On Running Returns Australia: Run Trial, Limited Editions and Size Exchanges
On Running Australia handles returns differently depending on the item, its condition, the original seller and the reason for the request. For On shoes, apparel and accessories ordered through the Australian On online store, start with the official On Running Australia returns or sales policy rather than an overseas policy or a generic promise that every purchase qualifies for a refund. The most useful first question is not simply “How many days do I have?” but “Is this a qualifying unwanted-item return, an incorrect order or an actual problem with the product?” Each may follow a different route.
This guide focuses on the practical steps and the distinctions that affect an Australian order. It does not treat a store’s optional return conditions as a replacement for statutory consumer guarantees. Where your actual confirmation, receipt or return portal gives a condition specific to your transaction, keep that record and check it before posting anything.
What to check in the On Running Australia policy
Online direct-order scope
On says the online return programme is for orders bought directly from its store. A pair sold by an independent running shop should ordinarily be taken back to that retailer for an optional return rather than entered into the On webshop portal.
For a purchase involving On shoes, apparel and accessories ordered through the Australian On online store, collect the order confirmation and identify the exact product line before you ask for a remedy. A help agent cannot reliably apply a direct-store voluntary offer to a receipt from another seller. State where the payment was taken and what you are asking the business to do, rather than treating a brand name as proof of a direct online purchase.
Ordinary return period
On says qualifying returns for refund or exchange are requested within 30 days of delivery, and returned items should be new and in intact original packaging. It mentions eligible Run Trial orders as an exception to the normal new-condition rule; do not apply that trial to every shoe without checking the programme terms.
Prepaid Australian return label
For qualifying direct Australian online orders, the official return steps provide an Australia Post return label. The customer submits the order number and checkout email, then prints the label and sends the boxed product as instructed. Keep the parcel receipt.
The condition should be described accurately in the request. Keep photographs of the actual item and the supplied packaging if the policy makes them relevant. For On shoes, apparel and accessories ordered through the Australian On online store, do not describe a used product as unopened or a customer-caused mark as damage on arrival. A preference return and a report of a genuine problem require different supporting information.
Size or colour exchange only
The standard exchange process is for another size or colour of the same model, where stock is available. A different model generally requires refunding the original and ordering the preferred model separately. Limited-edition and Last Season items are listed as refundable if eligible but not exchangeable.
Exchange dispatch
On says the warehouse needs to receive and check the original product before it sends the exchange. The fact that a return is approved is not confirmation that the replacement shoes have left the warehouse.
Refund processing
On describes up to 14 business days for receipt and warehouse verification, followed by two to five business days for the original-payment refund to appear. Treat parcel movement, return approval and card settlement as separate tracking stages.
If the circumstances do not match the published voluntary route, use On Running Australia customer support to clarify the correct process. Explain the purchase channel and the problem in one message. Preserve any case number or written instruction, particularly if a store assistant and the online policy appear to describe different handling for the same transaction.
Inspecting a shoe without losing the optional return
Try the footwear carefully on a clean indoor surface, keep tags attached and protect the shoebox from tape and carrier labels. A pair with outdoor sole marks is not in the same condition as one checked only for fit. Where the seller offers a special wear-test programme, verify that your particular purchase qualifies rather than assuming all footwear can be taken for a run and then sent back.
Choosing a size exchange or a refund
If the desired size is out of stock, an authorised exchange cannot always be completed. Check whether the merchant can reserve stock, whether it accepts exchanges only at stores and whether a posted item becomes a refund-and-repurchase. A refund processed to the original card may take longer than the physical return journey; ordering a replacement immediately can temporarily tie up money in both transactions.
Four situations and what to do next
Example: A shoe model is uncomfortable but unworn
Hypothetical situation. Verify whether the order was a standard purchase or part of a specifically eligible Run Trial. For a standard change of mind, preserve the shoe box and sole condition and request the return within 30 days of delivery.
Example: You need the same shoe one size larger
Hypothetical situation. Select an exchange only if the original model and required size are offered by the portal. If that size is unavailable, compare requesting a refund and placing a new order rather than expecting the warehouse to substitute another shoe design.
Before choosing between a replacement, credit and original-payment refund, compare what the company actually offers for this transaction. An exchange may depend on stock while a refund may involve warehouse inspection. Keep the decision and any promised timetable in writing so you can distinguish a request that was merely lodged from one that was approved.
Example: You bought a limited-edition colour
Hypothetical situation. Check the listing and the exchange choices. On says limited editions and Last Season pieces can be returned for an eligible refund but are not exchangeable, even when another style would be preferred.
Example: You bought the shoes at an independent running store
Hypothetical situation. Keep that retailer’s receipt and ask the actual seller about an unwanted-item return. Do not use a direct On order number from a different transaction; a manufacturer’s fault route and a third-party shop’s voluntary policy are separate.
If the ordinary voluntary policy seems not to fit, explain why in the official support channel before posting the goods. For instance, incorrect fulfilment and a genuine defect are not the same as wanting a different size or colour. Keep the packaging if it helps show delivery condition, and retain any return postage receipt in case the business asks for it later.
Receipt, proof of purchase and the next message to support
When contacting On Running Australia official customer service, give the seller name, order or receipt reference, product name and the requested outcome. A printed docket is useful, but an online order confirmation, dated tax invoice or transaction record may also help identify a purchase. ACCC guidance on receipts and proof of purchase explains the general role of these records. The company may still ask for specific information to process a voluntary return or locate a transaction.
If there is no receipt, describe exactly what evidence remains rather than claiming the business must accept any unsupported assertion. For a gift, seek the original order reference or gift receipt if available. For a genuinely faulty item, ask the seller what alternative evidence it can accept and keep a written record of the answer. Voluntary change-of-mind rules should not be used as an automatic answer to a separate consumer-guarantee concern.
What an approved refund does—and does not—confirm
Keep three stages separate: the request submitted to the business, the return received and assessed by the business, and the credit displayed by the original payment provider. A postage receipt proves lodgement, not the refund amount. A refund confirmation may be followed by a bank processing period. If you used a gift card or a payment platform, check the original purchase terms to understand where the approved amount will be credited. Do not give support a different bank account unless a verified official process specifically requires it.
When the issue is a fault rather than a change of mind
The ACCC guide to repair, replacement and refunds explains that Australian consumer guarantees may provide remedies for products that do not meet the relevant standards. Major and minor problems can lead to different outcomes, and the actual facts matter. An optional On Running Australia return deadline, intact-box rule or exclusion for unwanted items does not automatically determine a claim about a genuine fault. Start by describing the precise problem to the seller and ask how it will be assessed. This is general consumer information, not a prediction about an individual claim.
Questions people ask about On Running Australia returns
Can I exchange for a different On model?
The standard exchange flow is restricted to size or colour of the same model.
Does the 30-day policy mean every used shoe can be returned?
No. Standard items must be new; an eligible Run Trial has separate conditions.
Does an accepted exchange ship immediately?
On says dispatch follows warehouse receipt and verification of the returned pair.
For the precise return method and any transaction-specific exclusions, revisit the official policy page before submitting the request. For an unresolved order, use the published customer-support route rather than a third-party directory or an unverified social profile.