Clarke Advantage LLC
Returns & Refunds Policy
Effective September 1, 2026 Last updated August 25, 2026
Before You Start
Contact us before returning anything. Every return needs a Return Authorization (RA) number. Items sent back without one can't be matched to an order and won't be processed.
Two different situations, two different deadlines.
| What happened | Deadline | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Item arrived damaged, incorrect, or with parts missing | 5 business days from delivery | Free replacement. No fee. We cover return shipping. |
| Item is correct and unused, but you've changed your mind | 7 days from delivery | Refund to your original payment method, less a 20% restocking fee and the non-refundable payment processing costs. You pay return shipping. |
| Item worked, then developed a fault | No 5-day or 7-day limit | Warranty claim — see our Warranty Policy |
01Damaged, Incorrect, or Missing Items
Inspect your delivery as soon as it arrives.
If something is damaged, wrong, or missing, contact us within 5 business days of delivery with:
- Your order number
- Photographs of the item and of the outer packaging, including any visible damage
- A description of what's wrong
We'll arrange a free replacement. There is no restocking fee, no processing cost deduction, and we cover return shipping.
Where a replacement is not available — for example if the product has been discontinued or is out of production — we will refund you in full instead.
Why there's a deadlineFive business days gives you time to get the box open — including where an installer is doing it — while the packaging and the evidence are still intact. Beyond that point it becomes difficult to establish whether damage happened in transit or on site. Please open the carton and check the contents as soon as you reasonably can, even if installation is scheduled for later.
Keep all original packaging until the matter is resolved. We can't process a claim once the packaging has been discarded.
Reports made after 5 business days are considered case by case. We will do what we can, but our ability to establish the cause of the damage — and to recover the cost — is limited once the window has closed.
02Standard Returns — Change of Mind
If you've ordered the wrong product or no longer need it, you can return it within 7 days of delivery provided it is:
- Unused, uninstalled, and unprogrammed
- In its original packaging with all components, accessories, and documentation
- In resalable condition
Approved returns are refunded to your original payment method, with two deductions:
| Deduction | Amount |
|---|---|
| Restocking fee | 20% of the item price |
| Payment processing costs | The processing cost retained by the payment provider on your original transaction. Bank transfer payments carry no processing cost. |
Return shipping is paid by you. We confirm the exact refund figure in writing before you send anything back.
Why there's a restocking feeWe hold no inventory. A returned item has to go back through the supply chain, and the supplier's restocking charge, our order handling, and the payment processing costs are all incurred before the item comes back. The fee covers them rather than adding margin.
Why processing costs are deducted on a refundWhen a payment is refunded, the card networks and payment providers do not return the processing fee to us. That cost stays with us whether or not the sale stands, and we have no ability to recover it from the payment provider. Card refunds are therefore reduced by 2.9% of the order value plus $0.30. PayPal refunds are reduced by the processing cost PayPal retains on that transaction, which we confirm in writing with your Return Authorization. Payments made by bank transfer carry no processing cost and are refunded less the restocking fee only.
Paying by direct bank transfer avoids the processing deduction entirely. On larger orders this is worth considering at the time of purchase.
03What Can't Be Returned
- Items that have been installed, wired, programmed, powered up, or used
- Items missing components, accessories, or original packaging
- Special-order, made-to-order, and custom-configured items
- Requests made outside the 5-business-day or 7-day windows
A note on access control hardwareMany of these products are configured on first power-up and can't be restored to resalable condition afterwards. Please confirm the product is right for your application before you install or program it. If you're unsure, call us — we'd far rather help you get the specification right than process a return you can't make.
04How to Return an Item
- Contact us with your order number and the reason for the return
- We confirm which path applies, tell you the exact refund figure, and issue a Return Authorization number
- Pack the item securely in its original packaging, with the RA number clearly marked on the outside
- Ship it to the address supplied with your RA — and only that address
- The item is inspected on arrival, and we confirm the outcome to you within 3 business days of that inspection being completed
Use a tracked service. You are responsible for a standard return until it reaches us, so keep your tracking number. On returns arising from our error, we arrange and pay for collection.
Your RA number is valid for 30 daysShip the item within 30 days of the date your Return Authorization is issued. After that the RA expires and you'll need to contact us to request a new one, which may fall outside the return window.
If a return fails inspectionItems that arrive used, incomplete, or damaged in transit back to us cannot be restored to resalable condition and are not eligible for a refund. We will contact you with the inspection findings, including photographs where they are available. We can return the item to you at your cost, or hold it for 30 days and then dispose of it.
05Refunds
All refunds go back to your original payment method. Standard returns carry deductions; some situations get a full refund with no deduction at all. This is the full picture.
Full refund to your original payment method
| Situation | Deduction |
|---|---|
| We cancel your order | None |
| We can't ship by the date we gave you and you choose to cancel | None |
| A pricing or listing error means we can't fulfil at the price shown | None |
| Item arrived damaged, incorrect, or with parts missing (reported within 5 business days) and a replacement is not available | None |
| Payment taken in error or duplicated | None |
None of these are treated as standard returns. No restocking fee and no processing cost deduction applies.
Refund with deductions — change-of-mind returns
Change-of-mind returns within 7 days are refunded to your original payment method, less:
- The 20% restocking fee, and
- The non-refundable payment processing costs set out in Section 2
We confirm the exact figure when your Return Authorization is issued, before you ship anything back.
How long refunds take
Issued within 3 business days of approval. After that it depends on your bank:
- Card — usually 5 to 10 business days
- PayPal — usually 1 to 3 business days
- Bank transfer — returned to the account the payment came from, usually within 5 business days
Refunds always go back to the original payment method. We can't refund to a different card, a different account, or by another method.
Not refunded
- Original shipping charges, unless the return is our error
- Return shipping on change-of-mind returns
- The 20% restocking fee on standard returns
- Payment processing costs on card and PayPal payments, for change-of-mind returns
06Cancelling an Order
Before dispatch. Contact us as soon as possible. Orders are released to our supplier shortly after they are placed, so cancellation is often not possible once that has happened. Once an order has shipped, the return paths above apply instead.
Special orders. Made-to-order and custom-configured items can't be cancelled once placed with the manufacturer.
Refused or undeliverable shipments. If a shipment is refused at delivery, or is returned to us because the address supplied was incomplete or incorrect, it is treated as a change-of-mind return. Outbound shipping, return freight, and the 20% restocking fee are deducted from your refund, along with the payment processing costs.
If we're running late. If we can't ship by the date we gave you, we'll contact you with a revised date and the option to cancel for a full refund — no fee of any kind, back to your original payment method. You can cancel at any point before the item ships.
07Warranty Is Separate
A fault that appears after installation is a warranty matter, not a return, and isn't subject to the 5-business-day or 7-day windows.
Warranty claims are administered and decided by the manufacturer. Start with us and we'll help you work out whether it's a warranty fault and get the claim moving. See our Warranty Policy.
08Trade and Dealer Accounts
Approved dealers are additionally subject to the Clarke Advantage Dealer Sales Agreement. Dealers are responsible for communicating these terms — particularly the 5-business-day inspection requirement — to their own customers before sale.
09Your Rights
Nothing in this policy limits any right you have under applicable consumer protection law that can't lawfully be excluded.
This policy forms part of our Terms and Conditions.
Questions
Talk to us before you return anything. Most situations have a better answer than a return, and where a return is right, we'll tell you which path applies.
Clarke Advantage LLC | Sebastian, FL | clarkeadvantage.com