CUSTOMER SERVICE POLICY
At GAPS Diet Australia, we are committed to providing supportive customer service, good quality products and realistic and reliable delivery service timelines.
SHIPPING AND DELIVERY POLICY
SHIPPING LOCATIONS
Our products are delivered Australia wide using Australia Post eParcel however we may use other specific courier services for special consignment requirements at our own discretion.
All parcels are dispatched from Brisbane, Australia.
Due to customs restrictions and logistical challenges, we currently only ship to NZ with special consideration given to the following regions. If you wish to place an international order, please contact us for special arrangements.
Australia, Austria, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States, United Kingdom and Vietnam.
SHIPPING CHARGES
Shipping Charges: Shipping costs are measured by the cubic size and weight of the parcel and calculated by the cusomers post code location (with the exception of some selected items with fixed shipping costs applied). To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full 100 grams or less with the parcel packaging weights and cubic measurement taken into account.
Goods shipped within Australia usually attract GST.
All prices are displayed in the default of AUD (Australian Dollars.)
OUR DISPATCH SCHEDULE
Orders will be delivered within 7 – 10 days and sometimes sooner (dependent upon our dispatch schedule and shipping methods selected).
All our parcels are usually dispatched on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursday's regardless of the shipping method chosen. It is our intention to send all orders that are received by our cut off time at 12 Midday on our scheduled dispatch days (Mon/Wed/Thursday)
In the case that we may become inundated with an over-abundance of orders on any given day customer orders may experience a slight delay and be prioritised for dispatch on the next scheduled dispatch.
If your order (for example was received after 12pm on a Monday, it may not be sent until the next shipping day on the Wednesday regardless of whether or not you have selected express post or regular. Our dispatch will also be adjusted when there is a public holiday. Please note: Express Post does not mean – Next day delivery with Australia Post Online Services. This guarantee is only applicable to public customers who pay for it over the counter within a post office. Selecting Express in our online store will allow you to receive your parcel sooner than the regular parcels but even Australia Post can be limited at times with their accuracy for expected delivery dates and we have no control over this. You can however track your order any time with an emailed tracking number sent to you at time of dispatch.
SHIPPING METHODS
Customers may select from the following two delivery shipping methods:
Regular Parcels: Dispatched 3 days a week. scheduled dispatch days (Mon/Wed/Thursday)
Express Parcels: Express postage can speed up your delivery transit time and can at times be received the day after it is dispatched, if ordered at the right time consistent with our scheduled dispatch days and cut off times. however our express service does not promise next day delivery from the point of your purchase date or time. Please take notice of our dispatch days (Mon/Wed/Thurs).
Any express orders that are shipped with ice and are processed after our dispatch time from Wednesday afternoon onward will be held for a Monday dispatch to reduce the transit time. When the express paid parcel has been dispatched, you will receive a notification via email with tracking and your parcel (in most cases) will be delivered the next day. Although our transit express time is usually two days, please be aware that we cannot promise this due to the carriers limitations that may be specific to restricted locations and Australia Post demands during busy times.
OUR DISPATCH AND DELIVERY PROCEDURE
Delivery Default & Customer Instructions
- Default: Upon creating your postage label, our delivery default instructions advise Australia post with authority to leave the parcel in a safe place and the customer is not required to sign or have contact with postal deliver personnel.
- Customer Custom Instruction Options: If the customer does not wish to have the parcel left in a safe place or at the front door, the customer needs to advise of this in the comments section when placing the order by stating “please do not leave parcel unattended if no one is home and redirect my parcel to my local post office”.
Customer Notifications
Dispatch notification: Upon dispatch, the customer will receive an email notification containing a tracking number to help customers track their order via a link provided.
Delivery Options: Australia Post will notify the customer via email that the parcel has either been delivered with safe drop (as default) or redirected to the local post office (as requested by the customer).
Parcel Pick up: When parcels are redirected to the post office, the customer notification will provide instructions advising when the parcel is ready to be picked up. The customer will need to sign for parcels picked up and proof of ID (license) is required.
The old carded notification system: As of 26th June, 2023 Australia no longer provide handwritten 'sorry we missed you' cards – a change aimed to provide a better customer experience, reduce paper waste, and improve efficiency and convenience. Instead, customers will receive a delivery status.
Australia Post App Notifications: Alternative to email notifications, customers can download the Australia Post App and customise notification settings to be sent from the app or by SMS. Customers can also use the app to update delivery options such as where to best leave the parcel in a safe place or to redirect the parcel to the post office if they know they will not be home. The link to the Australia Post App can be accessed in the email tracking notification we send our at dispatch or from the Australia Post website.
SHIPPING REFRIGERATED PRODUCTS
We encourage customers to add ice to specific refrigerated products and to select express shipping to reduce transit times and maintain product longevity and efficacy. We only send yoghurt Starters on Monday's or Wednesday's to avoid extended transit times over the weekend.
