose and come with available repairs and spare parts. Services must be provided with due care and skill.

Where a failure is major, the choice of remedy is yours: a refund, an identical replacement, or keeping the item and being compensated for the drop in value. A failure is major if a reasonable consumer would not have bought the item knowing about it, if it is substantially unfit for its normal purpose and not easily fixed within a reasonable time, if it differs significantly from the description, or if it is unsafe.

Where a failure is minor, the business may choose to repair it — but must do so within a reasonable time. If the repair takes too long or fails, the minor failure escalates into a major one and the choice becomes yours. Several minor failures can together amount to a major one.

Guarantees apply to sale items and, with allowance for age and price, to second-hand goods bought from a business. They are not limited by the length of a manufacturer's warranty, which is an additional voluntary promise rather than a cap on your rights.

You need proof of purchase — a receipt, bank statement, warranty card, lay-by agreement or confirmation email — but not the original packaging. And you can pursue the retailer who sold it to you rather than the manufacturer.

Change of mind is the genuine exception. Consumer guarantees do not cover deciding you no longer want something, buying the wrong size, or finding it cheaper elsewhere. Many retailers offer change-of-mind returns as policy, and if they advertise one they must honour it.