The Refund Without a Receipt
A customer, Ms Patel, returns a $79.95 cordless hair clipper 9 days after purchase. She has no receipt but has the loyalty-card record showing the transaction and a bank statement line for the same amount on the same day. The clipper's box is open and the guard attachment is missing. She says it "cuts out after two minutes" and wants a refund, not an exchange. Your store's returns policy allows change-of-mind refunds within 30 days with proof of purchase and in resaleable condition. The product is also covered by the consumer guarantees in the Australian Consumer Law. The assistant manager is on lunch for 20 minutes and you are the senior assistant on the floor.
1. Distinguish between a change-of-mind return and a consumer-guarantee claim in this case, and explain why the distinction changes what you can do.
Read the worked answer
These are different legal pathways with different conditions.
Change of mind: the store's own policy applies. It requires proof of purchase and resaleable condition. Here the box is open and the guard is missing, so the item is arguably not resaleable - the store could decline a change-of-mind refund or offer a partial remedy.
Consumer guarantee (major failure): if the clipper has a fault that means it is not of acceptable quality, the customer is entitled to a remedy - a refund or replacement at her choice for a major failure. Proof of purchase is not limited to a receipt; the loyalty record and bank statement are reasonable evidence. The missing guard and open box do not remove the guarantee.
Why it matters: under the change-of-mind policy you can say no. Under the consumer guarantee you cannot refuse a remedy just because there is no receipt or the packaging is open. The reported symptom ("cuts out after two minutes") points to a possible major failure, so you must treat it as a guarantee claim, not a policy return.
2. What would you do in the next 20 minutes, and what would you say to Ms Patel?
Read the worked answer
- Do not promise a refund or refuse one. Say: "That sounds like a fault, so it may be covered by the consumer guarantees. I need to confirm the fault and get my manager's approval on the remedy."
- Test the fault if safe and practical - run the clipper for two minutes to see whether it cuts out. Record what you observe.
- Record evidence: loyalty transaction, bank statement, date, product, serial number if present.
- Offer interim options: a replacement of the same model if in stock, or a repair assessment, and explain she can choose a refund if it is a major failure.
- Escalate to the assistant manager on return with a written summary.
Do not let the missing guard become the reason to refuse - that would risk breaching the consumer guarantees.