1) Your rights under Australian Consumer Law (ACL)

We comply with the consumer guarantees for goods and services. If what you purchase from us fails to meet a consumer guarantee, you’re entitled to a remedy—which may be repair, replacement, re-supply/re-performance, refund, cancellation of services, and/or compensation for reasonably foreseeable loss, depending on whether the problem is major or minor.

• Major failure (goods or services): you can choose a refund or replacement/re-supply (or cancel services), and may claim compensation for other reasonably foreseeable loss.
• Minor failure: we may repair, replace or re-supply within a reasonable time; if we can’t, you can choose a refund.
• The ACL applies to online purchases the same as in-store, including from Australian businesses.

2) What’s not required by law

You’re not automatically entitled to a refund or replacement if you:

• change your mind, find it cheaper elsewhere, or no longer need it (unless our goodwill policy below applies);
• misuse a product/service; or
• asked for a service to be done against our advice

3) How our services and products are treated

We provide both services and goods/digital files:

• Services (editing, design, typesetting, marketing, distribution set-up): Must be provided with due care and skill, fit for purpose, and within a reasonable time. If there’s a major failure, you may cancel and receive a refund for the unused portion; for minor issues, we’ll fix within a reasonable time.
• Digital files/content (e.g., artwork, layouts, eBooks, PDFs, cover files): Consumer guarantees also apply to digital products; misleading “no refunds for downloads” statements are unlawful (see Valve case context).
• Third-party print & POD orders we facilitate (e.g., KDP, Ingram): If prints arrive faulty or not as approved/described, we will arrange reprint or refund (your choice for major failures) after investigating with the printer. Change-of-mind returns don’t apply to custom print runs once approved because they’re made to order (see Section 4).

4) Our goodwill “change-of-mind” policy (optional, not required by law)

While the ACL doesn’t require change-of-mind refunds, we offer the following to be fair and transparent:

Services:

• Before work starts: full refund of fees you’ve paid (minus any expressly agreed, pass-through third-party costs we’ve already incurred at your direction).
• After work starts: pro-rata refund for the unperformed portion minus (a) completed milestones, (b) booked studio time already delivered, and (c) any third-party costs already incurred/locked in (e.g., ISBNs, paid stock, proof copies, submission fees).
• Digital files: no change-of-mind refunds once files are delivered or accessed (they are non-returnable by nature). This does not affect your ACL rights for faults/defects.
• Custom prints / made-to-order items: no change-of-mind returns once you approve the print proof or we submit the order to the printer. This reflects standard ACL guidance for custom items, but does not limit remedies for faults.

You can still rely on the ACL if any of the above items are faulty or fail a consumer guarantee.

5) Proof of purchase

To process remedies we may require proof of purchase (invoice, order confirmation, bank statement, etc.). This aligns with ACCC guidance.

6) Return shipping and who pays

• If an item is small/easy to post, you’re generally responsible for returning it to us; if a fault is confirmed, we’ll refund you the reasonable return postage.
• If an item is large/heavy/hard to return, we’re responsible for collecting it or paying return freight within a reasonable time. (For most publishing items this is rare, but applies to bulky deliveries.)

We won’t charge restocking or processing fees for returns where the ACL entitles you to a remedy. Recent ACCC guidance has flagged such fees for faulty goods as potentially misleading.

7) How to request a refund, reprint, or fix

• Email us: support@aussiebookpublisher.com.au (subject: “Refund/Return Request”)
• Include: order number, what went wrong, screenshots/photos (for print defects), and your preferred remedy.

Timeframes:

• We acknowledge within 2 business days.
• For simple issues we aim to resolve within 7–10 business days; complex print/vendor investigations may take longer but we’ll keep you informed.
• If returning a physical item, we’ll send you instructions (and a prepaid label if we’re responsible for freight per Section
• (These steps don’t restrict your ACL rights.)

8) Deposits, bundled services & milestones

• Deposits secure scheduling and are refundable before work commences; once work starts, deposits are credited against the pro-rata calculation in Section 4.
• For bundles (e.g., editing + cover + typesetting), we itemise progress; refunds for cancellations after commencement exclude completed components and non-recoverable third-party costs (e.g., stock images). This structure avoids misleading “no refund” clauses while keeping billing fair.

9) What happens with printing defects

If books arrive:

Damaged in transit or manufacturing-faulty: we’ll arrange reprints at no cost or a refund (your choice for major failures). Keep packaging/photos so we can claim with the carrier/printer. We may ask you to return or safely destroy faulty stock depending on the printer’s policy (at our cost where applicable).

10) Exclusions (that don’t limit your ACL rights)

We can’t refund where:

• files were supplied exactly as approved (e.g., typos missed in your final proof approval);
• delays or defects were caused by incomplete/incorrect materials you supplied;
• products were misused or altered after delivery; or
• you changed your mind outside our goodwill terms.

11) Keeping policies ACCC-compliant

We avoid wording that the ACCC has identified as misleading—e.g., blanket “no refunds,” time limits on returning faulty goods, “warranty only,” “sale items not refundable,” or forcing customers to pay return freight where the ACL requires us to cover it.

12) Contact

Email: support@aussiebookpublisher.com.au

We’ll work with you in good faith to resolve issues quickly. If you’re not satisfied, you can seek guidance from your state/territory consumer agency or the ACCC.