Terms & Conditions

Bank Transfer Payments

Please notify us via email with your bank transfer details when paying by Direct Bank Transfer; use your name or order number as the reference. Orders are cancelled if bank transfer details aren't received within 3 business days.

Cancellation, Refund and Seminar Credit Policy

Cancellation and Refunds

Refunds — all payments (AUD and international)

For seminars in Australian dollars or other currencies (USD, EUR, MYR, GBP, JPY):

• Cancellations exceeding 14 days before the seminar start date qualify for a refund minus a 10% administrative fee
• No refunds are available for cancellations within 14 days of the seminar start
• Deposits are treated the same as any other seminar payment: a deposit is refundable minus a 10% administration fee if cancellation is requested more than 14 days before the seminar start date, and is non-refundable if cancellation is requested within 14 days. If SustainHealth Academy cancels the seminar, the deposit is refunded in full.
• Non-attendance results in no refund

Cooling-Off Period (Consumer Right of Withdrawal)

Individual participants (consumers) who register for a seminar have the right to cancel their registration within 14 days of the date of purchase, for any reason, and receive a full refund of all fees paid. No administration fee will be deducted during this cooling-off period.

This 14-day cooling-off period is calculated from the date of registration (i.e. the date payment is made or the enrolment contract is entered into), not from the seminar start date.

This right of withdrawal also applies where the participant registers and books the course personally, but a company or employer pays the fee on their behalf.

This right of withdrawal does not apply where a company or organisation signs the enrolment contract directly (i.e. the contract is between SustainHealth Academy and the company, not between SustainHealth Academy and the individual participant).

To exercise your right of withdrawal during the cooling-off period, contact us at info@sustainhealthacademy.com. Approved refunds will be initiated within five business days.

If the cooling-off period has expired, the standard cancellation and refund policy (above) applies.

Currencies, conversion and payment processing fees

Seminar fees and refunds are calculated based on the original transaction currency, excluding bank, card issuer, foreign exchange or processing fees. Exchange rate fluctuations between purchase and refund dates may result in different amounts returned. SustainHealth Academy bears no responsibility for exchange rate gains or losses.

Seminar Credits

Seminar credits — AUD payments

For AUD-priced seminar cancellations over 14 days before the start date requesting credit instead of a refund:

• 100% seminar credit issued for the AUD seminar fee (no administration fee deducted)
• Credit valid 12 months from the original payment date
• Applicable to eligible future AUD-priced seminars, subject to availability and price differences

Seminar credits — international payments (USD, EUR, MYR, GBP, JPY and other non-AUD currencies)

For seminar cancellations in any other currency over 14 days before the start date requesting credit instead of a refund:

• 100% seminar credit issued for the seminar fee (no administration fee deducted)
• Credits issued in the same currency as the original fee
• Applicable only to seminars priced in that currency, subject to availability and price differences
• Valid 12 months from the original payment date unless stated otherwise

Use of international credits across currencies (based on exchange rate on day of use)

In limited cases, international credits may be approved for a different-currency seminar:

• Credit value is converted at the prevailing exchange rate when applied
• Exchange rate differences and related fees are the customer's responsibility

Seminar Credit Transfer and Limitations

• Credits are usable once only; non-transferable to other persons
• Must be used within 12 months from the original payment date or forfeited
• Cannot be converted to cash; applicable only to eligible seminars per this policy

If the Academy Cancels an Event

If SustainHealth Academy cancels:

• A full seminar fee refund is offered
• Travel, accommodation and personal expenses remain the attendee's responsibility

Deposits and Payment Plans

1. Deposits

• A deposit secures your place at the price current on the day it is paid
• Your card is saved, and the remaining balance is charged to it automatically 10 weeks before the seminar — on the date shown in your deposit confirmation email
• We email you a reminder a few days before that charge, and a receipt after it
• You may pay early, or change the card, at any time by replying to any of our emails

2. Instalments

• Where there is sufficient time before the balance date, the balance may instead be spread over automatic monthly card payments
• Where this is offered, the dates and amounts are shown before you pay and repeated in your confirmation email
• The customer is responsible for ensuring sufficient funds are available on those dates

3. Payment Plans

• If a different arrangement suits you better, email us and we will set one up individually
• Payment plans are by credit card only
• The final payment always falls at least 14 days before the seminar starts

