Eligibility

SAA offers voluntary accreditation, and we strive to uphold standards that reflect best practices and industry benchmarks, ensuring they provide genuine value to accredited individuals.

SAA will usually only offer refunds in circumstances outlined in the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) where the accreditation service does not meet the quality or intended purpose of the accreditation and for those reasons outlined in the legislation.

 

Other Refundable Circumstances

Payment Errors: Refunds may be issued for duplicate payments, technical errors, or miscommunication between payment systems.

If an individual purchases a service that SAA will not grant them access to, they will be eligible for a full refund. However, if the individual has been granted access to the service related to the payment error, no refund will be provided. This provision does not apply to application fees which are not refundable.

Customers are required to submit a refund request within 30 days of the transaction date and provide supporting evidence, such as receipts or bank statements, to verify the payment error.

Special Circumstances: In exceptional situations, refunds may be considered at SAA’s discretion under the guidelines outlined in the Special Consideration section of this policy, and with approval of the Chief Executive Officer. Special circumstance refund requests will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and supporting documentation will be required.

 

Non-refundable circumstances

Refunds are strictly limited to the conditions expressly outlined in this policy and will not be granted under any other circumstances, including but not limited to the following cases:

Change of mind: Decisions to withdraw, cancel, or alter accreditation status based on a change of preference or reconsideration of intent are excluded unless accompanied by special circumstances deemed acceptable.

Non-utilisation of accreditation: This includes instances where accreditation is not actively utilised, such as during periods of unemployment, inactivity, or other circumstances where accreditation remains dormant, are excluded unless accompanied by special circumstances deemed acceptable.

Change in personal circumstances: Adjustments in personal situations, lifestyle changes (including a decision to retire), or similar conditions, unless classified under exceptional circumstances, are not considered valid reasons.

Departure from the industry: This includes business closure, voluntary exit, or career changes unrelated to the eligibility criteria for the discount.

Business downturn: A reduction in business activity, such as the installer not installing as many technologies or experiencing lower demand, is not a valid reason for discount eligibility.

Relocation to jurisdictions without applicable schemes: Moving to a region where clean energy rebate schemes or equivalent programs do not exist does not constitute valid grounds for discount eligibility.

Dissatisfaction with compliance outcomes: Disputes or dissatisfaction arising from compliance decisions, including the cancellation or suspension of accreditation, or the issuance of demerit points, due to compliance actions.

Failure to meet application requirements: Non-completion of stipulated application procedures, including failure to pass required assessments, provide requisite information, or fulfill documentation obligations.

Voluntary withdrawal of accreditation application: Applications for accreditation that are voluntarily withdrawn or canceled by the applicant.

CPD Courses: Refunds will not be provided to individuals who enroll in a CPD course but later decide to pursue a different course instead (whether the different course is offered by SAA or another provider), or to those who fail to complete the course requirements or pass the associated assessments.

If an accreditee believes a CPD course is unsatisfactory for reasons outlined under Australian Consumer Law (ACL), an alternative course may be offered free of charge as a resolution, while CPD points attributed to the original course will not be recognised.

 

Special Circumstances

Death and Permanent Disability: An individual may apply in writing for a discount of up to 50% of the accreditation fee, excluding any application fees, in cases of death or permanent disability. The refund may be granted at the CEO’s discretion, with the application requiring supporting documentation such as a death certificate or certified medical evidence. In cases of permanent disability, the medical evidence must clearly confirm that the condition is lifelong and will not improve, ensuring eligibility for the discount.

Temporary Illness or Disability: Those who have had their accreditation temporarily suspended for reasons of illness or disability will receive a fee discount equivalent to 50% of the time they were suspended. Applicants should refer to the CPD policy to understand the impact of the temporary suspension on their CPD requirements.

 

Refund Applications and Evidence Requirements:

Refund requests must be submitted in writing, using the form on SAA’s website or by email. Email applications without supporting evidence will not be accepted.

Refund applications must be accompanied by supporting documentation, such as proof of purchase, medical records, or any other relevant information that clearly details the special circumstances necessary to evaluate and, or, approve the refund request.

Requests must be made within the specified time limit, typically within 30 days of the purchase or incident, unless exceptional circumstances apply.

Refund applications will be reviewed within 30 days of receipt and applicants will be notified of the decision upon completion of the review.