A store telling you "no refunds" or "store credit only" can sound final — especially when you're already annoyed at having to deal with it. It isn't final. Under Australian Consumer Law, a business can't take away rights you already have, no matter what the sign at the counter says.
- If a product is faulty, not fit for purpose, or doesn't match its description, you're entitled to a repair, replacement, or refund — this is a legal guarantee, not a store policy.
- A "no refunds" sign or a store's own return policy cannot override these rights. It's not enforceable, even if you signed something.
- Whether you get to choose a refund or the store gets to choose repair first depends on whether the fault is "major" or "minor."
- Changing your mind isn't the same as a fault — stores don't have to give you anything if you simply don't want the item anymore, unless their own policy says otherwise.
- If the store won't fix it, Consumer and Business Services (CBS) is your first call. If that doesn't resolve it, the Magistrates Court's Minor Civil Actions division handles claims up to $12,000 — not a tribunal, a court, and it's designed to be navigated without a lawyer.
Know what you're owed before you go back to the counter.
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What counts as a "fault"?
A fault isn't just something broken out of the box. Under the Australian Consumer Law, a product fails a consumer guarantee if it doesn't work or stops working within a reasonable time, doesn't match the description, sample, or demonstration model, isn't fit for the purpose you told the seller you needed it for, is unsafe, or has a defect that wasn't disclosed to you before purchase.
These guarantees apply automatically to anything you buy, hire, or lease in Australia. You have them whether you paid full price or bought it on sale, and whether you have a warranty card or not.
Major fault vs. minor fault — why it matters
This is the distinction that decides who's in control of the outcome.
Minor fault — something that can be fixed in a reasonable time. The business gets to choose how: repair, replacement, or refund. You don't get to insist on a refund just because you'd prefer one.
Major fault — the product doesn't work at all, is unsafe, is significantly different from what was described, or wouldn't have been bought by a reasonable person who knew about the problem beforehand. Here, you choose: refund, or replacement. The business doesn't get to overrule that by offering a repair instead.
A product that's been repaired multiple times for the same recurring problem can tip from "minor" into "major" — persistent faults strengthen your position even if each individual repair attempt seemed reasonable at the time.
The "change of mind" myth
This is where most confusion actually sits — not in faulty goods, but in everything else.
If you bought something, took it home, and simply changed your mind — wrong size, don't like the colour, found it cheaper elsewhere — the law does not require the store to give you anything. No consumer guarantee applies. Any refund, exchange, or credit for a change of mind is entirely up to the store's own goodwill policy.
The flip side matters just as much: a store cannot point to a "no refunds, no exceptions" sign to get out of a genuine fault claim. Change-of-mind policy and consumer guarantee rights are two completely separate things, and businesses sometimes blur them — deliberately or not — to talk customers out of a legitimate claim.
Proof of purchase — what if you don't have the receipt?
A receipt is the easiest proof, but it's not the only proof. You can also show a bank or credit card statement showing the transaction, a warranty card, a confirmation email or order number, or a lay-by agreement. A business cannot refuse a valid claim purely because you've lost the paper receipt if you can establish the purchase some other way.
What to do if the store says no
Go back to the retailer, not the manufacturer
Your contract is with the seller, not the brand — the store is legally responsible for the consumer guarantee, even if they tell you to "contact the manufacturer." If the store has closed down, the manufacturer becomes your point of contact.
Put it in writing
If a verbal conversation hasn't worked, write to the retailer. State what the problem is, when you bought it, and what you want. The ACCC has a free complaint letter tool that formats this for you. Keep a copy.
Contact Consumer and Business Services (CBS)
If the retailer still won't budge, call CBS on 131 882 or lodge a complaint online. CBS can give advice and, in many cases, help mediate directly with the business before it needs to go any further.
Send a Final Notice — the step most people miss
Before you can file in court, SA rules require you to formally notify the retailer of your intention to sue and give them 21 days to respond. You can do this with a Final Notice (Form P1) filed with the Magistrates Court, or a Pre-Action Notice — a compliant letter of demand. Both must be served on the retailer. Skip this step and you risk being unable to recover your filing fee even if you win.
Apply to the Magistrates Court — Minor Civil Actions
Once the 21-day notice period has passed, this becomes a Minor Civil Action for claims up to $12,000, handled by the Magistrates Court (not SACAT — SACAT doesn't hear consumer disputes). It's filed online through CourtSA. The filing fee is $186 (as at 1 July 2026), added to what the other side owes you if you win.
Generally, no — and in Minor Civil Actions, a lawyer usually can't represent you at the hearing itself without the other side's agreement or the court's permission. The process is deliberately designed for people to run themselves. Legal Services Commission of South Australia offers a free initial consultation: 1300 366 424.
The bottom line: A "no refunds" sign is not the law — it's a sign. If something you bought is faulty, not fit for purpose, or not what you were told it was, the Australian Consumer Law gives you a right to a repair, replacement, or refund that no store policy can take away. Know whether your fault is major or minor, keep any proof of purchase you can find, and if the retailer won't engage, CBS and the Magistrates Court exist specifically for situations like this — no lawyer required.
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