Refund policy

Blooms The Chemist Essendon – Skin Clinic & Website Returns Policy

1. Introduction and Scope

This Returns Policy applies to purchases made at the Blooms The Chemist Essendon pharmacy (the "Pharmacy", "we", "us", "our"), including consultations, products and compounded items obtained through our pharmacist-led Skin Clinic, and purchases made through our Website.

It sits alongside, and should be read together with, the national Blooms The Chemist Returns Policy. Where this Policy is silent on a point, the national policy applies. This Policy adds detail specific to the Skin Clinic, including consultation fees and bespoke compounded products.

This Policy is in addition to, and does not limit, the statutory consumer guarantees you are entitled to under the Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)) and any equivalent Victorian fair trading protections.

2. Your Consumer Guarantee Rights

Nothing in this Policy excludes, restricts or modifies any consumer guarantee, right or remedy you have under the Australian Consumer Law that cannot lawfully be excluded, including your right to a refund, repair or replacement for goods or services that are faulty, not of acceptable quality, not fit for purpose, or significantly different from their description — including compounded and bespoke products prepared for you by our Skin Clinic.

3. Skin Clinic Consultation Fees and Cancellations

Skin Clinic consultations are a paid, one-on-one professional service and are treated differently to a product purchase.

Cancellations and Rescheduling

If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please give us at least 24 hours' notice so we can offer the time to another patient. Cancellations made with the required notice can be rescheduled or refunded in full.

Late Cancellations and No-Shows

Your first late cancellation or missed appointment will not be charged. Any further late cancellation or missed appointment will be charged at 50% of the consultation fee, to reflect the pharmacist's reserved time.

Dissatisfaction with a Consultation

If you are unhappy with the service you received, please raise this with us as soon as possible using the details in Section 11 so we can address your concerns. This does not affect any consumer guarantee rights described in Section 2.

4. Faulty Items

We will provide a refund at the purchase price, or an exchange, where a Skin Clinic product (including a compounded product), general pharmacy item, or Website order is faulty, not of acceptable quality, does not match its description, or is not fit for purpose.

A valid proof of purchase (a register receipt or online tax invoice) is required to receive a refund or exchange.

Blooms The Chemist Essendon reserves the right to assess the condition and age of a returned item, and may decline a refund or exchange where the fault results from misuse or neglect.

5. Change of Mind

For general retail and Skin Clinic products (excluding bespoke compounded products — see Section 6), we will provide a refund at the purchase price or an exchange within 30 days of purchase, provided we are satisfied that:

A valid proof of purchase is provided;
The item and packaging are in their original condition, including all manuals and accessories;
The product is in a re-saleable condition;
The product has not been used or damaged; and
The product is not one for which a change-of-mind return is otherwise excluded under this Policy.

For hygiene reasons, we are unable to provide a change-of-mind refund or return on skincare, haircare or other personal-care products (including OTC actives recommended through the Skin Clinic) once the packaging has been opened, or on Independent Living or Incontinence products where the packaging has been opened.

6. Bespoke Compounded Skin and Hair Products

Compounded creams and treatments prepared by our compounding lab are made specifically for you, based on your individual consultation, skin assessment and, where applicable, doctor liaison. Because these products are personalised and cannot be resold, we are unable to offer a change-of-mind refund or exchange on compounded products once they have been prepared or dispensed.

This does not affect your right to a refund, replacement or re-compounding where a compounded product is faulty — for example, incorrectly prepared, contaminated, or not matching what was prescribed or recommended.

If you have a concern about a compounded product, please contact us using the details in Section 11 as soon as possible, and in any event before the product's stated use-by or discard date, so we can assess it.

For safety reasons, once a compounded product has left the Pharmacy it cannot be returned to stock

7. Prescription, Pharmacist or Pharmacy Only Medicine

We cannot offer a refund on prescription items, pharmacist-only or pharmacy-only medicine once dispensed, posted, or removed from the Pharmacy, unless there was a dispensing error or the product was damaged in transit.

If you have questions about a medicine dispensed through the Skin Clinic or a doctor referral, please contact the Pharmacy directly.

If you are unable to use a prescription item, please return it to the Pharmacy for safe disposal (see Section 10). No refund will be given for unused prescription items returned for disposal.

8. Returning Items Purchased In Store

To return an item purchased in store, please bring it back to Blooms The Chemist Essendon, 1049 Mt Alexander Rd, Essendon VIC 3040, or call us on (03) 9379 2158 to make arrangements.

For a Skin Clinic product or compounded item, please speak to the pharmacist who provided your consultation where possible, so they can assess the return in light of your treatment history.

9. Returning Items Purchased Online, Damage in Transit and Order Discrepancies

Online orders (delivery): Visit our Returns Portal to complete a returns form and receive a shipping label. Shipping fees apply to change-of-mind returns; where a return is for a faulty item, we will refund your return shipping fee. Refunds are issued to your original payment method. Dispatched orders cannot be cancelled.

Click & Collect orders: Visit your Click & Collect store, or contact our Customer Experience team at essendon@blooms.net.au, for assistance with a return.

Damage during shipping: If an item arrives damaged, please return it via our Returns Portal so we can arrange a replacement or refund.

Order discrepancies: Please notify us of any missing, incorrect, short-supplied or transit-damaged items within 14 days of delivery, quoting your order number, by emailing essendon@blooms.net.au. Claims made after 14 days may not be eligible for investigation or resolution.

Bespoke and compounded products ordered online: As set out in Section 6, compounded products cannot be returned for change of mind once prepared or dispensed, whether purchased in store or via the Website.

10. Returning Out of Date Medicine

Unwanted or out-of-date medicines — including prescription medicine, over-the-counter medicine, herbal or complementary supplements, gels, liquids or topical creams (including compounded products past their discard date) — can be brought to Blooms The Chemist Essendon for safe disposal at any time.

11. Further Information

For questions about a return, a Skin Clinic consultation, or a compounded product, please contact:

Blooms The Chemist Essendon
1049 Mt Alexander Rd
Essendon VIC 3040
Phone: (03) 9379 2158
Email: andrew.leslie@blooms.net.au

For Website orders, you can also contact the Blooms The Chemist Customer Experience team at essendon@blooms.net.au.

Last updated: 17 September 2026