Last updated: 7th May 2026

These Website Terms and Conditions apply to your access to and use of the Alcoholics Anonymous Aotearoa/New Zealand website, including any online shop, member-only areas, forms, mailing lists and related online services made available through it.

In these Terms, unless the context otherwise requires:

Alcoholics Anonymous or A.A. means the fellowship of people who share their experience, strength and hope with each other so that they may solve their common problem and help others recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking. A.A.’s primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety.

We, us and our means New Zealand General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous Incorporated, acting through the New Zealand General Service Office, in relation to this Website and related online services. The General Service Office is the administration office of the New Zealand General Service Board. The Board exists to serve the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous in New Zealand through the A.A. service structure. These Terms do not make the Board a governing authority over individual A.A. groups or members.

Website means https://aa.org.nz and any related pages or services operated by us.

You or your means any person who accesses or uses the Website or places an order through it.

By using the Website, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use the Website.

1. Purpose of the Website

The Website exists to serve the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous in Aotearoa/New Zealand, to provide information about A.A., and to make approved A.A. literature and related service material available in accordance with A.A. service principles and applicable copyright permissions.

Nothing on the Website changes the spiritual character of A.A. or creates any entitlement to A.A. membership, office, service position or participation. The only requirement for A.A. membership remains a desire to stop drinking; our membership ought to include all those who suffer from alcoholism.

2. No medical, counselling or legal advice; emergencies

The Website provides general information about A.A. and access to A.A. literature and services.

We do not provide medical, clinical, detox, psychiatric, counselling, legal or other professional advice, and it is not an emergency service.

If you or someone else is in immediate danger or requires urgent medical or mental health help, contact emergency services or an appropriate health professional immediately.

3. AA principles, anonymity and public use

We aim to operate the Website consistently with the Twelve Traditions, the Twelve Concepts for World Service, the NZ Service Manual, and applicable A.A. copyright and service guidance.

Public parts of the Website are public. If you choose to submit content through public forms, emails, comments or other public-facing features, you do so at your own risk. You should not post or send material that:

• identifies another person as an A.A. member;
• includes personal information about yourself or anyone else;
• discloses closed-meeting information, member-only information, passwords, access codes or private service material without authority;
• suggests that A.A. endorses any outside enterprise, product, service, political position, religious view or cause.

AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organisation or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any cause.

If the Website includes member-only or registered-user areas, access to those areas is limited for A.A. service purposes only. Access restrictions reduce risk but do not guarantee absolute confidentiality or security over the internet.

4. Acceptable use

You must use the Website lawfully and respectfully. You must not:

• interfere with or disrupt the Website or its security;
• attempt unauthorised access to any account, system or data;
• scrape, harvest or systematically copy Website content or user information;
• upload malicious code or harmful material;
• impersonate another person or misrepresent your authority;
• use the Website to advertise, solicit, fundraise for, or promote any outside enterprises or causes;
• use the Website in a way that could compromise A.A. anonymity, safety or goodwill;
• suggest A.A. endorses any outside enterprise, product, service, political position, religious view or cause.

We may suspend, restrict or terminate access where we reasonably consider it necessary to protect the Website, A.A. users, A.A. principles, or our legal position.

5. Intellectual property

Unless otherwise stated, the Website content, design, text, graphics, documents, logos, compilations and other materials are owned by us or licensed to us.

Some material on the Website is owned by or reproduced with permission from Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., AA Grapevine, Inc., or other authorised rights holders. All such rights remain reserved.

You may view, download and print Website content for personal, group or service use within A.A. in a way that is consistent with applicable copyright permissions and A.A. service guidance. You must not reproduce, republish, adapt, distribute, sell or exploit Website content for commercial purposes or in a way that breaches copyright, trademark rights or A.A. service principles without prior written permission from the relevant rights holder.

6. External links

The Website may contain links to external websites or services for convenience only. Those links do not constitute endorsement, approval, sponsorship or affiliation. We are not responsible for the content, availability, privacy practices or security of third-party websites or services.

7. Online shop – products and availability

We sell A.A. literature and related approved material listed on the Website. Availability is subject to stock on hand and ongoing supply.