4. If a Payment Fails

• Your place is not cancelled. We email you and arrange the payment with you

5. Refunds on Deposits and Scheduled Payments

• A deposit or scheduled payment is refundable minus a 10% administration fee if cancellation is requested over 14 days before the seminar
• Non-refundable if cancellation is requested within 14 days
• To stop an upcoming scheduled payment, the request must be received and acknowledged at least 7 business days before its date. Requests outside business hours are considered received the next business day. If received less than 7 business days before and the payment is processed, it is still refunded minus the 10% fee
• No refunds are available on payments within 14 days of the seminar start, regardless of cancellation request timing
• Refund processing time: approved refunds are initiated within five business days. Stripe and financial institutions may take an additional 5–10 business days for the return of funds

Seminar Credit Transfer Policy

• Credits are usable once only. A booking paid for with a credit cannot be cancelled for a new credit or moved again
• Transfer requests must be made at least 14 days before the seminar date; requests within 14 days are not considered
• All credits must be used within 12 months of the original payment date or forfeited

Attendee Substitution (Name Changes)

If you are unable to attend, your place may be taken by another practitioner. This is separate from the Seminar Credit Transfer Policy above, which governs moving your own booking to a different seminar.

• A paid seminar place may be transferred to another practitioner at no charge up to 7 days before the seminar start date
• Requests within 7 days are accommodated where practical but cannot be guaranteed, as rosters, name badges, certificates and catering numbers are finalised in that week
• The original purchaser remains responsible for payment. No money changes hands with us, the invoice and receipt are not reissued, and no refund or credit arises
• The substitute attendee receives the seminar confirmation, pre-arrival information and dietary request directly, and their name appears on the certificate
• Any arrangement between the original purchaser and the substitute attendee is a matter between them

Coupon Policy

Only one coupon is applicable per product. Multiple coupons cannot be combined for single items. No cross promotion applies.

ZSA points are not a coupon and can be used alongside one (see ZSA Rewards). A ZSA referral code counts as a coupon.

ZSA Rewards (Zhu's Scalp Acupuncture courses only)

ZSA Rewards is a points program for practitioners who train in Zhu's Scalp Acupuncture (ZSA) with SustainHealth Academy. It applies only to ZSA courses taught by Dr Shy and Dr Chang. It does not apply to any other SustainHealth Academy seminar, webinar, program or shop product.

Want it in plain English first? See ZSA points: your questions answered. If that page and these terms differ, these terms apply.

Earning points

• Welcome balance: a one-off welcome balance of 100 points if you completed a ZSA course before the program started
• Completing a course: 5% of the amount you paid for a ZSA course, paid as points on the last day of the course. Any part of the fee covered by points, seminar credit or a discount doesn't earn points
• Booking early: 200 points when you booked a ZSA course before its early-bird price closed, paid on the last day of the course
• Referring a colleague: 250 points once a colleague who used your referral code has attended their course
• Becoming a ZSA Fellow: a one-off 1,000 points when you complete the Basics course and all five Advanced courses

Points are added automatically at the start of the course's last day, in the time zone where it is held, so you can use them that day. Points for a course go to the practitioner who attends it, even if a clinic, employer or someone else paid for the seat.

What points are worth

One point is worth A$1.00 on courses priced in Australian dollars, €0.60 on courses priced in euros, and US$0.65 on courses priced in US dollars. Points are applied in the currency of the course you book.

Using points

• Points can be used only towards the fee for a ZSA course with SustainHealth Academy
• Points can pay for up to 25% of a course fee, and can be used together with an early-bird price or one coupon
• To use them, select "Book with my points" in your ZSA Clinical Passport or enter your points code at checkout. Our team can also apply them to an invoice or payment plan
• Your oldest points are used first

Referral codes

• Your referral code is for colleagues who have not taken a ZSA course with us before. It cannot be used on your own booking
• A colleague who uses it gets 400 points' value off their first ZSA course (A$400, €240 or US$260, depending on the currency of the course), up to the full fee
• A referral code counts as the one coupon allowed on a booking
• Referral codes cannot be used on payment plans booked online. Your colleague can book online in full or ask us for an invoice

Expiry

Points expire 24 months after the date they were earned. Your ZSA Clinical Passport shows your balance and when your next points expire.

