> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.refund.co.nz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How Refund Works: From Fine Upload to Full Resolution

> Refund reads your notice, finds the legal grounds, drafts the challenge, and chases the council — all in about two minutes to get started.

Fighting a fine in New Zealand doesn't have to mean filling out forms, deciphering bylaws, or waiting on hold with a council. Refund handles the whole process for you: it reads your notice, figures out the strongest grounds to challenge it under New Zealand law, writes the submission, sends it the moment you approve it, and keeps pushing until you get an answer. Here's how each step works.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Snap your notice">
    Upload a photo or PDF of your ticket — or, if you don't have one handy, describe the situation in plain English. Refund reads the infringement number, date, location, and amount automatically, so you don't have to type anything out or track down a reference number.
  </Step>

  <Step title="We find your grounds">
    Refund works out who issued the notice — whether that's Auckland Transport, Wellington City Council, a district council, a tow operator, or a public-transport authority — then matches your situation to the relevant law. Depending on the matter, that could be the Land Transport Act, the applicable council bylaw, or the Consumer Guarantees Act. You see the grounds before anything is sent.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Your agent chases it">
    Once you approve, Refund drafts the formal review or claim in your name and sends it directly to the right authority. It tracks the statutory deadline, logs every response, and follows up automatically if the council or operator goes quiet. You'll be notified as soon as there's an update — no manual chasing required.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Refund's agent works with every NZ council and transport operator nationwide — Auckland Transport, Wellington City Council, Christchurch City Council, Hamilton, Tauranga, Dunedin, Invercargill, and any other district or city council. You don't need to work out who to contact; Refund resolves that from your notice automatically.
</Note>

<Accordion title="Should I just pay the fine?">
  Sometimes that's the right call — particularly if the infringement is clear-cut and the deadline is close. But a large number of NZ fines fall over the moment someone cites the right law back at the authority. A broken pay machine, a sign obscured by foliage, a missed response deadline on the council's end, or a card reader that failed to tag you off — these are all legitimate grounds that authorities routinely accept when they're put to them properly. Letting Refund check costs you nothing, and people are often surprised by the result.
</Accordion>

<Card title="Ready to fight your fine?" icon="rocket" href="https://refund.co.nz/start">
  Start your case at refund.co.nz/start — free to begin, takes about two minutes.
</Card>