Return and Refund Policy – Hot Match Collectables

At Hot Match Collectables, we want every customer to have a smooth and reliable shopping experience.

Please read our returns, refunds, and cancellation policy carefully before placing an order. This policy applies alongside your rights under Australian Consumer Law.

Nothing in this policy excludes, restricts, or modifies any rights you may have under Australian Consumer Law.

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Change of Mind

Please choose carefully before placing your order.

We do not offer refunds, returns, exchanges, or store credits for change of mind.

This includes situations where you:

• No longer want the item
• Found the item cheaper elsewhere
• Ordered the wrong item
• Changed your mind after placing a pre-order
• No longer need the product
• Did not read the product description, ETA, or pre-order information before ordering

Under Australian Consumer Law, businesses are generally not required to provide a refund or replacement where a customer simply changes their mind.

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Faulty, Defective or Incorrect Items

If your item arrives faulty, defective, damaged, or significantly different from the product description, please contact us as soon as possible.

Please include:

• Your order number
• Clear photos of the item
• Clear photos of the packaging
• A clear description of the issue

We will review the issue and work with you on the appropriate outcome.

Depending on the situation, this may include a repair, replacement, refund, exchange, or other suitable remedy in line with Australian Consumer Law.

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Major Problems

You may be entitled to a refund, replacement, or exchange if an item has a major problem.

A major problem may include where the item:

• Is unsafe
• Is significantly different from the description or sample
• Has a serious issue that would have stopped a reasonable customer from buying it if they had known about it
• Cannot be used for its normal purpose and cannot be easily fixed within a reasonable time
• Does not do what we said it would do and cannot be easily fixed

For products with a major problem, Australian Consumer Law generally allows the customer to choose between a refund or replacement.

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Minor Problems

If the issue is minor, we may choose to repair, replace, refund, or otherwise resolve the issue within a reasonable timeframe.

Where a minor issue can be fixed, we will work with you on the most appropriate solution.

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Packaging Condition

Many of our products are collectables, and we understand packaging condition can be important to collectors.

However, packaging is primarily designed to protect the product inside.

Minor packaging imperfections such as soft corners, light card bends, small creases, shelf wear, sticker residue, minor box marks, or general packaging wear may not be considered a fault unless the item itself is damaged or the product listing specifically stated a particular packaging condition.

If you require mint-condition packaging, please contact us before ordering where possible.

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Factory Defects and Quality Control

Many diecast and collectable products are mass-produced.

Minor factory quality control issues can occur, including paint flaws, tampo misalignment, small marks, loose parts, wheel imperfections, or other manufacturer defects.

We will assess reported issues fairly, but minor factory QC issues, especially on lower-priced mass-produced items, may not always qualify for a refund or replacement.

This does not affect your rights under Australian Consumer Law.

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Pre-Order Cancellations

All cancelled pre-orders may incur a 15% cancellation fee.

This fee helps cover payment processing fees, admin time, stock allocation, and handling costs.

By placing a pre-order, you are securing stock before it arrives and agreeing to the estimated delivery timeframe shown on the product page at the time of purchase.

Pre-order ETAs are estimates only and may change due to supplier, manufacturer, freight, customs, allocation, or distribution delays.

Exceptions to the cancellation fee may apply where:

• A product is cancelled by the manufacturer or supplier
• We are unable to supply the item
• A delay becomes unusually long
• We approve an exception at our discretion

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Order Cancellations

Cancelled orders may incur a 15% cancellation fee, including in-stock orders and pre-orders.

This fee is used to cover transaction fees, payment processing fees, admin time, handling, and other costs incurred when processing and cancelling an order.

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Proof of Purchase

Proof of purchase is required for all return, refund, replacement, or exchange requests.

Please retain your order confirmation email, receipt, or order number.

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Opened or Used Items

We do not accept returns for opened, used, altered, or damaged items unless required under Australian Consumer Law.

Items must be returned in the condition they were received unless the return relates to a valid fault, defect, or issue covered by Australian Consumer Law.

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Return Shipping

Where a return is approved, we will provide instructions on how to return the item.

Return shipping responsibility will depend on the reason for the return and your rights under Australian Consumer Law.

Please do not return any items without contacting us first.

