A ring bought online from a business comes with the same consumer guarantees as one bought in a shop, and an overseas business that sells directly to people in Australia must follow the Australian Consumer Law too. The protection does not reach a sale the business never offered in Australia, for example when the ring is sent to an overseas address and then forwarded here.
The ACCC adds a caution: even where the law applies, getting a repair, replacement or refund from an overseas business can be hard in practice, and Australian agencies can do only so much to help.
Who sells it decides which rights apply
Online, the seller can be a local shop, an overseas business, a stranger on a marketplace or an auction house. The ACCC treats them differently.
| Bought from | Consumer guarantees | Who answers for a problem |
|---|---|---|
| An Australian business’s website | All the usual ones | The business |
| An overseas business selling directly into Australia | Apply, though remedies can be hard to obtain in practice | The business; if it will not resolve it, the ACCC suggests asking the consumer protection agency where the seller is based |
| An overseas business, with the ring sent to an overseas address first and then forwarded here, or a sale made entirely overseas | Not covered by the Australian Consumer Law | Outside the Australian law |
| A business selling through an online marketplace | All the usual ones | The seller, not the platform; the platform may help depending on its policies |
| A private person selling once, not running a business | Most do not apply; title, undisturbed possession and no hidden debts still do | The seller, for those three |
| A traditional auction, run by an agent for the seller | Most do not apply; the same three still do, and the law against false or misleading claims applies | The auctioneer must not mislead you about the goods |
| A business auctioning its own stock, or a “buy it now” price from a business | All the usual ones | The business |
Signs of a seller you can sort things out with
The ACCC says that, in Australia or overseas, you have a better chance of resolving a problem with a business that:
- has a good reputation, which reviews read before buying can show
- sets out clear steps for solving problems, replacements and refunds
- shows how it keeps your personal and financial details safe
- gives a phone number, a street address and an ABN or other business registration number.
Warning signs of a fake store
Scamwatch, run by the ACCC, says scammers build fake websites, copy real stores and set up fake profiles on genuine selling platforms, often with low prices to make a deal look too good to miss. The signs it lists that apply to buying a ring:
- a price that is unbelievably low, or claims that sound too good to be true
- a website with no terms and conditions, no ABN and no privacy policy
- a request to pay in an unusual way, such as a money order, a pre-loaded card, or several different PayIDs or accounts
- an account holder whose name does not match the business you think you are paying.
Scamwatch suggests checking a seller’s ABN on ABN Lookup to see that the business is real, and, for a .com.au website, using auDA’s lookup to see which company or trade mark registered it. It also warns that many payments now go through instantly, and money sent to a scammer is unlikely to come back.
Keep a record of the order
The ACCC suggests keeping copies of everything: emails, receipts, item descriptions and any record of auction bids. For a ring, the item description is the one to save: it is what the ring has to match.
If it never arrives
If you paid by credit card and the ring did not arrive, your card provider may be able to reverse the charge; time limits can apply, so the ACCC suggests checking with the provider. Payment services may also refund in some situations, under their own terms.
Sending a faulty ring back
You are responsible for returning products that can be posted, which takes in a ring. If the business confirms the problem, it must pay back your reasonable return costs, so keep the postage receipt. If it finds no problem, it can charge you for inspection and collection, but only after giving you a reasonable estimate of those costs first.
Any online problem starts with the seller. Where the seller leaves it unresolved, it is worth asking the platform, which may step in depending on its own policies.