Refund policy

Effective date. 22 April 2026 Last updated. 22 April 2026

Australian Consumer Law

Australian Consumer Law guarantees apply to all purchases from 1000 Hives. Nothing in this policy excludes, restricts, or modifies your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. Where we offer a remedy that is more generous than the law requires, that more generous offer applies.

Hive sponsorships

When you sponsor a hive, you are making a one-off contribution to the placement and management of a hive in our network. The way refunds work depends on whether the funds have already been spent on the hive.

Before allocation. If you change your mind and your contribution has not yet been allocated to a specific hive, contact us and we will refund you in full to your original payment method.

Before placement. If your contribution has been allocated to a specific hive but that hive has not yet been built and placed on a property, we can offer a partial refund. We will tell you how much of the contribution has been committed and refund the remainder.

After placement. Once the hive your contribution funded has been built and placed, the funds have been spent on equipment, bees, beekeeper labour, and site preparation. Sponsorships are not refundable at this stage. We will keep you updated on the hive in the usual way.

If you are unsure whether your hive has been placed, contact us and we will check.

Full hive sponsorships and gift sponsorships

The same rules apply as above. A full hive sponsorship of two thousand two hundred dollars or a gift sponsorship can be refunded before allocation, partially refunded before placement, and is not refundable after placement.

For gift sponsorships, refunds are issued to the buyer, not the recipient.

Failed colonies

Hives are living systems. A colony can swarm, lose its queen, succumb to disease, or fail despite professional management. If the colony in the hive you have sponsored fails, we will tell you and install a new colony in the same hive at no extra cost to you. Your sponsorship stays with the same hive. A failed colony does not entitle you to a refund of a placed sponsorship.

Honey, merchandise, and other products

When you buy honey, merch, or other physical products from us, the following applies.

Faulty, damaged, or incorrectly described products. You are entitled to a refund, replacement, or repair under the Australian Consumer Law. Contact us within thirty days of receiving the product and we will arrange the appropriate remedy. Postage costs for returning faulty items will be covered by us. This applies to every product we sell, including custom-printed merch.

Custom-printed merchandise. Our apparel is custom printed to order. Because each item is made for you specifically, change-of-mind returns and refunds are not available on custom-printed items. Please check the size guide carefully before you order. You are reminded of this at checkout before you confirm your purchase. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law for faulty, damaged, or incorrectly described items are not affected by this and still apply in full.

Honey and food products. Change-of-mind returns are not accepted on honey and food for hygiene and safety reasons. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law for faulty, damaged, or incorrectly described items are not affected.

Non-custom stock items. Where we sell stock items that are not custom printed, change-of-mind returns in unworn, unwashed, original-condition stock with tags attached can be accepted within thirty days of delivery. Return postage for change-of-mind returns is at the buyer's cost.

Sale items. Sale items follow the same rules.

Cancelled or oversold orders

We do our best to keep stock and pricing accurate but occasionally a product may be unavailable or priced incorrectly after purchase. If we cancel an order for either reason, we will refund any payment in full to your original payment method.

Delivery issues

Delivery times shown at checkout are estimates. Delays caused by Australia Post, freight providers, weather, or events outside our control are not grounds for a refund of the product itself. Damaged-in-transit items are covered under the faulty-products guidance above.

How to request a refund

To request a refund, email us at hello@1000hives.com.au with the following.

Your full name. The order or sponsorship number. What the request relates to. The reason for the request.

For physical products, if the item is faulty or damaged, please include photos.

We will reply within five business days. If a refund is approved, it will be processed within ten business days to your original payment method. The time it then takes to appear on your statement depends on your bank or card provider.

Cancellations by us

We may cancel a sponsorship or order in unusual cases including suspected fraud, payment failure, or a request from a sponsor. If we do, we will refund any payment in full and contact you to explain why.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The version that applies to a sponsorship or purchase is the one published on the website at the time the sponsorship or purchase was made.