New Ineos Grenadier ute ‘Return & Refund’ policy comes with a catch

British carmaker Ineos Automotive has introduced an eye-catching new ‘Love it or leave it’ offer for Australian buyers of the Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster — a rugged dual-cab ute designed for serious off-roaders. The company’s new “return and refund” policy is being pitched as a risk-free way to test-own the Grenadier ute, giving buyers six months or 15,000km to change their minds.

But while the idea of returning a car for a refund sounds appealing — especially in a market where buyer confidence can waver — the reality of Ineos’ policy is a little more complicated.

Yes, you can return the vehicle. No, you won’t get all your money back. In fact, depending on how far and hard you’ve driven it, the refund could be reduced by thousands of dollars. 

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What exactly is Ineos offering?

The return policy applies exclusively to the Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster ute, and here’s how it works:

• Customers have up to 6 months from the purchase date to return the vehicle.
• The return window closes at 15,000km, even if that happens before six months.
• If the customer chooses to return the ute within these limits, Ineos will buy it back — but not without deducting a hefty usage fee.

So, what’s the catch?

The biggest string attached to this offer is the per-kilometre ‘usage fee’.

Ineos will deduct $1500 for every 1000km driven. This charge is capped at $22,500 — meaning even if you hit the full 15,000km limit, the most you’ll lose on distance alone is $22,500.

Here’s how the usage charge breaks down:

Kilometres driven	Usage fee charged
1000km	$1500
5000km	$7500
10,000km	$15,000
15,000km	$22,500 (max)

This charge alone makes the policy less of a refund and more of a pre-agreed depreciation cost — meaning you’re essentially paying Ineos for the privilege of using the ute during your ‘trial’ period.

And that’s not all you lose…

While Ineos will refund the vehicle’s purchase price (minus the usage fee), there are additional costs that are non-refundable.

These include:

• Stamp duty
• Dealer delivery fees
• Registration fees
• Compulsory Third-Party (CTP) Insurance

These are standard costs in any car purchase, typically paid to state governments or third parties — so Ineos isn’t returning that money.

Depending on the state and the purchase price, these on-road costs for the six-figure Ineos Grenadier ute could add up to several thousand dollars in some cases.

Damage? Prepare to pay extra.

Ineos expects the vehicle to be returned in “fair wear and tear” condition. But what counts as fair wear and tear can be subjective.

Any damage beyond what Ineos considers reasonable—dents, scratches, broken components, interior damage, excessive tyre wear—will result in further deductions from the refund.

In other words, buyers looking to return their Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster need to treat off-roading ute gently if they hope to maximise their refund.

Accessories: Only genuine parts count

If you’ve added accessories to personalise or enhance your ute, the refund amount for those is entirely dependent on where you got them from.

• Genuine Ineos accessories (like Norweld trays fitted through Ineos dealerships) are refundable.
• Non-genuine or aftermarket accessories (like third-party bullbars, roof racks, lights, or modifications) won’t be covered.

This could represent a significant loss for owners who have heavily accessorised their ute outside the official Ineos catalogue.

Finance and Lease break fees

For customers who purchased their Grenadier Quartermaster using finance or leasing options, Ineos has promised to soften the blow — but only slightly.

The company says it will contribute up to $1500 towards covering any penalties or break fees for early termination of finance or lease agreements.

However, depending on the contract, the actual break fees could far exceed $1500, leaving some owners out of pocket.

What does this look like in real numbers?

Ineos provided an example scenario to show how its return policy works in practice.

→ If you buy a Grenadier for $118,000, drive it 6000km, and then return it under this policy:

• Ineos will refund you $103,500
• But you would still lose $14,500 overall

→ Why the loss?

1. Usage charges for the kilometres you drove → $9000
2. On-road costs (stamp duty, registration etc.) → $7000
3. Finance help from Ineos → They give you $1500 back towards any loan exit fees

= Total cost to you → $14,500 gone.

The bottom line

While Ineos’ refund policy sounds generous on the surface, it’s far from a risk-free trial. The usage fees and non-refundable costs mean customers could be out of pocket by tens of thousands of dollars — even if they return the car within the 6-month window.

It’s a bold marketing move, and for some buyers, it might still offer peace of mind. But it’s definitely not a “free test drive” — and anyone considering the offer should read the fine print very carefully.

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