No more 'no refunds'! Here's how you can get refunds for spoiled groceries

You unpacked your weekly shop and found expensive blueberries half-rotten and four eggs cracked and stuck to the carton.

Frustration and disappointment set in, but you almost threw them away instead of returning them.

It’s a situation many of us face, yet most don’t realise we have legal rights to claim a refund or replacement.

Most Australians didn’t know that consumer protection laws meant they could return faulty products for a refund or replacement.

Under the Australian Consumer Law, consumers automatically received consumer guarantees when buying goods and services—these weren’t optional extras or gestures of goodwill but legal rights.

If a product didn’t do what was reasonably expected, or wasn’t of acceptable quality, consumers could return it and expect a remedy.

Those soggy blueberries or cracked eggs clearly failed this standard.

Businesses couldn’t legally deny a refund or replacement for faulty products, and ‘no refunds’ signs were meaningless in these cases.

Many Australians, however, continued to throw money away rather than assert their rights.

Griffith University’s Associate Professor Gavin Northey noted that effort versus value, time constraints, and social discomfort often deterred people from returning products.

Seniors, in particular, might have been conditioned to avoid confrontation, remembering a time when challenging a shop’s decision felt inappropriate.

This hesitation had a financial cost.

With rising grocery prices, even small losses added up.

Losing $5-$10 worth of groceries each month to faulty produce could amount to $60-120 annually—a sum that could be saved simply by claiming a refund or replacement.

ACCC enforcement and misleading return policies

Recent enforcement by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission revealed that misleading return policies were widespread.

A sweep of over two thousand Australian retail websites showed some businesses using terms and conditions that potentially breached Australian Consumer Law.

CHOICE’s shadow shop of major electrical retailers found seven in 10 stores misrepresented a customer’s right to a remedy, suggesting a broader pattern of misunderstanding or deliberate misrepresentation of consumer rights.

The ACCC’s action prompted most businesses to update or remove problematic statements online, improving communication of consumer guarantees.

Awareness of these rights allowed consumers to benefit from these changes and claim what they were legally entitled to.

Spotting problems before you leave the shop

Prevention remained the best strategy, especially when it came to fresh produce.

Shoppers were advised to gently shake punnets of blueberries to check for mushy fruit, inspect the bottom for staining, watch for white fuzzy mould, and avoid condensation inside containers.

Eggs should be opened to check for cracks, lifted slightly to ensure none were stuck, and verified against the use-by date, particularly on discounted stock.

Returning items successfully required confidence and calmness.

Proof of purchase, such as a receipt, was usually requested, while photographs of faulty fresh produce could serve as evidence if questioned.

Most supermarket staff were understanding about produce issues, seeing them frequently.

Returning faulty items was not unreasonable but an exercise of consumer rights that ensured payment for goods of acceptable quality.

Exercising the right to return products sent an important message to retailers, encouraging improvements in quality control.

By not returning defective items, shoppers were essentially subsidising poor standards.

Most reputable businesses welcomed feedback, as it helped them improve service and product quality.

Problems with faulty groceries aren’t the only way stores can shortchange you at checkout.

Sometimes, discounts and pricing errors can leave you paying more than you should, even when the item is clearly marked differently.

A recent case shows how shoppers fought back when supermarkets misled them on discounts and what they were legally entitled to receive.]

Read more: Class lawsuit claims supermarkets misled customers on discounts, shoppers act

Have you ever returned faulty groceries and stood your ground for a refund or replacement?