By Chris Schulz
Investigative Journalist | Kaipūrongo Whakatewhatewha
Two Consumer NZ members who purchased Snoozu pillows because they came with a “risk-free” 60-day money-back guarantee have been told they won’t be getting refunds.
One member had opened the packaging for their Snoozu pillow and slept on it for several nights. The other had opened the packaging but not used their pillow. Both say their refund requests were rejected.
They want to warn others that the pillow company's money-back guarantee may not be what it seems.
The Commerce Commission has confirmed it has received multiple complaints about Snoozu in the past 9 months.
And Consumer believes Snoozu’s money-back guarantee is likely to be a breach of the Fair Trading Act.
All he needed was a pillow
David Oh was browsing his Facebook feed when he saw an ad for a Snoozu pillow.
Snoozu is an online retailer offering hypoallergenic "contoured memory foam pillows" that it claims will deliver "your best sleeps".
"They looked pretty decent," says Oh, who was impressed by a 50% off deal and the "proudly New Zealand owned" statement displayed at the top of the website.
Then he saw Snoozu also offered a “risk-free” 60-day money-back guarantee, which made him believe he’d be able to try the product and if he didn’t like it, he’d get his money back.
"We're dedicated to your satisfaction," the website stated. "Email our support team … within 60 days for a full refund. Your happiness is our priority."
It was this guarantee that convinced Oh to purchase a pillow. That pillow cost him $79, and he used AfterPay to pay for it.
“You think, ‘no harm, let’s give it a try,’” he says.
The problem with Snoozu’s pillows
Oh says he tried sleeping with his Snoozu pillow for a couple of nights, but the unusual design – with a contoured neck cradle – caused him to wake up in pain.
He decided the pillow wasn’t suitable for him, so he contacted the company, via email, to return the product and organise his refund.
Oh ordered his pillow on 19 September 2025 and attempted to return it on 7 October – well within the 60-day window.
It was, he says, a “rigamarole” right from the start. “I packed it up. It looked brand new. They wanted a video of it,” Oh says.
He sent them the requested video, then the company told him: “You can’t return it.”
Snoozu’s return terms on its website state: “Your item must be in the same condition that you received it, unworn or unused, with tags, and in its original packaging. You’ll also need the receipt or proof of purchase.”
A Snoozu representative told Consumer its money-back guarantee was only offered for pillows that are “unused and unopened”.
“This policy is in place for standard health and hygiene reasons,” the spokesperson said.
Oh also contacted Afterpay, which allows customers to pay for a product in instalments, to see if it could help.
When contacted by Consumer, an Afterpay spokesperson said, “Returns or refunds must adhere to the period and manner specified in the retailer’s returns policy.”
Oh still believes a money-back guarantee should entitle him to a full refund.
“A money-back guarantee feels like a pretty watertight situation,” he says. “If you've got any problem with the product, you should be able to return it within the time period to get your money back.”
She purchased two pillows – but didn’t use them
Andrea (last name withheld) contacted Consumer after buying two Snoozu pillows on New Year’s Day.
She was surprised to see them arrive directly from China. After opening the packaging she didn’t like the “synthetic material” and noticed a “chemical” smell.
Andrea didn’t use her pillows. She, too, decided to return them, doing so well within the 60-day window. “I had remorse. I said, ‘I'd like a refund, as per your promotion’,” Andrea says.
Like Oh, Andrea was told this wouldn’t be possible. “They said, ‘We can't refund it if it's been used. I said, ‘It hasn't been used. I've literally just taken it out of the bag to look at, and it has not been used’.”
Andrea says the company stopped responding to her. So far, she’s sent five unanswered emails.
Both Andrea and Oh were additionally alarmed after finding reviews for Snoozu on TrustPilot, where the company has a trust rating of just 1.6 out of 5.
On TrustPilot, other customers complain about Snoozu’s goods not showing up, smelling of chemicals or not being as advertised.
Some say the products are shipped directly from China and question the company’s claims of being New Zealand-owned.
When asked about their location, a Snoozu spokesperson responded, “We’re a small, family-run business and we operate from a private residential home, so we’re not keen to share our physical address publicly. We can confirm that we are based in New Zealand.”
Consumer could not find Snoozu listed on the New Zealand Companies Register.
What is a money-back guarantee?
Although there is no legal definition of a “money-back guarantee”, we think it’s reasonable for a consumer who buys a product with a money-back guarantee to be able to reject the product and request a refund within the stated timeframe if they’re not 100% happy, whether they’ve used the product or not.
We believe offering a 60-day “risk free” money back guarantee but claiming, in the fine print, that it only applies to unused products in their original packaging is misleading and likely to breach the Fair Trading Act.
According to the Commerce Commission, “Fine print should not be used to conceal important information which would be critical to a person’s decision to buy goods or services. If the overall impression given by an advertisement is misleading, it will breach the Fair Trading Act no matter what information is provided in fine print.”
A Commerce Commission spokesperson says it received 10 complaints about Snoozu in the second half of 2025.
“Most of these were around allegations of misleading representations that the trader was based in New Zealand, and alleged difficulties claiming a refund through the advertised 60-day money back guarantee,” the spokesperson said.
Our advice on money-back guarantees
If you’ve purchased a product with a money-back guarantee and you reject the product within the stated timeframe, you’re entitled to get your money back.
If the seller refuses to provide a refund and you paid by credit or debit card, contact your bank as soon as possible and ask if you can get a chargeback. You could also try to get your money back at the Disputes Tribunal, but be aware that it costs $61 to file a claim for up to $2,000, so may not be worth it.
You can also lodge a complaint with the Commerce Commission.
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