Refund, Return and Cancellation Policy
1. We offer refunds and replacements in accordance with the Australian Consumer Law and on the terms set out in this Refund Policy (“Policy”).
2. Any benefits set out in this Policy may apply in addition to consumer’s rights under the Australian Consumer Law.
3. Before making a purchase, please read this Policy so that you can understand your rights and what you can expect from us if you are not satisfied with your order.
4. Australian Consumer Law
Under the Australian Consumer Law:
4.1 Our goods and services come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. For major failures with the goods, you are entitled
4.1.1 to cancel the purchase; and
4.1.2 to a refund for the price of the goods; and
4.1.3 compensation for any damage or loss (whether direct or consequential) that was, or reasonably ought to have been, foreseeable by us.
4.2 If the failure with the service does not amount to a major failure, you are entitled to a re-supply of the goods within a reasonably time, or to cancel the purchase and be provided with a refund of any price paid.
4.3 The Australian Consumer Law provides a set of Consumer Guarantees which protect consumers when they buy products and services. If the Australian Consumer Law applies, then we cannot avoid the Consumer Guarantees that it provides. If there is an inconsistency between this Policy and the Australian Consumer Law, the Australian Consumer Law will prevail.
4.4 Further information about the Australian Consumer Law and these Consumer Guarantees is available from the website of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
5. Customer Remorse
5.1 In instances where the product has not been dispatched, we are compliant to accept requests for order cancellation as long as the order does not pertain to customized items for which the manufacturing process has already been initiated.
5.2 In situations where you receive the products in the stipulated condition but subsequently reconsider your purchase decision, we will offer a refund. This is subject to our receipt of both your notification and return within 60 days of the order date.
5.3 For these returns, customers are responsible for the return.
5.4 The provision of a refund or an exchange is contingent upon the fulfillment of the following requirements:
• We have been notified that you wish to return the product and the product is returned to us within 60 days from the date of your orignal order.
• The returned product is in its original, unused condition.
• The product is not a perishable item such as pre-sterilized grains, Substrate, Agar plates, Liquid cultures, or Spawn.
5.5 Please note that once we receive the returned products, a quality check will be conducted before processing the refund or exchange. The refund will be issued after the completion of the quality check and may take at most 10 business days to reach your account, depending on the mode of payment used. You can also ask us to deposit the funds as store credit instead of refund, You need a account with us for us to add the store credit.
6. Defective Products
6.1 In the event that the product you ordered has been damaged during delivery:
6.1.1 Please contact us within 3 day from the date of receiving the product and notify us of the damage along with pictures on [email protected].
6.1.2 Any damaged product must be returned in the condition in which it was received, together with any packaging and other items which you received with the damaged product. You must do so within 60 days of receiving the product(s).
6.2 Customers will receive a return label online within 48 hours of notifying us about the issue. This return label can be easily downloaded and printed. It will facilitate the return process for defective products, making the return process more convenient for customers.
6.3 We will arrange to repair or replace it with an equivalent product or offer full refund , provided that you have contacted us within 3 day from the date of receiving the product and notified us of the damage along with pictures on [email protected]. No charges are levied in case of damaged goods received, and the entire cost, including return shipping, is covered by Rootlab.
6.4 Please note that once we receive the returned products, a quality check will be conducted before processing the refund or exchange. The refund will be issued after the completion of the quality check and may take at most 10 business days to reach your account, depending on the mode of payment used.
7. Customer requests
7.1 If the customer requests pre-sterilised grains/ Substrate/ Agar plates/ Liquid cultures/Spawn to be left in a safe place upon delivery, we void all warranty as these products are perishable and susceptible to weather elements like, temperature fluctuation, high heat and rain. We do offer this facility to customers but at their own risk.
7.2 If these items were sent to the post office for collection, your 2-week warranty to notify us of any problem with the bag starts from when these goods were received by the post office for collection and not from the pickup date.
8. Return to sender
If a parcel is returned to us due to an incorrect or unknown address, or because it was not collected from the post office, we will charge the customer the shipping fee again to resend the parcel. This cost will reflect the current shipping rate at the time of re sending, regardless of any subsidized rates offered when the order was originally placed. We do not profit from shipping charges. We cannot guarantee the freshness of any perishable products in the reshipped package. We get charged a return fee for the package to be sent back to us, charges are between $10-$15 for domestic package. This charge is also to be paid by the customer before the package gets reshipped. Its best to double check your address and also turn the SMS notification on during checkout.
9. Property not accessible
If our logistic provider could not access your property and the parcel was not delivered to you. It is the customer’s duty to contact the logistic provider and arrange redelivery. We cannot help you in case your property was made inaccessible to them. Some logistic providers offer free delivery, and others charge you. The customer pays these charges. Your warranty period for perishable goods starts from the day when the logistic provider first attempts to deliver the parcel.
Please note some logistic provider also delivers on the weekend, so please make your property accessible.
10. Exceptions
10.1 Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Policy, we may refuse to provide a repair, replacement or refund for a product or service purchased by you if:
10.1.1 You misused the said product in a way that caused the problem or did not read and follow the steps outlined in our listings or instruction sheet provided with the product.
10.1.2 You knew or were made aware of the problem(s) with the product or service before you purchased it.
10.1.3 You asked for a service to be done in a specific manner, or you asked for alterations to a product, against our advice, or you were unclear about what you wanted.
10.1.4 Any other exceptions that apply under the Australian Consumer Laws
10.2 Shipping Costs for Returns
10.2.1 In the event that a product you have purchased fails to meet one or more Consumer Guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law, we shall bear any cost of shipping the said product (the “Returned Product”) back to us, as well as any cost of shipping any replacement product to you.
10.2.2 If the Returned Product can easily be shipped or returned, then you are responsible for organising for the Returned Product to be returned to us. If the Returned Product is eligible for a repair, replacement or refund under the terms of this Policy (including under the Australian Consumer Law) then we will reimburse you for the reasonable postage, shipping or transportation costs for the Returned Product.
10.2.3 If the Returned Product is too large, too heavy, or otherwise too difficult to be removed and returned by you, and is believed to be eligible for a repair, replacement or refund under the terms of this Policy (including under the Australian Consumer Law), then we will organise for the postage, shipping, transportation or collection of the Returned Product, at our cost.
10.2.4 In the event that we organise and pay for the inspection, postage, shipping, transportation or collection of a Returned Product, and it turns out not to be eligible for a repair, replacement or refund under the terms of this Policy (including under the Australian Consumer Law). You will be required to pay the costs of any inspection, postage, shipping, transportation or collection of the Returned Product.
10.3 Response Time
We aim to process any requests for replacements or refunds within 2 days of receipt.
10.4 How to Return Products
10.4.1 You can contact us using the contact email provided at the end of this Policy to discuss a return.
10.4.2 We shall pay all refunds in the same form as the original purchase or to the same account or credit card used to make the original purchase or as store credit.
10.4.3 To be eligible for a refund, repair or replacement, you must provide proof of purchase/ Order number.
10.5 Contact Us
If you wish to speak to us about this Policy or about any refund, repairs or replacements, please contact us at: [email protected].
The policy was updated on 10th August 2024.