My speakers don’t work properly and Apple won’t provide a refund. What are my entitlements?

It’s worth negotiating with Apple to post the product back to them and to push hard for a refund rather than a replacement, writes policy expert Kat George. Photograph: Javier Zayas Photography/Getty Images

I bought an Apple HomePod mini speaker in February 2023. I want it to reliably play audio via my iPhone and it does not and will not work with our standard wifi network. We’ve followed help documents, forums and Apple Support’s advice: nothing helped, but we learned that thousands around the world have the same issue. We’ve asked Apple for a refund under Australian consumer law, but they have refused. They expect us to make a three-hour round trip to an Apple Store, where they will obviously be unable to replicate our home network. Am I entitled to a refund?

– Simone, South Australia