I purchased a toy from Target online. The toy was faulty. Target initially insisted that I return the toy to store for assessment. I do not believe I should be asked to return faulty goods purchased online to a store. The item was worth $10 and Target refunded the amount in this case but insisted in future the goods would have to be returned to store. I think the ACCC need to make it clear to retailers that this is unacceptable. Retailers are responsible for returns of faulty goods purchased online and not consumers. They can’t insist that you return the goods to a store. They need to establish an adequate return supply chain.
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Hi Sam
When buying online from Australian businesses “all your usual rights apply” according to the ACCC.
The ACCC Guidelines on Repair, replace, refund in relation to the Australian Consumer Guarantee says:
"Returning the product
You are entitled to return a product if you believe that there is a problem. You are generally responsible for returning the product if it can be posted or easily returned. You are entitled to recover reasonable postage or transportation costs from the business if the product is confirmed to have a problem, so keep your receipts.
When a product is too large, too heavy or too difficult to remove, the business is responsible for paying the shipping costs or collecting the product within a reasonable time of being notified of the problem."
In this case (assuming the $10 toy was not huge), Target were completely within their rights under the ACL asking you to return the product.
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Of course they are entitled to ask me to return it but not to take it to a store “You are entitled to recover reasonable postage or transportation costs from the business if the product is confirmed to have a problem”. They should fund return postage (i.e. pre-paid label).
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You are correct. They are entitled to ask you to return it to the store, and you are in turn at choice whether you return it to the store or post it.
I would be choosing the easiest and cheapest option.
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It is really up to the retailer to choose how I return it as they are responsible for the cost of returning faulty goods. The suggestion from Target was that I had to take it to a store. It wasn’t even purchased from a Target store.,
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