It is the customers responsibility to add ice and select express for any product. By processing an order without express or ice, the customer accepts the product and the condition to which it is received without the option to return the item.
During the summer months, some customers express concerns about the possibility of the ice melting and the product arriving at a warm temperature. We take extra precautions to keep the product cool for a longer period by providing ice and express options for delivery. However, we do not provide a refrigerated service.
We have reviewed and confirmed manufacturer stability claims regarding our refrigerated products to ensure that our yoghurt starters and probiotics can be kept at room temperature without refrigeration or ice for up to two – three weeks before the culture begins to deteriorate. Therefore, we are confident that the express delivery with ice packing will have minimal or no impact on the quality of the culture for the purpose of it's use. We want to inform customers who purchase these items that we have no control over the weather or the temperature during delivery, and we are not obligated to accept returns as a result of weather impacts during transit.
LOST STOLEN OR DAMAGED
Missing Parcel: We appreciate your patience in giving the parcel time to be processed and delivered to you before seeking support to locate a missing parcel. Australia Post will not allow us to lodge a missing parcel investigation until 10 days have lapsed from the point of dispatch so please give us this time before contacting us. When purchasing from GAPS Australia, Customers agree to accept full responsibility for theft, damage or lost items, however customers can request to insure shipping by contacting us directly at sales@gapsaustralia.com.au
Theft: GAPS Diet Australia do not accept responsibility for any theft of parcels stolen from the front door. If you have not provided a request in your order comments to have your parcel redirected to your local post office, then any protection from theft is then waived and becomes the customers responsibility. Theft does occur so we do recommend that you request a redirection (in the comments section when you place your order) where your parcel can safely be sent to your local post office for pick up.
Please report any theft to Australia Post 131318
UNCOLLECTED PARCELS
In the event that a parcel is not collected by the customer, it is the individual local post office store manager’s own discretion to determine how long they wish to hold parcels in their depo before returning to sender. Generally most local post officers keep them for approximately 5 - 10 days.
If the address we have provided is correct and we have shown that we have done everything right to forward your parcel to you in the correct manner and it is returned to sender because the customer did not pick up the parcel, then GAPS Diet Australia and the customer will have the opportunity to negotiate whether the items are perishable and can be refunded (less the postage cost) or we can re-charge the customer’s credit card for the costs for the second delivery. In any case that we have made a genuine error causing the delivery to fail, we will of course pay for the cost of re-posting the items to the customer.
IMPORTANT EXPRESS POST CONSIDERATIONS & RESTRICTIONS:
Consignments outside the Australia Post Express Delivery Network
GAPS Diet Australia are unable to accept the express shipping method with orders that have a designated post code that is set outside the Australia express post delivery network. It is the customer’s responsibility to confirm whether the destination postcode is within range at the Australia Post express post network and this can be confirmed here: http://auspost.com.au/personal/express-post-network-nsw-act.html
GAPS Australia reserve the right to amend the delivery option selected by customers when the delivery post code is set outside the Australia Express Post Network. This is because Australia post cannot guarantee express post delivery for these locations in a timely manner (especially when express is often slower than regular) and we can not accept the excessive additional charges that we would need to pass onto our customers for an express fee that our website shipping calculator does not pass onto the customer. Unfortunately our Shipping calculator can not identify and accurately charge destinations outside the network and this requires manual amendments with very costly fees that we need to pass onto our customers. With these destination restrictions in mind, it is our intention to avoid passing on additional excessive charges to our customers with a slower destination route by amending the delivery option if express is selected.
In the event that the customer selects express post (when their post code is set outside the express post delivery network), our default response is to accept the order and dispatch regular post only. By processing the order and selecting express post when the delivery post code is set outside the express network the customer accepts the order transaction and our default supportive action to dispatch the order via the regular post route.
PERISHABLES
We encourage customers to be mindful of the Australian climate WHICH IS NOT WITHIN OUR CONTROL and to ADD an ICE PACK to the shopping cart for any perishable items that may be of concern. We are not responsible for items that are received warm or hot. This is caused by the climate during the hotter months. Ice may allow it to remain cooler for longer but it IS NOT a refrigerated service and we do not promise to deliver your items cold upon arrival.
RETURNS POLICY
Please choose carefully. We do not normally give refunds if you simply change your mind or make a wrong decision.
REFUNDS AND REQUEST FOR ORDER ADJUSTMENTS
Approved store refunds are reimbursed to customers as a store credit, unless otherwise arranged under special circumstances where a $2.00 manual transaction/admin fee will be charged. Please select your items carefully. Any requested changes to an order requiring a refund or additional charge will incur the $2.00 manual transaction/admin fee.
Acceptance of returns are specific where goods are faulty, have been wrongly described or illustrated, or where the product is different to the product purchased on the website. These items should be returned, unopened and unused within 30 days of delivery or refunds will not be considered. Personal items such as enema kits cannot be returned due to hygiene purposes.