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Contact Us

For return, refund, or cancellation enquiries, please contact us at:

info@hotmatchcollectables.com

Please include your order number and any relevant photos so we can assist you faster.

Important Information

Important Information Before Ordering

Thank you for shopping with Hot Match Collectables.

Please read the following information carefully before placing an order. This page explains how our pre-orders, shipping, cancellations, product condition, sealed cases, packaging, and returns work.

By placing an order with us, you agree to the information and policies outlined below.

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Quick Summary

Before ordering, please keep the following in mind:

📦 Retailers may receive stock at different times
We are a small Australian collectables store. Large retailers, overseas sellers, or other hobby stores may receive stock before us. Our delivery dates depend on manufacturer, supplier, distributor, customs, and freight timelines.

🕒 Pre-order ETAs can change
Estimated arrival dates are provided as a guide only and are not guaranteed. We update product pages regularly when new information becomes available.

📦 Orders ship together unless arranged otherwise
If your order contains both in-stock and pre-order items, your order will generally ship once all items have arrived.

🚚 Tracking is provided after dispatch
Once your order has been packed and dispatched, you will receive tracking details.

🎁 Packaging may have minor imperfections
We pack with care, but packaging imperfections can occur before items arrive to us from suppliers or manufacturers.

❌ 15% cancellation fee applies
Order cancellations may incur a 15% cancellation fee to cover payment processing, admin, and handling costs.

📌 Always check the product page
The latest ETA and product information will usually be shown on the product page.

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Pre-Orders

Pre-orders allow customers to secure items before they arrive in stock.

Estimated arrival dates are provided based on the latest information available from our suppliers. These dates are estimates only and may change without notice.

Pre-orders can be delayed due to supplier delays, manufacturer delays, shipping delays, customs processing, allocation changes, assortment changes, or other factors outside our control.

In some cases, pre-order items may arrive months after they are seen at major retailers, overseas stores, or other sellers.

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Orders Containing In-Stock and Pre-Order Items

If your order contains both in-stock and pre-order items, your order will generally be held and shipped together once all items are available.

If you would like in-stock items and pre-order items shipped separately, please place separate orders.

Where a delay becomes unusually long, we may choose to ship available in-stock items separately at our discretion.

As a general guide, we may hold combined orders for up to 6 months if pre-order stock is expected within that timeframe.

If your order has been waiting longer than 6 months, please contact us so we can review it.

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Pre-Order Delays

Pre-order delays are common in the diecast and collectables industry.

Some product lines may experience significant delays. In these cases, please allow additional time for stock to arrive.

We update product pages as new ETA information becomes available. Please check the relevant product page before contacting us about a pre-order ETA.

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Cancellation Policy

All cancelled orders may incur a 15% cancellation fee.

This applies to both in-stock orders and pre-orders.

This fee helps cover payment processing fees, admin time, handling, stock allocation, and other costs associated with processing and cancelling an order.

Exceptions may apply where:

• A manufacturer cancels a product line
• A delay becomes unusually long
• We are unable to supply the item
• We approve an exception at our discretion

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Hot Wheels, Matchbox and Assortment Pre-Orders

Hot Wheels, Matchbox, and similar assortment-based products may change during the pre-order period.

Assortment contents, case mixes, model selections, quantities, packaging, and chase availability may change without notice.

By purchasing these items, you accept that the final product mix may differ from early manufacturer information, promotional images, leaked lists, or original product descriptions.

Where we become aware of major changes, we will update the product listing where possible.

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Sealed Cases and Chase Variants

Sealed Cases

When purchasing a sealed case, you are requesting the item to be supplied as received from the manufacturer or supplier.

Purchasing a sealed case means we may not inspect the contents for defects, packaging issues, missing items, or condition concerns.

Any manufacturer packing issues, factory defects, or internal case damage discovered after opening a sealed case are not the responsibility of Hot Match Collectables.

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Double-Taped Boxes

Some factory cases may arrive double-taped.

This does not mean the case has been searched, opened, or tampered with by us.

We do not search agreed sealed cases for chase variants.

Double-taped cases can arrive from the factory or supplier in that condition and may still contain chase variants where applicable.

