Refund, Return and Cancellation Policy

1. Overview

1.1 Rootlab offers refunds and replacements in accordance with the Australian Consumer Law (“ACL”) and the terms set out in this Policy.

1.2 Any benefits set out in this Policy may apply in addition to your rights under the ACL. Where there is any inconsistency between this Policy and the ACL, the ACL will prevail.

1.3 Our goods and services come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the ACL. For major failures with goods, you are entitled to cancel the purchase, receive a refund, and claim compensation for any loss or damage that was reasonably foreseeable. For minor failures, you are entitled to a re-supply of the goods within a reasonable time, or a refund.

1.4 Further information about the ACL and your Consumer Guarantees is available from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission at www.accc.gov.au.

2. How to Notify Us of an Issue

2.1 For all issues – including damaged, faulty, missing, or unacceptable quality products – you must contact us within 3 days of receiving your order at [email protected].

2.2 Your notification must include your order number and clear photo or video evidence of the issue, sufficient for us to assess the claim. Notifications without adequate evidence may not be eligible for a refund or replacement.

2.3 If you receive an order where only some items are affected, please stop using the affected products immediately and notify us before opening or using any remaining items where relevant.

2.4 We aim to respond to all refund and replacement requests within 2 business days of receipt.

2.5 To be eligible for any refund, repair, or replacement, you must provide proof of purchase or your order number.

3. Change of Mind Returns

3.1 If you change your mind after placing an order that has not yet been dispatched, we will accept a cancellation request, provided the order does not relate to a customised item for which manufacturing has already begun.

3.2 If you have already received your order and wish to return it due to a change of mind, we will offer a refund subject to the following conditions:

We are notified and the product is returned to us within 60 days of the original order date
The product is in its original, unused, and unopened condition
The product is not a perishable item (including pre-sterilised grains, substrate, agar plates, liquid cultures, spawn, plantcell, athena consumables, plant hormones, fertilisers, growth regulators, auxins, cytokinins, tissue culture media, agar, sucrose, PPM, activated charcoal, biological and chemical solutions or reagent)
You are responsible for all return postage and shipping costs

3.3 Rootlab may, at its sole discretion, accept a return of unopened, non-perishable products within 45 days where the packaging remains in a saleable condition. You are liable for any postage and shipping costs associated with such returns. No refund can be provided for pre-sterilised items as they are considered perishable.

3.4 Once returned items are received, a quality check will be conducted before any refund or exchange is processed. Refunds may take up to 10 business days to reach your account depending on your payment method. You may request store credit instead of a monetary refund – a registered Rootlab account is required to receive store credit.

4. Faulty, Damaged, or Unacceptable Quality Products

4.1 If a product arrives damaged, is faulty, or is not of acceptable quality, please notify us within 3 days of receiving your order at [email protected], with photo or video evidence. We will not be able to process a claim where insufficient evidence has been provided, or where the product has been opened, used, or altered in a way that prevents us from assessing the issue.

4.2 Where a return is required, the product must be returned to and received by Rootlab within 30 days of the date the complaint was made. Failure to return the product within this window will result in no refund or replacement being issued. This is particularly important for perishable and pre-sterilised products, as timely return is essential for investigation.

4.3 Rootlab will cover the cost of return postage by providing a prepaid return label electronically. You are responsible for printing the label and dropping the item off at the designated post office or courier location. For bulky items that cannot reasonably be transported, Rootlab will arrange a courier pickup from your address upon request. Where Rootlab arranges and covers the cost of return shipping or collection, and the returned product is found upon inspection to not be eligible for a refund or replacement, the customer will be required to reimburse Rootlab for any inspection, postage, shipping, or collection costs incurred.

4.4 Rootlab will review each claim individually and, at its sole discretion, offer a repair, replacement, or full refund of the product purchase price. Rootlab’s liability is limited to the purchase price of the product. We do not cover any indirect, consequential, or incidental losses, costs, or expenses beyond the product value.

4.5 If we approve a replacement for a missing, damaged, or faulty item, we will cover shipping costs for the first replacement only. Any further replacements from the same order that we agree to provide may require the customer to cover associated shipping costs, or be consolidated into a future shipment.

