Refund Policy

Last updated: 9 May 2026

This policy explains when and how refunds apply to bookings and orders placed with North Coast Catering ("we", "us", "our"). It sits alongside our Terms of Service - the terms govern the wider agreement; this page is the dedicated reference for refunds.

Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law are not excluded, restricted, or modified by this policy.

1. Who we are

2. Your Australian Consumer Law rights

If our services are not supplied with reasonable care and skill, don't match what was agreed, or aren't fit for purpose, you're entitled to a remedy under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) - which may be repair, replacement, re-supply, or a refund, depending on the circumstances. These rights apply in addition to anything set out below.

3. Event bookings

Deposits are non-refundable

The 10% deposit required to confirm a booking is non-refundable. This is because our planning, menu preparation, and ingredient ordering begin as soon as a date is locked in, and that work represents real cost whether or not the event goes ahead.

Final payment

The balance is due 14 days before the event date. If it hasn't been paid by then we may treat the booking as cancelled; the deposit is retained and the rules below apply to any balance already paid.

If you cancel a confirmed booking

The deposit is retained in every case. For any balance amounts paid on top of the deposit, the following applies:

  • More than 60 days before the event: balance refunded in full.
  • Between 30 and 60 days before the event: 80% of the balance refunded.
  • Between 14 and 30 days before the event: 30% of the balance refunded.
  • Inside 14 days of the event: no refund; balance retained.

These cutoffs are based on calendar days counted back from the event date.

If we cancel a confirmed booking

If we need to cancel a booking - for example, due to a force-majeure event as described in our Terms of Service - we refund any amounts you've paid beyond the deposit. If the reason for our cancellation is entirely on our side (not a force-majeure situation), we refund the full amount including the deposit.

Rescheduling

Rescheduling isn't a cancellation. If we agree on a new date, amounts paid transfer across to the new date. Rescheduling requests made close to the original date may not always be possible - get in touch early.

4. Online orders (pickup and delivery)

Before we start preparing

If your order is still in Pending or Confirmed status (meaning we haven't started preparing food yet), you can cancel for a full refund. Contact us as soon as possible - the earlier we know, the more likely we can stop work in time.

Once preparation has begun

Once an order moves to Preparing, the food has been committed and ingredients are in use - cancellations at or after this point are not refundable. The one exception is if the problem is something we've done wrong (see section 5).

Rush surcharges

The rush surcharge applied to short-lead-time orders is non-refundable once we've accepted the order and begun preparation, because the surcharge covers the cost of reordering our day to fit your order in.

Delivery issues

  • If we fail to deliver due to our fault (for example, we missed the delivery window or the address we delivered to was wrong on our end): full refund, or re-delivery at our cost - your choice.
  • If delivery fails due to circumstances on your side (for example, no one available to receive the order, or the address given was incorrect): no refund, although we may be able to arrange re-delivery at your cost. Contact us as soon as you can.

Pickup no-shows

Food prepared for a pickup order is kept ready for a reasonable period past the scheduled time. If the order is not collected and we haven't been able to reach you, the order is forfeited and no refund is due.

5. Faulty or unsatisfactory service

If something about our food or service wasn't right - the food was unsafe, a dish was wrong, an allergen we'd agreed to exclude was present, or we fell short of what was agreed - please tell us as soon as possible. We want the chance to make it right.

  • Get in touch within 7 days of the event or delivery so we can investigate while the details are fresh.
  • Where possible, keep any photos or samples of the issue.
  • Depending on the situation, a remedy may be re-supply, partial refund, or full refund.

Nothing in this section limits your non-excludable rights under the Australian Consumer Law.

6. How refunds are processed

Refunds are issued via Stripe, back to the card or payment method used for the original transaction. We can't refund to a different card or a different person's account.

Once we initiate a refund, Stripe typically takes 5-10 business days to return the funds to your card, depending on your bank. All refunds are in Australian dollars (AUD) and may be affected by exchange-rate fluctuations if the original payment was made in another currency.

7. How to request a refund

Email contact@northcoastcatering.com.au with:

  • Your booking or order reference number
  • The date of the event or scheduled delivery / pickup
  • A short description of why you're requesting a refund

We aim to respond within 3 business days and to resolve the request within 14 days of receiving the information we need.

8. If you're not happy with our response

If we haven't been able to resolve things together, you can raise the matter with:

  • Consumer, Building and Occupational Services Tasmania - cbos.tas.gov.au
  • The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) - accc.gov.au

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top. Changes apply to bookings and orders placed after the update; bookings and orders already in progress are governed by the version of this policy in effect when they were confirmed.

10. Contact