Returns & Exchanges

Returns Policy:

 We want you to love your purchase, but if you have changed your mind you can return most unused or unwanted items whether purchased online or instore from Leader Equine, as long as you have your receipt or proof of purchase. You can return items to Leader Equine offices in Melbourne in person with prior notice, or via post with the applicable return form, which you can download here.

Our policy including the change of mind limits does not exclude or replace your rights under Consumer Guarantees of the Australian Consumer Law, regulations or otherwise as required by law.

Terms:

If you have changed your mind, we may offer you a refund by way of store credit voucher, provided that the return

  • is made within 30 days of purchase (for purchases in November and December, you can return until 31 January of the following year); and
  • you are able to provide satisfactory proof of purchase – the responsibility is on you as the buyer to supply the proof of purchase; and
  • the merchandise is in as-new saleable condition, that is it is unworn & unused with all original tags attached and undamaged, & original packaging intact (rug bags/Micklem bridle boards etc) & the product is free from hair, dirt, dust etc, and in the case of rugs, the rug bag is unmarked in any way, and in the case of liquid, powder, gel products, the seal is not broken or tampered with;
  • is not an item with 40% or more discount off retail price, and;
  • the item is not subject to the exclusions listed below 

Our team members will assess the item (in-store and online returns) to determine whether a return will be offered in accordance with our Returns Policy.

Exclusions

  • Items that are bought on clearance with 40% or more discount 
  • Items that have had tags removed or damaged or packaging marked in any way.
  • Items returned dirty or with hair etc, or missing/damaged part of the packaging
  • Items that have had their seal broken.
  • Items that are of a delicate nature, e.g. PS of Sweden Browbands. Beads, crystals or embellishments are only for show and if they fall off or break are not a case for return.
  • Leather products that as a natural product may show differences in colour or structure and are not a case for return.

Exchanges

If you wish to change the size or style or colour, you may need to purchase the required item on a 2nd new order before you have returned the original purchase to us for your store credit. 

  • We cannot guarantee that we will have the item available by the time the original is returned. If we do not have it available we will issue a store credit voucher to you.
  • We highly recommend you purchase the desired size/style/colour and include your new order number on your return form when returning your original purchase so we can refund it to your original method of payment.
  • This doesn't apply to a single order where two sizes have been purchased with the intention of returning one for refund.
  • Change of mind includes needing/wanting a different size, style, fit, colour or that you no longer need it. If we don't have the exact specification you now want, your store credit will still be available for 2 years.
  • Please note items bought via AfterPay will be subject to a non-refundable fee of 7% being retained by Leader Equine, if paid by PayPal or Card payment, a 4% non-refundable amount will be retained.
  • Refunds when applicable will be made within 5 business days of the refund approval.

Proof of purchase

Refunds by store credit voucher for change of mind must be accompanied by any one of the following proof of purchase documents for change of mind:

  • Original receipt tax invoice (electronic or photograph will be accepted)
  • Online Tax Invoice (order confirmations will not be accepted) 

Please note that our team members are not responsible for proving your purchase. You must supply the proof of purchase, which our team members can validate.

Consumer Guarantees & Suspected Faulty Items

As a consumer, you are entitled to certain guarantees in respect of goods and services purchased from Leader Equine. These guarantees are called Consumer Guarantees and are not impacted by the change of mind policy or limited by a defined timeframe. The Australian Consumer Law, however, does recognise that the relevant time period may vary by product (or service) depending on the nature of the goods (or service), the price paid and any representations made about the goods (or service). 

Faulty Items:

Where you believe an item is faulty or defective, please provide by email

  • a copy of your proof of purchase as described above
  • a photograph of the item in question
  • a photograph of the fault and a description of the issue
  • where applicable a copy of the batch number (e.g. each rug has an individual unique identifying number printed on its own label in the front of the rug).

We will assess the information provided to determine whether we can resolve the issue while the item remains with you subject to further information we may request, or if we require your item to be returned to us (postage fees may apply).

It may be necessary for us to send your goods to the manufacturer or their service agent for it to be assessed within a reasonable period of time.  If the goods or service has a major failure, you may reject the good or service and seek a refund, exchange or repair or you may keep the item and seek compensation for any drop in value.  If the failure is minor, we will repair the item (or, at our discretion, we may replace the item or refund you) within a reasonable time. 

Goods presented for repair may be repaired with non-exact colour matches. Refurbished parts may be used to repair goods.

Where an item is damaged through misuse, neglect, general wear and tear or abnormal use, Leader Equine will not provide a refund, exchange or repair. 

Some goods supplied by Leader Equine are subject to a manufacturer guarantee, namely the Horseware Ireland Rambo & Rhino Waterproof 3 Year Guarantee. To be eligible for this, please ensure you have registered your guarantee following the instructions provided attached to the product on purchase.  Items include Rambo Turnout rugs, and now also Rhino Turnout rugs manufactured from August 2018 onwards.

Items Not Considered A Fault:

  • Items that are of a delicate nature, e.g. PS of Sweden Browbands. Beads, crystals or embellishments are only for show and if they fall off or break are not a case for return.
  • Leather products that as a natural product may show differences in colour or grain are not a case for return.
  • Tears in rug fabric. All rugs have different degrees of strength. They are worn by animals that are unpredictable and that despite all ours and your best efforts, can still cause mischief that is not the fault of the rug fabric.
  • Fading of colour – due to more environmentally & human friendly processes being enacted in some countries of production, not all pantones of colour, and not all items within the same style will hold their original colour in the face of exposure to UV and weather. This does not affect your Australian Consumer guarantee of the functionality of the item.

Return tender

For items returned that meet our returns policy, a store credit voucher will be supplied for the value to be used on the website that the original purchase was made. This voucher will have a 2 year expiry date from issue.

Where a refund is applicable, it will be given using your original payment method (online purchases will automatically be refunded to the account used to pay).

For change of mind returns, where AfterPay was the chosen method of payment, and a refund is deemed applicable, a 7% non-refundable amount will be retained by Leader Equine, for PayPal or Card payment, a 4% non-refundable amount will be retained.

Gift or bonus with purchase offers and bundled items

Where merchandise is purchased with a gift or bonus offer, the gift or bonus must also be returned (unless otherwise stated). If you are unable to return the gift or bonus or it is not in a saleable condition, the value of any available refund will be reduced by the value of the gift or bonus (in full or in part)

In the instance of bundle offers, all items within the bundle must also be returned or the value of the unreturned items will be deducted from any available refund.

Other Information

  • Where you have purchased an item via a retailer that Leader Equine distributes to, you must contact the retailer to discuss with them any changes you may wish to make or issues you may have as your contract of sale lies with who you purchased from.
  • If you have purchased second hand, unfortunately we are unable to help you.
  • If you have purchased via the Leader Equine Preloved group for our brands there are no returns or exchanges.
  • If you have purchased via Horseware Australia your store credit voucher will be issued to horseware.com.au, if you purchased via Leader Equine, your store credit voucher will be issued to leaderequine.com.au. We cannot interchange credit notes at this time.

Print a Return Request Form