Harvey Norman return & refund policy

Harvey Norman has a pretty strict return policy, they offer the bare minimum that complies with the Australian Consumer Law. You can only return faulty products, no “change of mind” returns.

The Harvey Norman return policy

Like all Australian companies, Harvey Norman must comply with the Australian Customer Law (ACL), which protects customers in case of purchasing faulty products or goods with misleading descriptions.

Harvey Norman is a large Australian retail store chain and e-commerce website. The distinction between the website and stores is important, as stores are independently operated, and therefore return policies might vary.

However, the ACL applies to all stores and website purchases, so let’s see what returns are allowed by this law:

The Australian Consumer Law only allows returns in case of faulty products or misleading descriptions. In such cases, you have two options:

• In case of a major problem, you can decide whether you want a full refund, an exchange, or a repair.
• However, in the case of a minor problem, the store can decide how to proceed. Chances are they will either try to repair the product or offer you a replacement product.

Does Harvey Norman offer a “change of mind” return?

Nope, as long as the product is working as expected, you are unlikely to be able to return it and ask for a refund/exchange.

Different stores might have different return policies, as they are individually operated, so if your purchase was not online, but in-store, you might want to contact the store and ask for clarification.

Website purchases via harveynorman.com.au are not eligible for “change of mind” returns.

How to return a product to Harvey Norman?

If you think your product is faulty and would like to return it, the exact process depends on how you bought the product:

• Online purchases: please contact the Harvey Norman Customer First Team and they will guide you through the entire process.
• In-store purchases: please go to the store where you have bought the product and ask a store employee for help.

Even though the Harvey Norman website doesn’t provide too much information about returns, chances are you going to need proof of purchase, so that they can verify you have indeed bought the product for Harvey Norman.

Make sure to clarify with them what is accepted as proof of purchase. The receipt of your purchase should definitely be sufficient. However, if you do not have the receipt, many companies accept other forms of proof, like credit card statements.

Can you return clearance/discounted products?

As long as they are faulty, clearance products should also be eligible for return under the ACL.

If the product is working as expected, you just changed your mind, or found the product cheaper at some other store, Harvey Norman is unlikely to accept your return.

What warranty does Harvey Norman offer?

Harvey Norman seems to offer the standard manufacturer warranty and the standard Warranties and Consumer guarantees under the ACL, which apply to all Australian companies.

To file a warranty claim for purchases made via their website, please contact their Customer First Team. For warranty claims on in-store purchases, it’s best to go into the store where you bought the product.

Under the ACL these are the possible outcomes of a warranty claim:

• Harvey Norman acknowledges that the product has a major failure that was not caused by you. In this case, you can decide how to proceed. You can ask for a full refund, a replacement product, or a repair.
• In case of a minor failure, it’s up to Harvey Norman to decide how to compensate you. Chances they will try to repair the product or offer you an exchange.
• If Harvey Norman thinks the failure is due to misuse or some other problem caused by you, you’re not entitled to a refund or exchange and will have to pay for the repair.

Harvey Norman refund policy

Harvey Norman only issues refunds under the terms of the ACL. To get a refund, the following conditions must be met:

• the product must have a major failure not caused by you
• you must provide a proof of purchase
• you must claim a refund within a “reasonable” amount of time after your purchase

Unfortunatly, the ACL does not define what a “reasonable” amount of time is, so you should ask Harvey Norman about that.

Most companies accept 3-12 months as a “reasonable” amount of time, depending on the price and nature of the product, but Harvey Norman might have different rules.

Harvey Norman exchange policy

Just like refunds, the product must have a major failure to entitle you to exchange.

In case of a minor issue, you might still get a replacement product. However, in this case, it’s up to Harvey Norman to decide whether they want to repair the product or exchange it. If repair would take unreasonably long or is not possible, you’ll probably get a replacement product.

FAQ