Stratco Returns Australia: Custom Orders, Change of Mind and Collection Costs
Stratco sells both ready-made goods and items produced or cut for a particular order. Its voluntary change-of-mind return conditions therefore depend on whether the item is standard stock, the reason for return, its condition and the practical cost of transport. A faulty roofing component or item supplied to the wrong specification should not be handled as an ordinary unwanted-stock request. Read the official Stratco policy for the precise terms applying to your order. This guide explains the key decisions and the practical steps a customer can take; it is independent of the business.
How the Stratco policy works in Australia
Differentiate standard stock from custom-made goods
A standard unopened part may be assessed for a voluntary return, while a made-to-measure roofing sheet or bespoke order can have different cancellation conditions. Check the invoice description and original specifications before assuming all items bought under the same transaction have the same eligibility.
Ask about the stated change-of-mind window
Stratco’s returns information describes a 28-day voluntary change-of-mind period for eligible products. Confirm whether the order falls within the period and whether the item is unused and fit for resale. A project delay is not proof that a special-order component is a standard returnable item.
Choose collection with a realistic freight estimate
Large sheet metal or heavy building materials cannot always go through an ordinary parcel label. The business describes options involving store returns or pickup, with transport costs potentially borne by the customer for a change of mind. Confirm lifting, access and packaging requirements before booking collection.
Keep the original invoice and the measured specification
A dispute about dimensions is easier to investigate with the invoice, drawings, measurements and order confirmation. Record whether the wrong size was ordered by the customer or supplied contrary to the agreed specification; these are different facts that can change the appropriate remedy.
Inspect delivered goods before installation
Before bolting down a shed panel or cutting roofing stock, compare the supplied model, colour, quantity and dimensions with the order. Photograph damage and packaging as delivered. Installation can make it harder to assess whether the problem was present before use, although it does not automatically remove applicable legal rights.
Do not apply voluntary return freight rules to a confirmed fault
Stratco’s guidance distinguishes ordinary unwanted goods from damaged or faulty products and describes a separate collection route for qualifying faults. Contact the business promptly and keep evidence rather than purchasing return freight without asking how the issue should be handled.
Separate store credit from a remedy for misdescription
A retailer may offer exchange or credit for eligible optional returns. If the supplied product materially differs from the order or breaches a consumer guarantee, ask Stratco to assess the actual mismatch rather than accepting a generic change-of-mind credit explanation as the complete legal position.
Identify custom work before arranging a return
A product assembled from standard stock may have very different cancellation conditions from one made to the buyer’s measurements. Check the SKU, order drawing, finish, installation status and the written quote. A change-of-mind request about a custom item must not be described as though the retailer can put it straight back on the shelf. If the delivered item differs from the agreed specification, explain that mismatch separately.
Plan how large goods can physically move
Before requesting a furniture or building-material pickup, record dimensions, weight, stairs and vehicle access. Ask whether the seller arranges transport and who is charged for collection under the exact reason for return. Keep every original carton or protective sheet available where possible, and photograph the goods before a courier or collection team handles them. A return fee quoted for a small parcel may be irrelevant to bulky freight.
Check partial returns and promotional bundles
Buying several matching pieces or materials under one promotional package can affect a later part-return calculation. Compare the unit prices, delivery charge, installation or assembly fee and the discount actually paid. Ask for a written net-refund estimate before arranging paid freight. If replacement goods are being supplied, check whether the original piece is collected during that delivery or requires a separate appointment.
Capture damage before installation or modification
Check major surfaces, fixings, dimensions and colour against the confirmation as soon as possible. Take photographs of damage, missing parts and the external packaging. Do not attempt a permanent alteration simply to make an incorrect product fit before asking the seller how to resolve the supply problem. An ordinary change-of-mind condition can differ from the handling of a genuinely faulty or misdescribed item.
Distinguish the request from the eventual financial outcome
Submitting a portal form, obtaining a return authorisation, lodging a parcel and having a refund credited are separate steps. Record the reference and date for each, and check the promised outcome in the confirmation. If the business offers exchange or store credit under its voluntary policy, ask whether that choice affects future options before accepting. A merchant processing a payment and the money appearing in your account can occur on different days.
How to submit an enquiry without losing your place in the process
Use the official Stratco customer-service or help page and quote the same order number or reference in every reply. Explain whether you are asking to return an unused item, exchange a size, report delivery damage, resolve a genuine product fault or change a booked service. Ask the representative to identify the rule that applies to your particular transaction, including any return postage, processing fee, stock limit or cancellation cut-off. Keep the written answer and do not send goods before receiving the authorisation required by the policy.
If you no longer have the original paper receipt, search for a digital invoice, account order history or card transaction record. The ACCC guidance about proof of purchase explains why other evidence can sometimes identify a purchase. A seller may still need enough detail to find the transaction and its own voluntary rules can request particular documents. Describe what you do have instead of inventing a receipt number or representing an unrelated bank debit as proof of the exact product.
Realistic examples based on the published conditions
The following situations are hypothetical illustrations of the policy, not accounts of actual customer service decisions. Their usefulness depends on which product, seller, payment method and condition matches your own purchase.
You ordered a stock bracket that remains sealed
Take the invoice to the store or contact support within the stated voluntary period to confirm return arrangements.
A made-to-measure panel is the wrong length because the order dimensions were wrong
Check the custom-order terms and ask if any discretionary remedy is possible before paying for transport.
The delivered panel does not match the confirmed dimensions
Keep the order drawing and measured photographs; report the supply error separately.
A large boxed item needs pickup
Confirm who pays collection and whether the item needs palletising before committing to the return.
Consumer guarantees and faults are a separate consideration
Australian Consumer Law may provide remedies where qualifying goods or services do not meet the consumer guarantees. That question is not resolved merely by the end of a retailer’s optional change-of-mind period, an item being on sale or a voluntary exchange being unavailable. The type of problem and its seriousness can affect whether repair, replacement, refund or another appropriate remedy is available. See the ACCC explanation of repair, replacement, refund and cancellation for general principles; it is not possible to decide an individual dispute without the relevant facts.
Give Stratco a precise description of what is wrong and keep the relevant order confirmation, photos and support response. A manufacturer’s warranty, store comfort trial or advertised satisfaction promise is not a substitute for statutory consumer guarantees, although such commercial offers can provide additional options. Do not claim a fault when the item simply does not suit your preferences; equally, do not treat a blanket “no returns” sign as the whole answer to a genuine goods or service failure.
Frequently asked questions
Is a bespoke item automatically covered by the stock return offer?
No. Ask about the terms applying to that specific custom order.
Can collection costs apply to change of mind?
The published guidance distinguishes customer-funded voluntary return transport from qualifying fault returns.
What evidence helps with a wrong-size claim?
Keep the agreed order specification, invoice and photographs showing actual dimensions.
For an order-specific answer, check the current Stratco policy and use official customer support with the correct receipt or booking reference. Save the instructions you receive and follow the approved return or cancellation process.