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Shipping and Refunds

How we get the mag to your letterbox, when to expect it, and what happens if something goes sideways. Written so kids and grown-ups can read it together.

  • A short version, written for kids. The grown-up version is below. Your parent or guardian needs to read that one too.

    How the mag gets to you

    When you order theINmag, it gets packed up by the boys at our warehouse and sent through the post in a satchel with your name on it. Between issues, we use AusPost and you get tracking, so a grown-up can see where it is.

    Three times a year - in February, June and October - we send the new issue to every single member at once. That's a lot of mags going out in one go. For those big sendouts we use a service called Print Post, which is cheaper but doesn't have tracking. It saves us a lot of money, which means we can keep theINmag affordable and ad-free.

    When you'll get it

    If you're starting a Membership today and the current issue is in stock, your mag goes in the post within 3 days.

    If you're starting with the next issue (or you grabbed a pre-sale), you'll get it on release day - that's the 15th of February, June or October.

    Digital mags arrive in your grown-up's inbox the same day you order. Usually within a few minutes.

    If something goes wrong

    If your mag turns up damaged, or it doesn't turn up at all, tell your grown-up. They can email us and we'll work out what's happened.

  • These are the details for grown-ups. How long things take, how much they cost, and what happens with international orders.

    Where we ship

    We ship anywhere in Australia. We don't ship printed mags overseas - the postage cost is genuinely ridiculous, and we'd rather keep the mag affordable than make a few international sales we can't service properly.

    A workaround that families love: if you've got grandkids overseas, order the printed mag to your house and pop it inside a care package you send over yourself. We've heard the loveliest stories from grandparents who do this. A package from Nan in Australia, the mag tucked in alongside other bits and pieces, the kids on the other end opening it up. It lands beautifully.

    Even better - add a digital copy to the order (it reads anywhere in the world), so you can read along over FaceTime while the printed one makes its way over. Same story, two countries, one mag.

    Processing time

    If the mag you've ordered is in stock, your order goes in the post within 3 business days.

    If you've started a Membership with a future issue, or grabbed a pre-sale, your mag won't ship until that issue drops. Drop dates are locked: 15 February, 15 June, 15 October. Every year, no exceptions.

    How long it takes to arrive

    Once it's in the post, AusPost handles delivery. Times vary depending on where you are:

    • Metro Australia: 2-5 business days
    • Regional Australia: 3-8 business days
    • Remote areas: up to 2 weeks

    We can't speed AusPost up. We wish we could.

    Release-day Memberships

    Three times a year (mid-February, mid-June, mid-October) we post the new issue to every member at once. We post them around the 10th so they're in your hands by the 15th.

    For these bulk sendouts we use Print Post - a cheaper bulk service that doesn't include tracking. It saves us around $7 per mag, which adds up to thousands of dollars per drop. That saving is what keeps Memberships affordable and the magazine ad-free.

    If you're a member and your release-day mag hasn't turned up within 10 business days of the 15th, email us. We'll work out what's happened.

    Tracking

    • Orders between drops (single mags, Build a Bundle, gifts, anything that's not the bulk release): tracked via AusPost. You'll get a tracking link.
    • Release-day Membership sendouts: not tracked. See above.

    Shipping cost

    • Single mag: $9.95
    • Free shipping on orders over $40
    • Rolling Membership: $4.95 per drop (built into the $28.90 price)
    • 4-Issue and 8-Issue Memberships: shipping included
    • Digital orders: no shipping cost (it's a file)

    A bit of honesty about the $9.95: it actually costs us closer to $13.80 to get a single mag to your door - satchel, label, the lot. We wear the difference because we'd rather have the mag in kids' hands than make money on postage.

    Bundling digital with a print order

    Quick tip: if you're already paying postage for a printed mag, throwing a digital one in the cart costs you nothing extra to ship. Same parcel, no extra cost, an extra mag to read. Worth knowing if you've got a kid who burns through them.

    Gift orders

    Gifting a mag? You can add a 50-word note at checkout. We print it on the front of the parcel, so it's the first thing the recipient sees when they open the letterbox. We've heard it adds a lovely bit of intrigue before they even open the satchel.

    Digital delivery

    Digital mags are emailed to you within a few minutes of ordering. Same goes on release day - every digital member gets theirs in the morning. Check your inbox (and your junk folder, just in case). If it hasn't landed within an hour, email us.

  • The short version: we're a small business with thin margins on a low-cost product. We try to be fair on both sides.

    Damaged or lost in the post

    If your mag arrives damaged, or doesn't arrive at all, email us. We'll work out what's happened - sometimes it's AusPost being AusPost, sometimes the parcel turns up a few days late, sometimes it's genuinely gone. If we can't get to the bottom of it, we'll send a replacement.

    Wrong address at checkout

    This is the one we have to be honest about.

    If the address entered at checkout is wrong and the mag comes back to us (or vanishes), we can reship - but you'll need to pay the postage for the second go.

    A single mag costs us close to $13.80 to get to your door. If we have to post it twice, we've spent more on shipping than you spent on the mag. The maths doesn't work for a small business like ours.

    So please:

    • Double-check your address before you check out. Especially the postcode.
    • Re-read your order confirmation email when it lands. If anything's off, reply within 24 hours and we'll fix it for free before your mag ships.

    We trust our customers to get this right. One quick check saves us both money.

    Change of mind on a printed mag

    We don't accept change-of-mind returns on single printed mags. It's a low-cost item and the postage to return it is more than you paid for the mag in the first place. If you've ordered the wrong issue, email us - we'll see what we can do, but we can't promise anything.

    Change of mind on a Membership

    If you've started a Membership and changed your mind, here's how it works:

    • Issues already shipped: not refundable. The mag is out the door, the cost is gone.
    • Issues not yet shipped: we'll cancel the remainder and refund whatever's left.

    A note on the maths: Memberships aren't priced as a flat per-issue rate. The first mag that goes out costs us a fair bit more than the others (printing setup, postage, the works), so we don't divide the refund evenly across remaining issues. We'll work out a fair number based on what's already gone out and what hasn't, and email you with the figure before processing anything.

    Cancelling a Rolling Membership

    Rolling Memberships auto-renew every drop (February, June, October).

    You can cancel anytime through your account, or by emailing us. If you cancel before the next drop is charged, you're done - no further charges.

    If you cancel after the next drop has been charged and posted, we won't refund that one - it's already on its way. Your Membership ends after that issue lands.

    Digital products

    Digital mags, Digital Memberships, and Digital Collect the Set: not refundable. The file is delivered the moment you order, so the sale's final.

    One exception we make: if you clicked "Digital" when you meant "Print" (it happens - the buttons sit next to each other and we all move fast), email us. Buy the print version, and we'll refund the digital purchase.

    How to get in touch

    Email: heyhey@theinmag.com.au

    We read every message and usually reply within 2 business days. If it's a damaged or lost mag, we'll get on it the same day we hear from you.