Refund Policy

At Central Hydroponics, we want every order to leave you happy. This Refund Policy explains when refunds are issued, how they're processed, and how everything works alongside your rights under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), which cannot be excluded.

For details on how to physically return or exchange an item, please see our Returns & Exchange Policy.

Your Australian Consumer Law rights

Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. Nothing in this policy limits or replaces those rights.

You are entitled to a refund, replacement, or repair if a product:

  • is faulty or not of acceptable quality;
  • is not fit for its intended purpose;
  • does not match its description, sample, or images shown at the time of purchase; or
  • has a hidden defect you could not have known about at the time of purchase.

The remedy depends on the seriousness of the problem:

  • Major failure — you can choose a refund, replacement, or compensation for the drop in value.
  • Minor failure — we will repair, replace, or refund the item, and we may choose which of these to provide within a reasonable time.

These rights apply regardless of any other term in this policy and regardless of whether the item was on sale, clearance, or part of a promotion.

When you're entitled to a refund

We will issue a refund in the following situations:

  • The product arrives faulty, damaged, or defective.
  • The product does not match its description on the website.
  • We sent you the wrong item.
  • We are unable to fulfil your order (e.g. stock unavailable, pricing error, can't ship to your location).
  • The product fails to meet a consumer guarantee under the ACL.
  • You qualify for a change-of-mind return under the terms of our Returns & Exchange Policy.

How refunds are calculated

Faulty, damaged, incorrect, or not-as-described items

You will receive a full refund of:

  • The product price, and
  • The original shipping cost you paid for that item, and
  • The return shipping cost (we cover this, or we'll arrange collection).

No restocking fee applies.

Change-of-mind returns

Where a change-of-mind return is approved under our Returns & Exchange Policy:

  • A 15% restocking fee is deducted from the product price.
  • The original shipping cost is not refunded.
  • You pay the return postage.

Cancellations before dispatch

If you cancel an order before it has been dispatched, you'll receive a full refund of the product price and any shipping paid. Contact us as soon as possible at centralhydroponics@outlook.com — once an order has shipped, our Returns & Exchange Policy applies.

Orders we cancel

If we cancel your order for any reason (out of stock, pricing error, address we can't ship to), you'll receive a full refund of everything you've paid.

How refunds are processed

  • Refunds are issued to the original payment method used at checkout (credit card, debit card, PayPal, Afterpay, etc.).
  • Refunds are typically processed within 2–5 business days of us receiving and inspecting your returned item, or within 2–5 business days of approving a cancellation.
  • Once we issue the refund, your bank or payment provider may take an additional 3–10 business days to show the funds in your account, depending on their processing times.
  • For ACL refunds (faulty, damaged, incorrect, or not-as-described items), we will not require you to accept store credit or a replacement instead of a refund where you're entitled to choose.

You'll receive an email confirmation when your refund is issued.

Partial refunds

In some circumstances we may offer a partial refund — for example:

  • A returned change-of-mind item arrives with minor damage to its packaging.
  • A change-of-mind item is returned with parts or accessories missing.
  • We agree with you to keep a slightly damaged item in exchange for a partial refund instead of a return.

Any partial refund will be discussed and agreed with you before it's processed. Partial refunds do not apply where the item failed a consumer guarantee — your full ACL rights apply in those cases.

Refund timeframes for faulty items

For items reported as faulty, damaged, or not-as-described, please contact us within 7 days of delivery at centralhydroponics@outlook.com with your order number and clear photos so we can resolve it quickly. Reporting later doesn't remove your ACL rights — consumer guarantees apply for a reasonable time depending on the product — but quick reporting helps us help you faster.

When refunds may not be available

A refund will generally not be available where:

  • The product is excluded from change-of-mind returns (see our Returns & Exchange Policy) and is not faulty or otherwise covered by the ACL.
  • The change-of-mind return window (30 days from delivery) has passed.
  • A returned change-of-mind item fails our inspection (used, damaged, missing parts, or not in resalable condition).
  • The fault has been caused by misuse, accident, neglect, unauthorised modification, or failure to follow the manufacturer's instructions.
  • The product is a consumable (nutrient, additive, growing media) that has been opened or used, and is not faulty or contaminated.

These limits do not apply to genuine ACL claims — your statutory rights always apply.

Payment method issues

If the original payment method is no longer available (e.g. a closed card or expired account), please contact us and we'll arrange an alternative refund method. We cannot refund to a different person's account or payment method.

Buy Now, Pay Later refunds (Afterpay, Zip, etc.)

If you paid using a Buy Now, Pay Later provider, we'll refund to that provider once your return or claim is approved. The provider will then adjust your payment plan or refund your account. Any fees charged directly by the provider are between you and them — we refund only what was paid to us.

Pricing errors

We make every effort to display accurate prices, but errors can occur. If we discover a pricing error on an item you've ordered:

  • We'll contact you to confirm whether you'd like to proceed at the correct price, or
  • Cancel the order for a full refund with no penalty.

We won't dispatch an order at an incorrect price without your agreement.

How to request a refund

  1. Contact us first at centralhydroponics@outlook.com with your order number and the reason for your refund request.
  2. Include photos or video if the item is faulty, damaged, or incorrect.
  3. We'll confirm whether your request is eligible and let you know the next steps (return instructions, replacement options, or direct refund).
  4. Where a return is needed, follow the instructions in our Returns & Exchange Policy.
  5. Once we receive and assess the return (or approve a no-return refund), we'll process your refund within 2–5 business days.

Please don't send items back without contacting us first — returns sent without prior authorisation may be delayed.

If you're not happy with our response

If you believe we haven't honoured your rights under the Australian Consumer Law, you can contact:

  • Consumer Affairs Victoria — consumer.vic.gov.au — 1300 55 81 81
  • The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) — accc.gov.au — 1300 302 502
  • Or your local state or territory consumer protection agency

We'd much rather sort it out directly — please reach out to us first and we'll do our best to make it right.

Contact

Central Hydroponics Pty Ltd Email: centralhydroponics@outlook.com Phone: +61 483 757 701 Address: 16 Sussex Ct, Sunbury, Victoria (VIC) 3429, Australia ABN: 46 693 612 789

Last updated: 21/06/2026. This policy may be updated from time to time; the version published on this page applies to your order.