Australian Consumer Law for Online Sellers: The Rules Your Store Pages Must Respect

The consumer guarantees apply online

The ACCC lists seven consumer guarantees for goods: acceptable quality; fitness for a particular purpose the consumer made known, relied on the business's advice about, or that the business advertised; matching the description; matching any sample or demonstration model; meeting extra promises (express warranties); availability of repairs and spare parts for a reasonable time; and clear title, with no one entitled to repossess the item and no hidden debts or charges^[1].

These apply whether a product is bought in a shop or online. The ACCC notes that when an overseas business sells directly to Australian consumers, it must follow the Australian Consumer Law, including the consumer guarantees^[1]. Most guarantees do not apply to private one-off sales, such as an individual selling through a marketplace, although title, undisturbed possession and no hidden debts still do.

You cannot sign the guarantees away

A business cannot remove consumer rights by what it says or displays. The ACCC gives a "no refunds" sign as an example of a business taking away a consumer's basic rights, and says it is against the law for businesses to mislead consumers about their rights in these ways^[1]. Online, the equivalent risks are a returns page that says "all sales final", a checkout box that waives refunds, or terms that limit remedies for faulty goods.

Major and minor problems

The remedy depends on whether a problem is major or minor. The ACCC describes a major problem as one where the product is unsafe, is very different from the description or sample, or has one serious problem or several smaller problems that would have stopped someone buying it. For a major problem the business must give the consumer the choice of a refund or a replacement of the same type of product^[2].

For a minor problem the business must fix the problem or repair the product for free. It does not have to offer a replacement or refund, although it can choose to^[2].

Return costs

If a business confirms a product is faulty, the ACCC says it must reimburse the consumer for any reasonable return costs they have already paid. If the product has no problem, the business can make the consumer pay collection and inspection costs, but must give a reasonable estimate before collecting it^[2]. Your returns page should explain how a customer starts a claim, how returns are sent and who pays in each case.

Change-of-mind returns are optional, until you offer them

Consumers are not entitled to a remedy if they got what they asked for and simply changed their mind. But the ACCC is clear that if a business has a change-of-mind policy, it must follow it^[2]. Many online stores offer one because shoppers cannot see products in person. If you do, state the time limit, condition requirements and who pays return postage, and keep it separate from your fault process so customers do not confuse the two.

Descriptions must be accurate

The ACCC says any description of a product by a business must be accurate, whether written or spoken^[1]. On a product page that covers titles, photos, size charts, specifications, compatibility claims and "Australian made" or similar origin claims. A product that is very different from its description can be a major problem, giving the consumer the choice of a refund or replacement^[2].

Practical habits that reduce risk:

• Use real photos of the product sold, including the actual colour where colour matters
• Put measurements, materials and compatibility in a specifications table
• Keep variant-specific details, such as size or capacity, on the right variant
• Update pages when a supplier changes a product, not at the next redesign
• Avoid claims you cannot support, such as "best" or "lasts forever"

Prices must be clear and complete

Price display is part of the same law. The ACCC expects a total price that includes taxes, duties and all unavoidable or pre-selected fees, and describes drip pricing as advertising a price at the start of an online purchase and adding fees along the way^[3]. The pricing and surcharges guide covers this in detail, including the end of card surcharges on most major networks from October 2026 and the delivery charge rule in section 48 of the Australian Consumer Law^[4].

Reviews and testimonials

Writing fake reviews, or getting others to post them, breaks the law, the ACCC warns. Incentives for reviews must be given whether the review is positive or negative and must be disclosed. Suppressing or editing negative reviews can mislead consumers, so businesses need an adequate basis before removing any review. Reviews from family, staff or paid people must disclose that connection, and review totals should show how many reviews a rating is based on^[5].

New rules from 1 July 2027

The Competition and Consumer Amendment (Unfair Trading Practices) Act 2026 (No. 64, 2026) passed on 2 July 2026, and its rules start on 1 July 2027^[6][7]. It adds a general ban on unfair trading practices, rules on drip pricing and rules for subscription contracts. A law firm summary describes the detail: mandatory transaction-based fees disclosed with the base price, clear disclosure before a subscription starts, reminders at points such as the end of a free trial, and cancellation that is easy to find, online where the sign-up was online^[8]. The pricing and surcharges guide covers what it means for checkout.

Turning the rules into store pages

This guide is general information about website content, not legal advice. For decisions about your business, speak with a lawyer or your state or territory consumer protection agency.