Refund & Return Policy

1. The 30-second summary

• Faulty, damaged, or incorrectly supplied: within 30 days of delivery — refund, replacement, or repair, plus return shipping. CGA rights still apply beyond that window for as long as is reasonable for the product.
• Change of mind, sealed: within 14 days of delivery, send it back unopened in original packaging, we refund the item price. You pay return shipping.
• Change of mind, opened: ink and toner are consumables. Once a vacuum seal or foil is broken we cannot resell, so we cannot refund a change-of-mind return. (Faulty cartridges are different — see §2.)
• Compatible cartridge warranty: 12 months from purchase. Genuine cartridges carry the manufacturer’s warranty.
• No restocking fee. Ever. If a return qualifies, you get the full item price back.

InkCartridges.co.nz is operated by Office Consumables Ltd (NZBN 9429033934204, GST 94-509-459).

2. Faulty, damaged, or not as described — your CGA rights

When you buy from us, the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 gives you the right to goods that are of acceptable quality, fit for purpose, and match their description. If they aren’t, we’re required by law to put it right. We sell in trade, so we cannot contract out of these guarantees for consumer purchases.

What counts as a failure?

• Cartridge leaks, prints faded or streaky out of the box, or won’t be recognised by a printer it’s listed as compatible with.
• Toner cartridge has obviously been refilled or tampered with.
• Item arrived broken, dented, or with damaged packaging affecting the cartridge inside.
• The item we sent doesn’t match what’s on the product page (wrong colour, wrong yield, wrong region code).

Major vs. minor failure

Under the CGA, the remedy depends on whether the failure is “major” (substantial, can’t reasonably be fixed) or “minor” (fixable):

• Major failure — your choice: full refund, replacement, or compensation for the drop in value.
• Minor failure — our choice (within reason): repair, replace, or refund.

How to start a CGA claim

1. Email support@inkcartridges.co.nz with your order number, the SKU on the box, a one-line description of what’s wrong, and a photo if visible.
2. We reply within one business day with a return label (we pay shipping for genuine CGA failures) or, for minor issues, a same-day replacement we’ll send before yours comes back.
3. Refunds go back to the original payment method within 5 working days of the return arriving.

3. Change of mind — sealed cartridges only

If you decide a cartridge isn’t for you, you can return it within 14 days of delivery for a refund, provided:

• The factory seal (vacuum bag, foil, or shrink-wrap) is intact.
• The product packaging is undamaged and resaleable.
• You include the original packing slip or order number.

Email us first so we can pre-authorise the return and tell you which carrier rate fits the package; you cover return shipping. Once it arrives back at our Auckland office and passes inspection, we refund the item price within 5 working days. Original outbound shipping is non-refundable for change-of-mind returns.

4. Opened, used, or unsealed cartridges

Ink and toner are single-use consumables. Once the vacuum seal or foil has been broken, the cartridge isn’t resaleable as new. We can’t accept an opened cartridge as a change-of-mind return — that would mean the next customer pays for a degraded product, which isn’t fair.

Important: this only applies to change-of-mind returns. If an opened cartridge is faulty, the CGA still applies — see §2. You don’t lose your right to a refund for a defective cartridge just because you opened the bag to discover the defect.

5. Wrong item received

If we picked the wrong cartridge — whether the colour, yield, or compatible model is wrong — that’s on us. Email a photo of the SKU on the box and we’ll dispatch the correct item the same day, with a free pre-paid return label for the incorrect one. You’ll have the right cartridge inside the original delivery window or sooner. No restocking fee, no return shipping cost, no friction.

6. Lost or damaged in transit

If a parcel is marked delivered but you didn’t receive it, contact us within 5 working days. We’ll open a claim with the carrier (NZ Post or Aramex) and replace the order at our cost while the claim is investigated. If a parcel arrives visibly damaged, photograph it before opening, and email the photos with your order number — we replace damaged items at no charge.

7. Business and bulk orders

If you bought in trade for business use, the CGA does not apply by default; the contract sits under the Sale of Goods Act and our terms. We still honour faulty-goods returns under the manufacturer warranty (genuine cartridges) or our 12-month compatible-cartridge guarantee, but we ask business customers to inspect on receipt and report any issue within 30 days. Bulk-order changes of mind are case-by-case — please call 027 474 0115.

8. How refunds are paid

• Card payments are refunded to the original card. Stripe processes the refund; banks typically credit your statement within 3–5 working days.
• PayPal payments are refunded to the original PayPal account.
• Apple Pay and Google Pay refunds go back to the underlying card.
• We do not issue cash, cheque, store credit, or third-party refunds without your permission.

If your card has been cancelled or closed since the original order, please tell us when you start the return — Stripe can usually still process it, but a closed account may bounce the refund and require manual handling.

9. Returns address

Always email us first so we can issue a return authorisation; otherwise the package may be refused on arrival. Once authorised, address returns to our office:

Use a tracked courier — we can’t process a refund for a parcel that doesn’t arrive.

10. Need help?

Email support@inkcartridges.co.nz, call 027 474 0115, or use the contact form. We reply within one business day.