Returns Policy
Part of Returns fraud and misuse controls
Collecting evidence for a disputed return
Build a dated return-case record that separates customer reports, observations, test results and unresolved evidence gaps.
Start with the exact point of disagreement and build a dated record around it. Keep the customer’s account, transaction details, observations and decisions traceable to their source.
State the disputed question
Is the disagreement about where the product was bought, which item came back, its condition on arrival, the cause of a reported problem or whether a refund was actioned? Write the question at the top of the case. A parcel-content dispute needs different evidence from a fault assessment.
Keep the customer’s requested outcome separate from the store’s assessment. Do not replace their description with “misuse” before the evidence supports that finding.
Assemble a dated timeline
| Record | What it may establish | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Order line and payment record | The store's recorded transaction and item | It may not show the supplied unit's condition |
| Customer message and attachment | What the customer reported and when | A photo may not show when damage occurred |
| Dispatch or packing record | What staff recorded before shipment | It may not establish delivery condition |
| Carrier events | Recorded parcel movement | Delivery does not identify the contents |
| Receiving note and original images | What staff observed on arrival | Observation alone does not establish cause |
| Safe test or specialist report | What was checked and found | A limited test may miss an intermittent issue |
Preserve original files where available and label crops or annotations as working copies. Record who inspected or tested the item, when, which unit was checked and how. Mark missing evidence as a gap.
Use a consistent record label with the case reference, item or unit, record type, date and time, creator or source, and whether it is an original or working copy. Link each entry to the disputed question it helps answer.
Dated Evidence Timeline for Disputed Return Case
- Order line and payment record
- Transaction and item recorded by store
- Customer message and attachment
- Reported issue with date and photo provided
- Dispatch or packing record
- Staff observation before shipment
- Carrier events
- Parcel movement tracked by carrier
- Receiving note and original images
- Condition observed on arrival by staff
- Safe test or specialist report
- Test results and method used
Seek proof proportionately
Check the store’s transaction and return records, and any receipt, bill or other proof of purchase, before asking for more information. Explain what question any additional information will help answer.
For a wrong-item dispute, compare the transaction details with the item returned; record who checked which unit, when and what they observed. For a reported fault, record the customer’s description alongside dated condition observations and any test method and result.
If consumer misuse is considered as a cause, record the observations supporting it and any competing explanation. A mark on an item does not automatically show when or how a fault arose.
For a faulty product or service, identify whether the assessment concerns a consumer-guarantee right to a repair, replacement or refund. The ACCC explains consumer rights and responsibilities but does not resolve individual disputes or give legal advice about a consumer’s right to a remedy.
Protect the record and decide
Where the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) applies, Australian Privacy Principle (APP) 3 limits an organisation’s collection of personal information to what is reasonably necessary for its functions or activities. Collection must be lawful and fair; sensitive information has additional consent requirements unless an exception applies. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) provides guidance on APP 3.
Under APP 11, an APP entity must take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. When it no longer needs that information for a purpose permitted under the APPs, it must take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify it, unless a Commonwealth record or a legal or court or tribunal requirement to retain it applies. Reasonable steps include technical and organisational measures.
Limit access to staff who need the evidence. Check whether the Privacy Act applies and consider any applicable retention requirements when deciding how long to keep the record.
Finish with the disputed question, evidence considered, gaps, finding, applicable return route, outcome, decision-maker and customer update. State what evidence supports the finding and distinguish observations from the customer’s account. If a material point remains unresolved, record the next check and its owner; do not present uncertainty as a finding of fraud.