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Chase Variants

Chase variants are never guaranteed unless specifically stated on the product listing.

We do not issue refunds, replacements, discounts, or returns because a customer did not receive a chase variant.

For sealed cases, we do not search cases for chase cars.

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Buying Case Quantities

Buying case quantities can be a great way to stock up and save, but customers should be aware that case contents may vary.

Manufacturer case information can change without notice. In some cases, assortments may arrive with different quantities, different models, substitutions, or revised mixes.

We may audit and update product listings where possible, but orders may still be supplied based on the final case mix received from the supplier or manufacturer.

For pre-ordered cases, product mixes are especially subject to change if the release date is several months away.

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Product Condition and Packaging

We take care when packing orders and check items where practical before dispatch.

However, collectables may arrive to us with minor imperfections from the manufacturer, supplier, freight network, or distribution process.

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Packaging Notice

Packaging is designed to protect the item inside.

Minor card wear, soft corners, slight bends, small creases, surface marks, shelf wear, box imperfections, or minor packaging flaws may occur.

Damaged cards, bent cards, soft corners, or imperfect boxes are generally not considered damaged products unless the item itself is affected.

Cracked blisters, bent cards, or imperfect packaging may not be eligible for replacement.

If you require mint-condition packaging, please contact us before ordering.

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Collector Condition Requests

If you are a mint-card or mint-box collector, please contact us before purchasing.

Where possible, we may be able to provide photos of the actual item before dispatch.

Please note that factory quality control standards determine the final product quality. We cannot guarantee that every item will meet individual collector standards that are higher than the manufacturer’s own quality guidelines.

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Factory Defects and Quality Control

Factory defects, paint errors, tampo issues, wheel issues, loose parts, poor manufacturer assembly, or low-quality control issues may occur on mass-produced diecast models.

We are not responsible for manufacturer quality control issues.

For lower-priced models, including items such as Hot Wheels and Matchbox mainlines, we do not accept returns for minor factory QC issues.

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Damaged, Defective or Incorrect Items

Please inspect your order as soon as it arrives.

If your item is defective, damaged, or incorrect, please contact us immediately with:

• Your order number
• Clear photos of the item
• Clear photos of the packaging
• A description of the issue

We will review the issue and work with you on the best available resolution.

Please note that factory defects and packaging imperfections may not always qualify as damaged items.

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Shipping Damage and Courier Claims

Once an order leaves our warehouse, it is handled by the courier or postal network.

Damage caused during transit may need to be claimed through the courier.

We can assist with courier claims where possible, but in some cases the fastest resolution may be for the receiver to lodge the claim directly with the courier.

Orders may include basic courier coverage depending on the shipping service used. If you would like additional insurance or cover for a higher-value order, please contact us before placing your order.

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Change of Mind Returns

We do not accept change-of-mind returns.

We also do not accept returns for opened, used, or altered items.

Please choose carefully before placing your order.

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Mystery Boxes

All mystery box sales are final.

We do not accept returns, refunds, or exchanges on mystery boxes.

Mystery boxes are sold as surprise-value products and may include a mix of items selected at our discretion.

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International Import Stickers

Some products may arrive with international import stickers, safety labels, distributor labels, or foreign-language stickers on the packaging.

These are common on internationally distributed products and do not affect the authenticity or quality of the item.

If you would like to confirm whether a product has import stickers before ordering, please contact us where possible.

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Product Images

Some product listings may use stock images, supplier images, promotional images, prototype images, or early sample images.

Final products may differ slightly from images shown.

If you would like to see a photo of the actual product before purchasing, please contact us and we will provide one where possible.

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Stock Timing Compared to Major Retailers

We do not always receive stock at the same time as major retailers, large chains, overseas sellers, or other hobby stores.

In many cases, we may receive stock weeks or months later.

Seeing an item available elsewhere does not mean our shipment has arrived or that our supplier has delivered our allocation.

We appreciate your patience and understanding.

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Need Help?

If you need help with an order, please contact us:

Email: info@hotmatchcollectables.com

You can also contact us via our social media channels.

Please include your order number where possible so we can assist you faster.

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Thank You

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Hot Match Collectables is a small Australian business, and we genuinely appreciate every customer who chooses to shop with us.