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Return & Refund Policy

Last updated: 14/07/2026

1. Overview

The Staks is an online marketplace connecting independent authors and bookish creators (“Sellers”) with readers and customers (“Buyers”). Each Seller operating a store on The Staks is an independent business and is solely responsible for setting, honouring, and fulfilling their own return, exchange, and refund policy for the items they sell.

The Staks does not manufacture, stock, or ship items sold by Sellers, and does not itself issue refunds on a Seller’s behalf except where stated in Section 5 of this policy (Platform-Level Protections).

2. Seller Responsibility

Every Seller on The Staks must:

  • Publish a clear, written return and refund policy on their store page before listing items for sale.
  • State clearly whether they accept returns, exchanges, and/or cancellations, and under what conditions (e.g. time window, condition of item, who pays return shipping).
  • Honour the policy as published at the time of purchase for that specific order.
  • Respond to Buyer return and refund requests within 2–3 business days.
  • Process approved refunds through The Staks payment system within the timeframe required by the payment processor (WooCommerce, Stripe or PayPal).

Sellers may set different policies for different types of items — for example, no returns on personalised, custom-made, or digital items — provided this is clearly disclosed to the Buyer before purchase.

3. What Buyers Should Check Before Purchasing

Before completing a purchase, Buyers are responsible for reviewing:

  • The individual Seller’s return and refund policy, listed on their store or product page.
  • Whether the item is a final sale, custom, personalised, or otherwise excluded from returns.
  • Estimated processing and shipping times, which vary by Seller.

If a Seller’s store does not display a return and refund policy, The Staks default policy (Section 4) applies.

4. Default Policy (When a Seller Has Not Specified One)

If a Seller has not published their own return and refund terms, the following defaults apply:

  • Buyers may request a return or refund within 14 days of delivery.
  • The item must be unused and in its original condition, unless it arrived damaged, defective, or not as described.
  • Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs, unless the item was damaged, defective, or misrepresented.
  • Refunds will be issued to the original payment method once the returned item is received and inspected by the Seller, or once the Seller confirms the issue.

5. Platform-Level Protections

Regardless of an individual Seller’s policy, The Staks will step in to help resolve a dispute if:

  • An item never arrives and tracking does not confirm delivery.
  • An item arrives significantly different from its description (e.g. wrong item, materially different from photos or product listing).
  • An item arrives damaged or defective and the Seller is unresponsive after 3–5 business days.

In these cases, Buyers can contact The Staks support team (see Section 7) and we will facilitate a resolution, which may include a refund, replacement, or mediation between the Buyer and Seller.

6. Non-Returnable Items

The following items are generally non-returnable unless they arrive defective or damaged in transit. Individual Sellers should confirm this in their own store policy:

  • Custom or personalised items
  • Digital downloads
  • Items marked as “final sale”

7. How to Request a Return or Refund

  1. Contact the Seller directly through The Staks messaging system within the return window stated in their store policy. Describe the issue and, where applicable, include photos (e.g. for damaged or incorrect items).
  2. Wait for the Seller’s response. Sellers should respond within 2–3 business days.
  3. If the issue is not resolved, contact The Staks support team:
    • Email: hello@thestaks.com
    • Contact form: thestaks.com/contact
  4. The Staks team will review the case and work with both parties to reach a fair resolution.

8. Cancellations

Cancellation eligibility is determined by each Seller’s individual store policy. Buyers should check this before placing an order, particularly for custom or made-to-order items, which often cannot be cancelled once production has begun.

9. Australian Consumer Law

Nothing in this policy limits or excludes any rights you may have under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). If a product has a major fault, is unsafe, or is significantly different from its description, you may be entitled to a remedy under the ACL regardless of a Seller’s individual policy. For more information, visit accc.gov.au.

10. Policy Changes

Sellers may update their store’s return and refund policy at any time. However, the policy in effect at the time of purchase is the one that applies to that specific order.

The Staks may also update this policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised “Last updated” date.

This policy is a guide and does not constitute legal advice. If you have questions about your rights as a buyer or seller, we recommend seeking independent legal advice or visiting accc.gov.au for information about your rights under Australian Consumer Law.