Cancellations and refunds

• If a booking that earned points is cancelled or refunded, the points it earned are removed from your balance
• If you used points on a booking that is later cancelled or refunded, we refund the money you paid, and the points you used go back to your balance. Points are never paid out as money
• If you have already spent the points a booking earned and that booking is then refunded, your balance may fall below zero. Points you earn later make up the difference first

General

• Points have no cash value. They cannot be exchanged for money, refunded, sold, or transferred to another person or account
• Points belong to the practitioner whose record they're on. If a seat is passed to a substitute attendee, any points for that course go to the substitute
• We may correct a balance that is wrong because of an error, and we may remove points obtained through misuse of the program
• We may change or end ZSA Rewards by giving notice on this page. Points already in your balance when a change is made stay usable until they expire, unless the change is to your advantage

Seminar Schedule and Travel Arrangements

Seminar Dates

Seminar dates are subject to change. Confirmation is sent to registered attendees 6–8 weeks prior. Attendees are advised to await confirmation before arranging travel or accommodation.

Travel and Accommodation

SustainHealth Academy is not responsible for reimbursing flight or accommodation costs. Attendees are advised to make flexible or refundable bookings to minimise losses from schedule changes.

Recording Policy

No photography, audio or video recording is allowed.

Copyright and Ownership of Course Materials

All course content — including but not limited to printed notes, digital resources, slides, clinical protocols, and teaching methodologies — is the intellectual property of SustainHealth Academy and/or the presenting instructors. Course content may not be reproduced, distributed, shared, or commercially exploited without prior written permission from SustainHealth Academy.

Physical and digital course materials provided to participants during a seminar (such as printed notes, digital handouts, and head models) become the property of the participant upon receipt. The intellectual property and copyright of all such materials remains with SustainHealth Academy and/or the presenting instructors.

Shop Orders — Books, Needles and Accessories

These terms apply to physical products bought from our shop. Seminar bookings are covered by the sections above.

Shipping

Orders are posted from Australia with tracking, or customers in Australia can collect for free from our clinic (see Pickup below). Within Australia we charge a flat rate: AUD $14 for an order of needles only, AUD $19 for one to three items, and AUD $24 for four or more items. Books and accessories both count towards that total; needles do not. Orders over 5 kg may need freight confirmed before we send them.

International postage is calculated at checkout from your destination and the weight of your order. You will see the exact figure before you pay, and we do not add a handling fee on top of the rate shown. The starting rates below apply to parcels up to 500 g; most single books weigh more than that and cost more to send. Starting rates by region:

Destination	From
New Zealand & the Pacific	AUD $24.50
Asia	AUD $32.50
United States & Canada	AUD $36.50
United Kingdom & Europe	AUD $43.00
Rest of world	AUD $53.00

Rates rise with parcel weight in bands up to 5 kg. Orders above 5 kg may need freight confirmed before we send them.

Delivery

We aim to dispatch within two business days. Australian orders typically arrive within three to seven business days; international orders generally take six to twenty business days, though customs processing can extend that. Tracking is emailed when your parcel is lodged.

Pickup from the Sustain Health clinic

Customers in Australia can choose free pickup at checkout instead of postage. Pickup orders are collected in person from the Sustain Health clinic, Ground Floor, 69 York Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205, during clinic hours: Monday to Thursday 9:30am–7pm, Friday 9:30am–2pm, Saturday 9:30am–3pm (closed Sunday).

Please wait for our email saying your order is ready to collect before coming in. Pickup orders are not posted. If you can no longer collect, email us and we will either refund the order or post it once the postage for your destination has been paid.

Import duties and taxes

Overseas orders may attract import duties, taxes or customs charges in the destination country. These are set by your own government, are not included in the price or the postage you pay us, and are payable by you on delivery. We cannot calculate or refund them.

If something arrives damaged, faulty or incorrect

Tell us within 30 days of delivery and we will make it right — a replacement where we hold stock, or a refund. Email us with your order number and a photograph of the problem and we will arrange it. You will not be out of pocket for returning an item that was damaged, faulty or sent in error.

Nothing in these terms limits your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded: you are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure, and to have goods repaired or replaced if they are not of acceptable quality.

Change of mind

Books are supplied as new stock and we are not able to accept returns simply because a title was not what you expected — so please check the language edition, format and ISBN on the product page before ordering. Sterile single-use needles cannot be returned once the outer packaging is opened, for safety reasons. If you are unsure which edition or needle size you need, email us before you buy and we will help.

Pricing and stock

Prices are in Australian dollars and include GST where applicable. Where an item sells out after you order it, we will contact you and offer either a wait, a substitution or a full refund.

Seating Arrangements

Seating priority is based on registration order; earlier registration results in closer front seating.

Registration

Seminars are open to registered Chinese medicine practitioners, acupuncturists and Chinese medicine students. After booking, first-time attendees are emailed a registration form; please complete it within 2 business days. Some seminars are open to other healthcare professionals — please enquire. Further questions should be directed via email.