Refund Policy

THE GENTLE ART COMPANY REFUND & RETURNS POLICY

Last updated: September 2026

We want you to love the things you find here. Truly.

But sometimes things don't quite work out and that's okay. This policy explains what happens if you need to return something, cancel a workshop, or ask us for a refund.

Most importantly, nothing in this policy limits or replaces your rights under the New Zealand Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 or any other rights you may have under New Zealand law.

CHANGE-OF-MIND RETURNS

We’re a small creative business and many of the things we sell are handmade, vintage, rescued and one-off. Because of this, we don't generally offer refunds or exchanges simply because you've changed your mind, ordered the wrong size or colour, or decided the item isn't quite right for you.

However, if there is something you're unsure about before purchasing, please get in touch. We're always happy to help where we can. This change-of-mind policy does not affect your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act.

VINTAGE, HANDMADE & ITEM CONDITION

We love things with a history. Many of our pieces are handmade using vintage, rescued and pre-loved materials. They may have small marks, signs of age, variations or other characteristics that are part of their story and charm. Where these are known, we’ll make them clear in the item description before you purchase.

Because each piece is handmade and materials are often one-of-a-kind, slight variations from the displayed image may occur. We’ll always aim to match the original as closely as possible, but exact matching isn’t possible when working with vintage materials. These variations are not considered faults or damage where they have been clearly described.

If something you've purchased from us is faulty, damaged, not of acceptable quality, doesn't match its description, or is otherwise covered by a consumer guarantee, please contact us as soon as reasonably possible. Depending on the nature of the problem, we may offer a repair, replacement or refund in accordance with your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993. If your item arrives damaged, photographs of the item and packaging are helpful and may allow us to understand what happened more quickly.

We may ask you to return an item before arranging a replacement or refund. Where an issue is covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act, we’ll happily meet our obligations under the Act, including any reasonable costs associated with returning a faulty or incorrect item. If you’re ever unsure about the condition of something, please ask us before purchasing. We’re very happy to send additional photographs or answer questions.

WORKSHOPS & CREATIVE SERVICES

We want you to be able to come along, get messy, make things and have a lovely time. If you need to cancel a workshop booking, please contact us as soon as possible. If you cancel more than 48 hours before the scheduled workshop, we will generally offer you either:

a full refund; or
a transfer of your booking to another available workshop of the same value.

Cancelling within 48 hours

If you cancel within 48 hours of the workshop, we may not be able to offer a refund or transfer because your place, materials and resources may already have been committed. However, please contact us anyway. Life happens, and we will always try to find a reasonable solution where we can. You are also welcome to transfer your place to someone else. Please let us know their name before the workshop.

If we cancel a workshop

If we need to cancel or postpone a workshop, we will contact you as soon as possible. You will be offered either:

a full refund; or
the option to transfer your booking to the rescheduled workshop.

If a workshop or creative service does not meet the guarantees required under the Consumer Guarantees Act, you may have additional rights to a remedy, including a refund or cancellation depending on the circumstances.

REFUNDS

Where a refund is approved, we will refund the amount you are entitled to receive using the original payment method where reasonably practicable. Please allow a reasonable period for the refund to appear in your account, as processing times can vary between payment providers and financial institutions. We will not charge a restocking or administration fee where a refund is required under the Consumer Guarantees Act.

POSTAGE & DELIVERY

If an item needs to be returned because it is faulty, damaged, incorrect or otherwise covered by a consumer guarantee, we will meet our obligations regarding reasonable return costs. For change-of-mind returns that we agree to accept at our discretion, the cost of returning the item will generally be your responsibility.

HOW TO REQUEST A REFUND OR RETURN

Please contact us at:

The Gentle Art Company
Caro Aldridge
Email: hello@thegentleartcompany.nz

Please include:

your name
your order or booking details
a description of the issue
photographs, where relevant
what outcome you are seeking

We'll get back to you as soon as we can and work with you to find a fair solution.

YOUR RIGHTS UNDER NEW ZEALAND LAW

This policy is intended to work alongside, not replace, your rights under New Zealand consumer law. The Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 provides minimum guarantees for goods and services supplied by businesses in New Zealand. Depending on the circumstances, these may include rights to a repair, replacement, refund, cancellation or compensation where a product or service does not meet the required guarantees. Nothing in this policy is intended to exclude, restrict or modify any right or remedy that cannot legally be excluded, restricted or modified.

If you have a concern about something you've purchased from us, please talk to us first. We'd much rather have a conversation and put things right where we can.

Thank you for supporting a small, curious, creative business.

We’re so glad you’re here.