4.6 No refund will be issued where:

The product has not been returned in accordance with the instructions provided
The return is not received within the 30-day window
Insufficient evidence was provided at the time of notification
The product was misused, or the issue arose from failure to follow our product listings or included instructions
You were made aware of the problem before purchasing
You requested alterations or a specific service against our advice

5. Cancellations and Order Changes

5.1 Cancellation requests for unshipped orders will be accepted provided the order does not relate to a customised item for which production has already commenced.

5.2 Once an order has been dispatched, it cannot be cancelled. Please refer to Section 3 (Change of Mind) or Section 4 (Faulty or Damaged Products) depending on your circumstances.

6. Refunds - How They Are Processed

6.1 All refunds will be issued in the same form as the original payment, or to the same account or card used to make the purchase, unless store credit is agreed upon.

6.2 Store credit requires a registered Rootlab account and:

Is non-refundable
Has an expiry of 3 years from the date of issue
Cannot be converted to a monetary refund

6.3 If a customer does not notify Rootlab at the first point of contact that a single-use or disposable gift card was used for the purchase, and Rootlab issues a refund, Rootlab will not be liable for any inability to recover those funds. If notified at the first instance, Rootlab may offer store credit in lieu of a monetary refund.

6.4 If a product is returned for any reason other than being faulty or defective, and we issue a refund or replacement, any future purchases of the same product – whether from our website or other platforms such as Amazon, eBay, or Etsy – will not be eligible for free shipping, return, or refund.

7. Shipping, Delivery, and Collection Issues

Returns and courier arrangements

7.1 Where Rootlab provides a return label, you must use that label when returning any item. Returns sent without authorisation or without the provided label may be refused and returned to you at your expense.

7.2 You are responsible for ensuring returned items are securely packaged and include all original components and packaging where applicable. Damage caused by inadequate packaging may affect your eligibility for a refund.

7.3 If you arranged your own courier or collected the package yourself, Rootlab is not responsible for organising or paying for any return. Any return must be arranged and paid for by you. Shipping costs are only covered by Rootlab when Rootlab is the party dispatching the item.

In-store pickup

7.4 Customers collecting orders in person must inspect the package at the time of pickup. Rootlab is not responsible for missing items once the package has left our premises. If we agree, at our discretion, to provide a missing item, it must be collected in person – no shipping will be arranged for such items.

Return to sender

7.5 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 current shipping rate to resend it. A return fee of approximately $10–$15 charged by the courier is also payable by the customer before the package is reshipped. We do not profit from shipping charges. We cannot guarantee the freshness of perishable products in any reshipped package. Please double-check your address at checkout and enable SMS notifications for delivery updates.

Inaccessible properties and courier issues

7.6 If a courier was unable to access your property and the parcel was not delivered, it is your responsibility to contact the logistics provider and arrange redelivery. We are unable to assist where a property was inaccessible or claimed to be inaccessible by the courier.

7.7 We understand couriers sometimes fail to buzz, leave a card, or send packages to the post office despite customers being home. We are unable to dispute these issues on your behalf – only you can do that directly with the courier. We do take your feedback seriously and use it to review our courier options.

7.8 Please collect your package from the post office promptly, as couriers may charge additional fees if the item is returned to us. We are unable to review or accept video proof for delivery disputes – please send these directly to the courier.

7.9 Your warranty period for perishable goods starts from the day the logistics provider first attempts delivery, not from the date you collect the item. If perishable items were sent to a post office for collection, your notification window starts from when the post office received the goods, not your pickup date.

Safe place and authority to leave

7.10 If you request that pre-sterilised grains, substrate, agar plates, liquid cultures, or spawn be left in a safe place upon delivery, all warranty for those products is voided. We offer this facility at your own risk, as these products are perishable and susceptible to temperature fluctuation, heat, and rain.

8. Unreturned and Disputed Products

8.1 If you do not wish to pay for a product, or a refund is under dispute, please be aware that the product remains the property of Rootlab until any dispute is resolved. You must contact us for instructions on how we require the product to be returned. Disposing of or retaining the product without authorisation is not permitted.

8.2 If a customer chooses not to return an item, fails to return it within the specified timeframe, or does not comply with return instructions provided, no refund will be issued.

8.3 Rootlab does not offer refunds without the return of the product, except where a refund without return is required under the Australian Consumer Law.