Refund policy
Returns & Refunds Policy
We want every record you buy from Heathen Records to arrive in great condition and sound the way it should. If something isn't right, get in touch and we'll sort it out quickly and fairly. This policy works alongside your rights under the Australian Consumer Law, and nothing in it limits those rights.
1. Something wrong with your order?
Email us at admin@heathenrecords.com.au with your order number and a short description of the problem. For records, please include clear photos or a short video. Please let us know within 30 days of delivery so we can help as quickly as possible. We'll still look after genuine faults reported after that, in line with the Australian Consumer Law.
Please don't send anything back until you've heard from us. We'll let you know whether a return is needed and send you a prepaid label if it is.
2. Change of mind returns
Changed your mind, or bought a record someone already owns? No problem. You can return it within 28 days of delivery as long as it is:
- still sealed, unopened and unplayed, and
- in the same condition it arrived in.
For change of mind returns, you pay the return postage, and the original shipping cost isn't refunded. Please pack the record securely, ideally in the mailer it arrived in, and pop a note inside with your order number. Once it arrives back with us and we've checked it, we'll refund you to your original payment method or give you store credit, whichever you prefer.
3. Christmas gift returns
Buying ahead for Christmas? Orders placed between 1 November and 24 December can be returned for change of mind until 31 January, using the same conditions as above (sealed, unopened and unplayed).
If you received a record from us as a gift and already own it, send it back with the order number (the person who bought it can find this in their confirmation email) and we'll give you store credit, so the original buyer doesn't need to be involved.
4. Faulty, damaged or incorrect items
If your record arrives damaged, has a genuine pressing or playback fault, or we've sent you the wrong item, we'll fix it at no cost to you. Contact us with your order number and photos or a short video showing the problem.
Depending on the problem, we'll offer one or more of the following:
- a replacement copy (with your OK, we'll open it and check it before sending so you don't get the same fault twice),
- a full refund,
- a partial refund, if the record still plays and you're happy to keep it, or
- store credit, if you'd prefer.
Where a return is needed, we'll email you a prepaid Australia Post return label. For some faults we may not need the record back, and for others we'll need it returned so we can check it and raise the fault with our supplier. If the fault is major, you can choose between a refund and a replacement.
5. Warped records
New vinyl can have a slight warp straight from the pressing plant. A small warp that doesn't affect playback, such as a gentle rise and fall of the tonearm with no skipping or audible wobble, is within normal manufacturing tolerances and isn't considered a fault. If a warp causes skipping, distortion or an audible wow, please send us a short video of the record playing and we'll look after you.
6. Skipping and entry-level turntables
A record that skips isn't always faulty. Suitcase-style and all-in-one record players, and turntables without an adjustable tonearm, counterweight or anti-skate, often struggle to track some pressings, especially near the end of a side. This includes many Crosley, GPO, Victrola and similar budget players, and players with built-in speakers. A record that skips on one of these may play perfectly on a properly set-up turntable.
Before contacting us about skipping, please:
- check your turntable is on a level, stable surface,
- make sure the stylus is clean and not worn,
- check the tracking force and anti-skate are set correctly, if your turntable has them, and
- try a few other records to see if they skip too.
When you get in touch, please send a short video of the record playing and a photo of your turntable, including the make and model. If you can, try the record on another turntable as well.
If a record we receive back plays correctly on a properly set-up turntable, it isn't faulty. In that case we can't offer a free return or a refund, but we're still happy to help. We can post the record back to you, or you can return it at your own cost in exchange for store credit.
7. New sealed records
Our new records ship factory sealed, straight from the label, and we don't open or play them before dispatch. If you find a genuine pressing fault, contact us and we'll sort it out as described in section 4.
8. Second-hand, rare and collectable records
These are sold according to the condition described in the listing. Change of mind returns generally aren't accepted unless we agree beforehand. If an item has been misgraded, was damaged in transit, or has an issue that wasn't disclosed, contact us and we'll work it out case by case.
9. Band merchandise and apparel
Please check the size chart before ordering. Change of mind returns and exchanges are accepted within 28 days of delivery if the item is unworn, unwashed and in its original condition with tags and packaging. You pay the return postage for size or change of mind returns. Faulty items are handled as described in section 4.
10. How to start a return or claim
- Email admin@heathenrecords.com.au with your order number.
- Describe the problem and attach photos or a short video. For playback issues, include your turntable make and model.
- Wait for our reply before sending anything back. We'll confirm the next steps and send a prepaid label if one is needed.
- Pack the item securely. Records are easily damaged in the post, so a rigid LP mailer is best.
11. Refunds, replacements and store credit
Refunds and replacements are processed once the returned item arrives and has been checked, or straight away if we've agreed that no return is needed. Refunds go back to your original payment method and can take a few business days to appear, depending on your bank or payment provider. Store credit is linked to your email address and is applied automatically at checkout when you log in.
12. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law
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 to compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have goods repaired or replaced if they fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure.
13. Contact us
Questions about a return or an order? Email admin@heathenrecords.com.au and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.