Bought it on sale and it broke?
Your consumer guarantees do not shrink because something was discounted, second-hand or bought online from an Australian seller. Signs saying otherwise are unlawful.
Unlawful
the ACCC lists “no refund on sale items” among signs that are against the law
What this is
Retailers use sale periods to imply your rights are suspended, and the signage is so common that most people believe it. The ACCC's own guide lists those exact signs as unlawful, because a business cannot give you the impression a refund is impossible when a product has a major problem. The rules are the same for a discounted item, a 'seconds' item and a second-hand one: what changes is what counts as reasonable, given the price and condition, not whether you have rights at all.
Does it apply to you?
- Anyone who bought something in a sale that has failed
- Anyone told a sale item is exchange-or-credit only
- Anyone buying online from an Australian seller, who is covered the same way
How to do it
- Ignore the sign. The ACCC names 'no refund on sale items', 'exchange or credit note only for return of sale items' and 'no refunds after 30 days' as unlawful.
- Work out whether the fault is major or minor, the same as for a full-price item. For a major problem the choice of refund or replacement is yours.
- Go back to the seller with proof of purchase. A bank statement counts.
- If they refuse, use the ACCC's problem solver and then your state or territory consumer agency.
Where people lose the money
Accepting a credit note because the item was on sale.
For a major problem the choice between refund and replacement is yours, sale or not.
Assuming online purchases are different.
Buying from an Australian-based online seller carries the same guarantees. Overseas sellers may not, which is the real distinction.
Thinking 'seconds' means no rights.
The guarantee of acceptable quality still applies to imperfect goods. Only the specific defect you were told about is excluded.
Questions
Is 'no refunds on sale items' actually illegal?
The ACCC lists it as an unlawful sign, along with 'exchange or credit note only for return of sale items' and 'no refunds after 30 days', because it gives the impression a refund is impossible even where there is a major problem.
What about second-hand goods?
They are covered, but age, price and condition are taken into account when deciding what is reasonable to expect. A ten-year-old appliance is not held to the standard of a new one.
Do I need the original packaging?
No. The ACCC says insisting goods be returned unopened or in original packaging may itself be misleading, as those conditions are not required.
What if I bought from overseas?
If the seller is Australian-based you are covered. If they are overseas you may not be, which is worth weighing before buying something expensive from an offshore site.
Where these numbers come from
- ACCC, Consumer guarantees: a guide for consumers, July 2021 · read 2026-09-23
- ACCC, Repair, replace, refund, cancel · read 2026-09-19
Last gone over 2026-09-23. Figures change; the link above is always the current one.
Published by Income Lab, Melbourne. Responsible for this page: Jarred Krowitz.