How refunds, repairs and replacements work
Under Australian Consumer Law you're entitled to a refund, repair or replacement for major failures. We back that with a 30-day standard return window. No refunds for change of mind on printed orders.
The short version
We follow the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), full stop. If a printed order has a major failure — wrong artwork printed, defective garment, significant quality issue — you're entitled to a refund, repair or replacement and we'll make it right.
The standard return window is 30 days from when you receive the order.
We don't offer refunds for change of mind, or because you found the same product cheaper elsewhere. Once an order is printed it's custom-made for you, which is the trade-off you accept when you approve the mockup.
For the full legal version, see our Refund Policy. The short summary below covers the situations customers actually run into.
Damaged in delivery
If your order arrives damaged — torn packaging, water-damaged garments, anything that's clearly happened during shipping:
1. Contact us within 7 days of receiving the order 2. Keep the damaged product and its packaging — we may need photos or the item itself returned 3. We'll arrange a replacement of the equivalent product, or a refund
This is covered separately from change-of-mind exclusions. Damage in transit is on us to fix.
Major failure — refund or replacement
A major failure under the ACL is something significant — the product is unsafe, fundamentally different from what was ordered, or wouldn't have been acceptable if you'd known about the fault upfront.
If your printed order has a major failure:
- You can choose between a refund or a replacement
- We bear the cost of return shipping
- We aim to process the request within 5 days of receiving the returned item
Examples of major failure on a custom-printed order:
- Wrong artwork printed (not the design you approved)
- Wrong garment, colour, or size delivered
- Print quality significantly below standard (heavy cracking out of the box, large missing areas)
- Garment defect from the manufacturer that we missed in QC
Minor failure — repair first
If the issue is real but not a major failure (a small print imperfection on one garment in a larger run, for example), under the ACL we have a reasonable chance to repair or replace before a refund is on the table.
In practice we usually just reprint the affected item. We'd rather solve it cleanly than argue about classifications.
Change of mind — not covered
We don't offer refunds in these situations:
- You changed your mind after the order was placed
- You found a cheaper printer
- You decided you wanted a different garment or design after approving the mockup
- You ordered the wrong size, colour or quantity (we print what you order)
The mockup approval step is your last chance to change anything. Once you approve, printing starts immediately and the order is custom-made for you — we can't restock or resell a printed garment.
If you spot something wrong on the mockup, request changes before approving. That's exactly what the proof step is for.
What you'll need to provide
To request a refund, repair or replacement, we need:
- Proof of purchase — your order number is usually enough; the confirmation email works
- Description of the issue — photos really help, especially for print quality issues
- The product back if we're replacing or refunding (we'll cover return shipping for genuine ACL claims)
For high-value claims, we may request government-issued ID before processing.
How long it takes
We aim to assess and process refund or replacement requests within 5 days of receiving the returned item.
Refunds go back to the same payment method used for the original purchase — card to card, PayPal to PayPal. We don't issue store credit instead of a refund for ACL-eligible claims.
How to get in touch
Email [email protected] with your order number and a description of the issue. Photos help — attach as many as you can.
For urgent issues (damaged delivery, time-sensitive event order), mention that in the subject so we can prioritise.
Quick answers
Quick answers
I approved the mockup but the print is different to what I expected — can I get a refund?
If the print matches what you approved, no. The mockup approval step is the final go-ahead. If the print doesn't match the approved mockup, that's a different situation — contact us with photos and we'll sort it.
My order arrived after the event I needed it for. Can I refund it?
If shipping was late due to a courier issue we'll look into it case by case, but generally late delivery doesn't qualify for refund if standard turnaround times were communicated and met from our end. For time-critical orders, use Lightning Lane on eligible products and place the order well clear of the deadline.
One garment in my 30-piece order has a print fault. What happens?
Send us a photo of the faulty piece. In almost every case we'll reprint that one item and ship it to you at no charge — we'd rather make it right than argue. The rest of the order isn't affected.
Can I return blank garments I ordered by mistake?
We don't sell blank garments separately — every order through us includes a print job. So this situation shouldn't come up.
Where can I read the full policy?
The full legal refund policy is at printibly.com.au/policies/refund-policy. This article is a plain-English summary; the legal version takes precedence where there's any difference.