Some items requiring refrigeration cannot be returned.
INCORRECT ITEM / MISSING ITEM:
Incorrect items received (including items missing or falling short in the parcel) must be reported to us via email within 24 hours of delivery.
DAMAGED ITEMS DURING TRANSIT
Damaged items during transit must be reported within 24 hours of receiving the parcel so that we may investigate and identify the error within a reasonable time-frame.
EXPIRED / BEST BEFORE DATE:
In the case that stock is accidentally sent to the customer with an expired best before date, the customer must report this finding to us within 3 days of delivery so that we may review the case to ascertain whether a reimbursed store credit will be applied. In the case that the items have been confirmed to exceed the expiry date, the items will need to be returned to us (unopened) before a store credit is provided. We will gladly pay the return shipping costs only if the return is a result of our error or you received an incorrect or defective item.
IF YOU NEED TO RETURN AN ITEM:
Simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button to apply for your return request. We'll notify you via e-mail after we have reviewed your request and respond with the appropriate action. If your request for return and refund has been approved we will email you an eParcel returns slip (Pre-Paid) which will allow you to process your return at your local post office. We ask that the items be returned within the original packaging. Once we've received the returned item, we will process your refund.
If we have agreed on a store credit or refund, you should expect to receive this within three weeks of sending your package to us, however, in majority of cases you will receive a refund much sooner as we do our best to prioritise. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (2 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
IF YOU RECEIVE THE WRONG ITEM AND YOU USE IT:
We cannot honour a return and replacement of wrong items sent if the item has been used or the product seal has been broken, such as receiving a yoghurt maker instead of a juicer and the customer uses it before advising us that they were sent the wrong product. Or if you were sent the wrong supplements and opened the bottle breaking the seal.
All store credits have an expiry date of 12 months and must be redeemed within this time from when the credit is applied.
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING RESTRICTIONS & REFUNDS
Most products can be sent international, however some restrictions apply to some products, as well as shipping restrictions to some countries. We encourage international customers to contact us if you are having a problem placing an order. In the event that an international order is refunded, we advise that this will be done in Australian Dollars and international customers accept the responsibility of any financial adjustments that occur as a result of a customer refund due to the fluctuating market exchange rates and any foreign bank fees charged by the customers bank or financial institution which we have no control over. GAPS Australia are only responsible in refunding the total amount paid on the order at the time of the order and in Australian dollars.
APPROVED INTERNATIONAL ORDERS
In the event that an order is placed internationally, we will not accept any responsibility or financial loss for any lost or damaged merchandise outside our country network as the reliability in different international shipping zones vary greatly and this is something that we have no control over. We are more than happy to do all that we can to help you find it but in processing an order, the customer must accepts the stated financial loss in this situation if it happens to occur. All international orders are only accepted when the customer confirms (by agreeing to our terms in the cart) that they agree to accept the international terms stated above. Please contact us if you have any problems placing an order.
NAVIGATING YOUR ACCOUNT
STORE ORDER STATUS
When the customer is logged in, the order status can be viewed within the online store top tab marked ‘Order Status.’ Customers will see when the shipping status has been changed. Here is a description of the order updates that customers might see:
Awaiting Fulfillment: Your order is waiting to be processed and not yet fulfilled.
Awaiting Shipment: Your order has been reviewed by the sales team and the status has been changed to ‘Awaiting Shipment’ whilst your order is getting ready. At times your order may remain Awaiting Shipment for a while because or it may be delayed for a later dispatch on the Monday because it requires express postage on the Monday. Other reasons may be associated with an incomplete address that we are trying to follow up with you.
Back Order: If one item is be out of stock it will be marked for back order.
Pending: Your order may have a problem such as an incomplete address or the payment was not received.
Shipped: Your order has been passed to our freight management software facilitator and is awaiting dispatch.
HOW TO SHIP DIFFERENT ITEMS TO MULTIPLE ADDRESSES IN ONE ORDER?
We have a provision within our shopping cart that enables you to place an order with multiple addresses. Simply add all your items to the cart and then it will take you to the shipping page where you can add multiple addresses to your account. When you have added all the addresses to your account, you can then select a billing address and then a shipping address.
It does not matter what shipping address you pick at this stage because you will be given the chance to change this later so just select the billing address that you want and then select the same for the shipping (for now) and proceed to the shopping cart final page but do not proceed to confirm payment yet. You will notice an option under the subtotal saying “SHIP TO MULTIPLE ADDRESSES” Click on that and it will take you back to the shipping page. Select the Billing address you want and then you will see all your shopping items with a drop down box containing all your shipping address options. This is where you select the shipping address for each individual item and then you continue to follow the prompts to select the shipping methods for each address. It is really quite easy but you just have to put all your items in the cart first and then go back to select which items will be sent to which address.