Refund helper
Got Ripped Off? Get Your Money Back 💪
Every Kiwi has rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act. Answer a few questions, learn your rights, and we’ll write the letter for you.
🥝 Heads up, legends — this tool provides general information about your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act. It is not legal advice. Every situation is different. If things get properly complicated, get real legal advice (we’ve got free contacts below).
Built with info from consumerprotection.govt.nz — the official source for your rights.
✅ Step 1: Am I Covered?
The CGA covers goods and services bought from NZ businesses for personal use.
Did you buy from a New Zealand business (not a private seller like on Facebook Marketplace or Trade Me second-hand)?
❌ The CGA doesn’t cover private sales.
If you bought from a private seller (e.g. Trade Me second-hand listing, Facebook Marketplace), the Consumer Guarantees Act doesn’t apply. You may still have options under the Sale of Goods Act or the Fair Trading Act if the item was misrepresented.
Try Citizens Advice Bureau for guidance on private sales.
❌ Overseas sellers are tricky.
The CGA applies to businesses that supply goods or services in trade in New Zealand. If you bought directly from an overseas website with no NZ presence, it can be very difficult to enforce your CGA rights. Your credit card or PayPal’s buyer protection may be a better option.
If the overseas seller has a NZ subsidiary or NZ website, the CGA may still apply — check with Consumer Protection NZ.
What’s the reason you want a remedy?
❌ The CGA doesn’t cover change of mind.
If the product does what it’s supposed to but you just don’t want it anymore, the CGA doesn’t require the retailer to give you a refund. Some retailers offer change-of-mind returns as a goodwill policy — check their return policy or ask nicely.
Was the item new or second-hand from a business?
ℹ️ Second-hand goods are still covered — but expectations are adjusted. A second-hand item doesn’t need to be perfect. It needs to be acceptable for its age, price, and condition as described. We’ll factor this into your letter.
✅ You’re likely covered by the CGA. Let’s keep going and build your letter.
👤 Your Details
🏪 Retailer Details
Tip: Check their website for a complaints email — often works faster than post.
🛒 What Did You Buy?
This strengthens your claim — think about what a reasonable person would expect for the price.
ℹ️ Online purchases are covered too. The CGA applies to goods and services bought online from NZ businesses, the same as in-store. You have the same rights.
⚠️ What Went Wrong?
CGA Section 6 — Acceptable quality. Goods must be safe, durable, free from defects, and acceptable in appearance. This is the most common claim.
Ask yourself: would a reasonable person find this acceptable, given the price, age, and type of product?
CGA Section 9 — Matches description. The product must match any description given by the seller — in-store, online, on the box, or in advertising.
This includes things like colour, size, features, and specifications. Screenshots of the listing can be strong evidence.
CGA Section 7 — Fit for particular purpose. If you told the seller what you needed the product for, it must be reasonably fit for that purpose.
Key point: you need to have made the purpose known to the seller before buying, and relied on their expertise. If a shop assistant said “this will do the job” — that counts.
CGA Section 28 — Reasonable care and skill. Services must be carried out with reasonable care and skill — the standard you’d expect from a competent professional.
Examples: a mechanic that doesn’t fix the problem, a cleaner that damages your property, a builder that does shoddy work.
CGA Section 29 — Service fit for purpose. If you told the provider what you needed the service for, the result must be reasonably fit for that purpose.
Similar to products — you need to have made the purpose known before the work started.
This affects what remedy you can ask for. If unsure, pick “Not sure” and we’ll keep the language flexible.
Major failure — the product has a problem that:
• A reasonable person wouldn’t have bought it if they’d known
• It’s significantly different from the description/sample
• It’s substantially unfit for its normal purpose and can’t easily be fixed
• It’s unsafe
With a major failure, YOU choose: full refund, replacement, or compensation. The retailer can’t force you to accept a repair.
Minor failure — there’s a problem, but it can be fixed within a reasonable time.
With a minor failure, the RETAILER chooses: they can offer a repair, replacement, or refund. They must fix it within a reasonable time. If they don’t, it becomes a major failure and you get to choose.
Not sure? That’s fine. We’ll word your letter to describe the issue and let the retailer know you expect a remedy under the CGA. If you end up in a dispute, the Disputes Tribunal can determine the severity.
✅ What Do You Want?
Full refund — you return the product and get all your money back. You’re entitled to this for a major failure. For a minor failure, the retailer can choose to repair or replace instead.
Replacement — the retailer gives you an identical or equivalent product. Available for both major and minor failures. If they can’t get the same product, you may be entitled to a refund instead.
Repair — the retailer fixes the problem at no cost to you. The repair must be done within a reasonable time. If they can’t fix it, or it takes too long, you can ask for a replacement or refund.
Partial refund — compensation for the reduction in value. This can be appropriate when you’ve had significant use of the product, or for older items where a full refund wouldn’t be fair. The retailer may also offer this for a minor failure.
Your Letter
This letter was created using the free Kiwi Toolkit Refund Helper (kiwidealz.nz/money-saving-tools). This is general information, not legal advice. Every situation is different — if your situation is complex, seek professional legal advice.
Tip: Paste this into an email to the retailer. Keep a copy for your records.
