Plain‑language refund and warranty terms.
This page sets out how we handle change‑of‑mind returns, warranty claims, and disputes for WOMBATS Shield purchases. It's written in plain English. It's not a substitute for legal advice, and nothing here limits your rights under Australian Consumer Law.
Australian Consumer Law
For purchases made by consumers, the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) gives you guarantees about the quality, fitness for purpose and matching description of products. These guarantees apply in addition to anything written here. Nothing in this policy excludes, restricts or modifies any non‑excludable consumer guarantee.
Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure.
Our hardware warranty is offered alongside those rights, not in place of them.
The 30-day home trial (change of mind)
Use Shield on your own network for 30 days from delivery. If it isn't right for your home, tell us — we'll email a prepaid return label and refund the full purchase price.
The home trial is for households: consumer orders delivered to residential addresses in Australia and New Zealand. Business orders are welcome, but the change-of-mind trial doesn't apply to them.
Conditions, in plain English:
- One trial per household.
- Everything comes back: Shield, power supply, cable, box and the numbered founding card.
- The tamper seal on the case stays intact. There's nothing inside to set up — everything is done from your browser.
- No damage beyond normal handling.
- Refunds go to the original payment method, within 5 business days of the Shield arriving back with us.
When a trial Shield comes back, we re-image it from the signed factory image — nothing from your home survives on it. A returned founding number is retired, never resold.
International orders: the 30-day change-of-mind window applies to unopened Shields only, and return shipping is at your cost.
These conditions apply to change-of-mind returns only and don't limit your rights under Australian Consumer Law.
To start a return, email support@wombatss.com with your order reference within the 30-day window. We'll send the label and confirm the steps, and we'll ask (optionally) what didn't fit — it helps us build a better Shield.
12-month hardware warranty
Every Shield is covered by a 12‑month hardware warranty from the date of delivery. The warranty covers the Shield itself and its power supply. If either develops a fault that isn't caused by physical damage or misuse during that window, we'll repair or replace it at our cost. The full warranty, with who gives it and how to claim, is below; the same text is printed on the warranty card in the box.
Warranty against defects — WOMBATS Shield (12 months)
Given by: Ausbotics Pty Ltd (ABN 24 655 781 150), trading as WOMBATS Shield, Suite 902, 50 Berry Street, North Sydney NSW 2060. Telephone +61 2 3813 7771 (WhatsApp messages; calls go to voicemail). Email support@wombatss.com.
What we promise: If the Shield or its supplied power supply develops a fault that is not caused by physical damage or misuse within 12 months from the date of delivery, we will repair or replace it at our cost. The warranty does not cover damage from misuse, modification, third-party repair, dropping or liquid, or cosmetic wear that does not affect function.
How to claim:
- Within the 12 months, email support@wombatss.com with your order reference, the serial number printed on the underside of your Shield and a short description of the fault — or write to us at the business address below.
- We will troubleshoot with you, or arrange the repair or replacement.
- If the Shield needs to come back to us, we email you a prepaid return label. The return address is Parcel Locker 10126, 13827 296-302 High Street, Penrith NSW 2750.
Costs: We bear the costs of a warranty claim, including return postage. Because we send you a prepaid return label, there is nothing for you to pay and nothing to claim back.
The benefits under this warranty are in addition to other rights and remedies you have under law in relation to the goods.
Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure.
Founding-edition expectations
Founding Edition Shields are built and dispatched by hand during the first batch. We may follow up with you directly during fulfilment to confirm SSD upgrade choices on Shield Vault, or to walk through unusual network setups. That hands‑on contact is part of being a founding member, not a sign that anything is wrong.
Damaged on arrival
If Shield arrives visibly damaged in transit, please don't use it. Email us within 7 days with photos of the packaging and the device, and we'll arrange a replacement at our cost.
Non-refundable items
We don't refund paid shipping fees on change‑of‑mind returns (founding-batch AU/NZ dispatch is free, so for most orders there is nothing to withhold). Optional paid SSD upgrades on Shield Vault are non‑refundable once the upgraded SSD has been provisioned and shipped, except where required by ACL.
How to reach us
For refund, return, or warranty questions, contact support@wombatss.com. We aim to respond within one business day.
WOMBATS Shield is a registered business name of Ausbotics Pty Ltd (ABN 24 655 781 150), Suite 902, 50 Berry Street, North Sydney NSW 2060. Your purchase and any refund are with Ausbotics Pty Ltd, trading as WOMBATS Shield. Returns by post go to Parcel Locker 10126, 13827 296-302 High Street, Penrith NSW 2750.