We may change product ranges, descriptions and prices at any time before an order is accepted. We take reasonable care to describe products accurately, but images, colours and display settings may vary.

Unless we agree otherwise in writing, products are supplied for delivery within New Zealand only.

8. Orders and acceptance

Placing an order is an offer to purchase. An order is not accepted until we confirm acceptance or dispatch the goods, whichever occurs first.

We may decline or cancel an order if:

• the item is unavailable;
• there is a pricing or product-description error;
• payment is not received or is reversed;
• we reasonably suspect fraud, misuse, unlawful conduct or breach of these Terms;
• supply would be inconsistent with law, copyright permissions or A.A. service requirements.

If we decline or cancel an order after payment has been made, we will refund the amount paid for the affected item or order.

Approved registered A.A. groups may, at our sole discretion, be supplied on credit terms stated by us from time to time. Unless we agree otherwise in writing, approved group accounts are payable on or before the 20th of the month following invoice.

9. Prices and payment

All prices are in New Zealand dollars and include GST unless stated otherwise. However, we order products from overseas and prices can change based on exchange rates and freight charges.

Shipping, handling and any clearly disclosed card surcharge or other transaction fee will be added at checkout or otherwise disclosed before you complete your purchase.

Payment must be made using the payment methods we make available. If card payments are processed through a third-party payment gateway, you may be redirected to that provider’s secure environment to complete payment.

10. Delivery

We will use reasonable efforts to dispatch orders promptly after acceptance and payment clearance, but delivery times are estimates only.

You are responsible for providing an accurate delivery address and suitable delivery instructions.

If we arrange delivery, please contact us promptly if goods do not arrive, arrive damaged, or are delivered incorrectly. We may ask for photographs, packaging or other information reasonably needed to assess the issue. Nothing in these Terms removes any right you may have under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 or other applicable law in relation to delivery.

11. Returns, replacements and refunds

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, the Fair Trading Act 1986 or any other law that cannot lawfully be excluded.

If goods are faulty, damaged, not as described, or otherwise do not comply with your statutory rights, please contact us as soon as reasonably possible. Where the law requires, we will repair, replace, refund or otherwise provide an appropriate remedy.

For change-of-mind returns, we are not required to provide a refund or exchange, but we may do so in our discretion. Any change-of-mind return request must:

• be made within 10 working days after delivery;
• quote the order or invoice number;
• be approved by us before return;
• involve goods that are unused and in saleable condition.

Unless the law requires otherwise:

• original shipping/handling charges are not refundable;
• return shipping is your responsibility;
• any refund is limited to the price paid for the returned item.

Returns should be sent to:

New Zealand General Service Office
Unit 2, 30 Downer Street
Lower Hutt 5010
New Zealand

12. Website availability and security

We do not guarantee that the Website will always be available, uninterrupted, secure or error-free, or that it will be free of viruses, malware, or other harmful code. You must take your own reasonable precautions, including use of appropriate security software and safe browsing practices.

We may change, suspend, withdraw or restrict any part of the Website at any time for maintenance, security, legal or operational reasons.

13. Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

• your use of the Website is at your own risk;
• we exclude liability for indirect, consequential, incidental or special loss, including loss of profit, revenue, business, goodwill or data;
• where liability cannot be excluded but can be limited, our liability is limited to the fullest extent permitted by law;
• in relation to any order for goods, our total liability for that order is limited to the amount paid for the affected goods, except to the extent the law provides otherwise.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for fraud, death or personal injury caused by negligence, or any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

14. Privacy

Our Privacy Statement explains how we collect, use, store and disclose personal information. By using the Website or placing an order, you acknowledge that we may handle your personal information in accordance with that Privacy Statement.

15. Complaints

If you have a question, complaint or concern about the Website, an order or your privacy, please contact:

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 04 472 4250
Postal/Physical address: Unit 2, 30 Downer Street, Lower Hutt 5010, New Zealand

16. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The version published on the Website at the time of your use or order will apply.

17. Governing law

These Terms are governed by New Zealand law. You and we submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the New Zealand courts and, where applicable, the Disputes Tribunal of New Zealand.