Refund policy
RETURN AND REFUND POLICY
Last updated: 30 August 2026
IN SHORT: We do not offer change-of-mind returns on vehicles. New Zealand
has no cooling-off period for buying a vehicle. If a vehicle we sold you
has a genuine fault covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, we will
put it right, and this policy explains exactly how.
HOW BUYING WORKS HERE
We do not sell vehicles online. There is no checkout on this website and
we never take payment over the internet. Every vehicle is bought in
person at our Auckland yard, after you have inspected it and taken it for
a test drive.
Because of that, ordinary online shopping rules about returning a parcel
do not apply. Nothing is ever shipped, and nothing is ever bought sight
unseen.
NO CHANGE-OF-MIND RETURNS
New Zealand law does not give you a cooling-off period when you buy a
vehicle. Once the sale is complete, you cannot return the vehicle because
you have changed your mind, found something you prefer, your travel plans
have changed, your finances have changed, or you have decided you no
longer need it.
We state this plainly because buyers from other countries often assume a
cooling-off period exists here. It does not.
This is why we never rush a sale. Take as long as you need, drive the van
properly, bring someone with you, and ask us anything before you commit.
BEFORE YOU BUY: INSPECT IT
You are entitled to examine the vehicle as thoroughly as you like before
buying, and we encourage it. You may arrange an independent pre-purchase
inspection through the AA, VTNZ or any mechanic you choose, at your cost.
We will help you arrange one and we will make the vehicle available for
it.
Any faults we tell you about before you buy, and any faults that a
reasonable examination would have revealed, are taken into account in the
price and are not grounds for a later claim. We will record in writing
anything of that kind that we draw to your attention.
WHAT THIS POLICY DOES NOT COVER
We do not accept claims for:
- Normal wear and tear on a used vehicle, and consumable items such as
tyres, brake pads, wiper blades, filters, bulbs and fluids.
- Faults caused by an accident, misuse, overloading, off-road use,
neglect, or failure to service the vehicle as recommended.
- Faults caused by modifications, repairs or fit-out work carried out
by anyone other than us or a workshop we approved.
- Damage caused by continuing to drive the vehicle after a fault
appeared.
- Consequential costs such as accommodation, towing arranged without
our agreement, missed bookings, flights or loss of enjoyment, except
where the Consumer Guarantees Act requires otherwise.
Keep the vehicle serviced and keep the receipts. A vehicle with a
documented service history is far easier for both of us to assess.
YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE CONSUMER GUARANTEES ACT
When we sell a vehicle to you as a private buyer, the Consumer Guarantees
Act 1993 applies. It requires the vehicle to be of acceptable quality, to
match how we described it, and to be fit for any purpose you told us
about. We cannot take those rights away, and nothing in this policy does
so.
What counts as acceptable quality depends on the vehicle. The law takes
into account its age, its price, its kilometres, and what we told you
about it. A reasonable buyer expects more from a late-model van with low
kilometres than from an older, higher-kilometre van sold at a lower
price.
These rights apply whether or not you live in New Zealand.
IF THERE IS A FAULT: WHAT YOU MUST DO
1. Stop driving the vehicle if the fault is serious or unsafe.
2. Tell us in writing as soon as you reasonably can, and in any case
within 7 days of the fault appearing. Email
info@comfortcampervans.co.nz or message us on WhatsApp, and describe
the fault, the date it appeared and the current odometer reading.
3. Give us a reasonable opportunity to inspect the vehicle before any
work is done. Do not authorise repairs, and do not have work carried
out by another workshop, without our written agreement first. We are
not responsible for the cost of repairs we were not given the chance
to inspect or approve.
We will respond within 3 working days of hearing from you.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Where the Consumer Guarantees Act applies and the fault can be put right,
we will choose whether to repair the vehicle ourselves or arrange for it
to be repaired, at our cost, within a reasonable time. The choice of
remedy in that situation is ours, not yours.
You may only reject the vehicle where the fault is a failure of a
substantial character, or where we refuse to put a fault right, or fail
to do so within a reasonable time. A failure of a substantial character
means a fault so serious that a reasonable buyer would not have bought
the vehicle had they known about it.
If you reject the vehicle, you choose between a refund and a replacement
vehicle of similar value. A right to reject must be used within a
reasonable time of the fault appearing, and it is lost if the vehicle is
damaged after delivery for a reason unrelated to the fault, or if it has
been disposed of.
Alternatively you may keep the vehicle and claim compensation for the
reduction in its value caused by the fault.
IF YOU ARE AWAY FROM AUCKLAND
Most of our buyers are travelling. If a fault appears while you are away
from Auckland, contact us before doing anything else. We will talk
through the options, which may include arranging a repair with a workshop
near you.
If a vehicle is validly rejected, it must be returned to our Auckland
yard. Where the Consumer Guarantees Act makes the cost of return our
responsibility, we will meet it, and we will agree the arrangements with
you in advance.
REFUNDS
Where a refund is due, we pay it by bank transfer to the account the
purchase was made from, within 10 working days of the vehicle being
returned to us and ownership being transferred back into our name. We do
not refund in cash.
A refund covers the purchase price. It does not cover registration,
insurance, fuel, accessories, or fit-out work you have added, or any
reduction in value caused by damage that is not related to the fault.
DEPOSITS
If you pay a deposit to hold a vehicle, we will confirm in writing what
it is for and whether it is refundable, before you pay it.
A deposit paid to hold a vehicle is not refundable if you then decide not
to proceed, because we take the vehicle off the market and turn other
buyers away while it is held. If we cannot supply the vehicle for any
reason, your deposit is refunded in full.
BUYING FOR A BUSINESS
If you are acquiring a vehicle for the purposes of a business, the
Consumer Guarantees Act does not apply to your purchase. Where that is
the case, we will ask you to sign a written acknowledgement to that
effect at the time of sale, and this policy's consumer sections will not
apply to you.
THE BUY-BACK OPTION IS NOT A RETURN
We offer some customers the option of selling their van back to us at the
end of their trip. This is a separate arrangement offered at our
discretion, and it is not a right of return or a refund.
A buy-back is a new sale at a price agreed at that time, based on the
condition of the van, the kilometres it has covered and the season. It
does not affect your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act, and those
rights do not depend on taking a buy-back.
IF WE CANNOT AGREE
If we cannot resolve something between us, you can apply to the Motor
Vehicle Disputes Tribunal. It is independent, inexpensive to apply to,
and you do not need a lawyer.
You can also get free advice about your rights from Consumer Protection
at consumerprotection.govt.nz.
CONTACT US
Comfort Campervans
Phone and WhatsApp: 020 444 3304
Email: info@comfortcampervans.co.nz
Open 7 days, 8am to 6pm, viewings and test drives by appointment.