Field guide · 2026
Black Friday shopping rights in Australia explained
This publication shares ownership with PeptaraLabs, Lab Ranked Agency, and Dental Link.
Black Friday shopping rights are the same as your rights on any other day: a sale price does not switch off the consumer guarantees in the Australian Consumer Law. If a discounted item has a major fault, you can still ask for a refund or a replacement. Black Friday falls on November 27 this year, so it helps to know the rules before you shop.
Sale items keep the same guarantees
Every product you buy in Australia comes with automatic consumer guarantees. They are part of the Australian Consumer Law. A product must be of acceptable quality. That means it is safe, lasts a fair time and is free from defects. It must also do what similar products normally do.
A lower price does not remove these rights. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says a business cannot take them away with a 'no refunds' sign. It also says it is illegal to rely on a policy of 'no refunds or exchanges on sale items' when a product is faulty.
Guarantees are also different from warranties. A warranty is an extra promise a seller chooses to make. A guarantee is automatic and a warranty cannot override it.
What you can ask for when something is faulty
Your remedy depends on how serious the problem is. For a minor problem, the seller must at least give you a free repair. For a major problem, you get to choose between a refund and a replacement.
The ACCC says a product has a major problem when it:
- is unsafe,
- is very different from its description or sample,
- has one serious problem, or several smaller ones, that would have stopped you buying it if you had known, or
- cannot be used for its normal purpose and cannot easily be fixed within a reasonable time.
A refund should be given in the same form as your payment, unless you and the seller agree otherwise. The seller cannot send you to the maker instead. The business that sold the product is responsible for fixing the problem.
What is not covered
The guarantees are not a promise of a refund for every sale purchase. You are not entitled to a remedy if you simply changed your mind, found the item cheaper elsewhere, or decided you did not like it. If the store has its own change of mind policy, it must follow it, so check that policy before you buy.
You also have no claim if you caused the fault by misusing the product. The same goes if you knew about the problem before you bought it, or the seller told you. In that case you may still be covered for a different problem that was not made clear to you.
How to check a claimed discount
The law says businesses must not mislead you about prices or about the value of a discount. After the 2024 Black Friday period, the ACCC ran a sweep of sales advertising and found several claims that worried it. You can use its list as a checklist.
- 'Storewide' or 'sitewide' claims: look for fine print that leaves out whole ranges or member-only deals.
- 'Was/now' prices: the 'was' price should be the real usual price, not one that appeared just before the sale.
- 'Recommended retail price' savings: these can mislead if the shop has not sold the item at that price recently.
- 'Up to X% off': check how many items get the top discount, and whether the 'up to' words are easy to see.
The ACCC also said it had seen items marked as 'on sale' that sold for the same price as their normal price. One simple habit helps. Note the price a few weeks before the sale, then compare.
Real cases show the rules are enforced
In June 2025 the ACCC announced that Michael Hill, MyHouse and Hairhouse Online had each paid a $19,800 penalty. Each was issued an infringement notice over claims made in their Black Friday sale ads. The ACCC alleged the ads misled shoppers about what the sale covered. For Hairhouse Online, it said more than a quarter of the products on the website were not in the sale offer, even though the ad said 'sitewide'.
An infringement notice is not a court finding that the law was broken. Still, the cases show that the regulator watches sale claims closely.
What to do if a seller says no
Keep your receipt, order email or bank record. Photograph the fault. Contact the seller, say which guarantee has failed, and say which remedy you want. The business has the right to assess the product before it gives a remedy.
If the seller refuses a remedy you are entitled to, you can report the business to the ACCC. The ACCC says it uses reports to guide its education and enforcement work, but it does not resolve individual disputes or give legal advice. For a personal dispute, your state or territory consumer protection agency is the next stop.