For shops and online sellers in New Zealand

A customer wants their money back. Know what you owe, and what to say.

Paste their message and get a plain answer and a friendly reply, in a minute. For shops and online sellers in New Zealand.

Start your free week No card for 7 days. Then $39 a month.
New complaintTry it
A sample to start with. Change it to try your own: three goes on this page.
Likely a fault

What you owe

A new toaster that only toasts on one side isn’t of acceptable quality. If the fault is minor, you choose: repair it, replace it or refund it, free of charge. If it’s serious, your customer chooses. A credit note won’t do.

Ask your customer

  • Can you bring it in with the receipt or order number?

A reply you can send

Hi there, Thanks for letting us know, and sorry the toaster’s playing up. A new one should toast evenly. Bring it in with your receipt and we’ll take a look, then sort a replacement or a refund for you. Cheers, The team

Sample answer. The rules come from Consumer Protection and business.govt.nz. General information, not legal advice.

How it works

One box. No forms to learn, no law to read first.

  1. Paste what the customer said, and what you sold them

    Their email, their Trade Me message, or a sentence about what they told you at the counter.

  2. It works out if it’s a fault or a change of mind, and what you owe

    Checked against a rule sheet written from the Government’s guidance for businesses, and your own returns policy.

  3. A plain answer and a friendly reply, ready to send

    Read it, change what you like, and send it yourself. It’s kept with your other complaints.

What you get

Every complaint comes back with the same four things, in plain words.

Fault or change of mind?

It sorts the case: a fault, a change of mind, damage they caused, not covered by the law, or not enough to tell yet.

What you owe, in plain words

Repair, replace or refund, who gets to choose, who pays the postage. And when you owe nothing at all.

A friendly reply, ready to send

In your shop’s voice, with the questions to ask if something’s missing. Copy it into an email, Trade Me or a text.

Monday’s list

Every Monday morning, an email with the complaints still open and any product that keeps coming back.

It’s on your side too

Being fair works both ways. When the law doesn’t ask anything of you, it says so, politely, and the reply stays friendly.

  • No refund owed for a change of mind, unless your own policy offers one
  • No refund owed for damage the customer caused
  • No refund owed for a fault they were told about before buying
  • You can take a look at the item before you decide
AnswerExample

What your customer said

“I bought this dress last week but I’ve changed my mind. Can I bring it back?”

Your policy: Exchange within 14 days with a receipt.

Change of mind

What you owe

The law doesn’t require you to take it back for a change of mind. Your own policy offers an exchange within 14 days with a receipt, so offer that. You don’t need to offer a refund.

A reply you can send

Hi there, Thanks for getting in touch. We’re happy to exchange the dress: bring it back within 14 days of buying it, with the receipt, and you can choose something else. See you soon, The team

One plan, everything in it

About half the price of one call to an adviser, every month.

fairreply.shop

$39NZD a month

  • As many complaints as you get
  • Answers and replies that use your returns policy
  • Monday’s list by email
  • Your complaints kept for 12 months, deletable any time
Start your free week

7 days free, no card needed. Cancel any time. For businesses only.

For comparison: one 30-minute call with Retail NZ’s adviser costs a shop that isn’t a member $75 + GST (retail.kiwi).

Questions

Is this legal advice?

No. It’s general information based on the Government’s guidance for businesses, with links so you can check. For anything big or going to the Disputes Tribunal, talk to a lawyer or your association.

What if I don’t have the customer’s message in writing?

Type what they said in your own words. A sentence or two is enough, and it’ll ask for anything it needs.

Does it know my returns policy?

Yes. Type your policy in once, such as exchanges within 14 days with a receipt, and it uses it for change-of-mind returns. Your policy can give more than the law, but not less.

Does it work for Trade Me sellers?

Yes, if you’re in trade. A private person clearing out the garage isn’t covered by the same rules, and it’ll tell you so.

Does it send the reply for me?

No. You read it, change what you like and send it yourself, by email, on Trade Me or across the counter.

What happens to the customer’s details?

Your complaints are kept so you can find them again, for 12 months, and you can delete them at any time. We don’t use them for anything else.

How much is it?

$39 a month. The first 7 days are free and no card is needed. Cancel at any time. It’s sold to businesses only.

Where do the rules come from?

From the Government’s guidance for businesses on consumerprotection.govt.nz and business.govt.nz, summed up in our own words and linked on every answer so you can check. fairreply.shop isn’t a government service, and it’s for businesses in trade, not for the public.

Next time someone wants their money back, you’ll know what to say.

7 days free. No card needed.

Start free