Thank you for choosing Stela Clinic for your weight management journey. By accessing and using our website, assessment tools, and services (together, the "Platforms"), you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions ("Terms") and our Privacy Policy. This document forms a legally binding agreement between you ("you," "your," "yours") and Stela Clinic ("we," "us," "our").
We are committed to providing high-quality, patient-centred care. We have adopted the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights, which outlines your rights as a consumer in New Zealand.
This document is divided into the following parts:
Stela Clinic operates an online health platform dedicated to comprehensive weight management. We provide services ("Services") which include:
Facilitating communications (including advice and consultations) between you and our medical, allied health, and support staff (our "Stela Team"), including:
Providing or facilitating the following services and products:
Each time you access or use the Platforms (including the use of any of the Services), you acknowledge and warrant that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. The Terms form a legally binding agreement between us and you. If you do not agree to the Terms, you must immediately exit and not access or use the Platforms and the Services provided by us.
You are responsible for complying with the Terms, and any other requirements necessary to access the Platforms or otherwise access the Services.
We reserve the right to:
From time to time, we may review and update the Terms. Any variation to the Terms will take effect from the date of publication on the Platform(s), and your continued use of the Services following that date will be bound by those varied terms. The Terms which apply at the time you request or receive a Service are those that govern your access to that Service. Any changes to the Terms do not affect rights and obligations that arose prior to the changes.
Please review these Terms periodically for changes. Where required to do so, we will provide you reasonable notice of changes.
The Services provided through the Platforms are only available to individuals who:
When you register with us, you will provide us with personal information about you, including your name, age, date of birth, gender, contact details, and sensitive information such as health information. We will handle your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy. We will access your national health index to verify your personal identity and to provide efficient and timely medical care.
You agree that all information you provide via the Platforms (including to Stela Practitioners, Stela Contributors, our partner pharmacy, and Associate Couriers) will be true, accurate, up-to-date, and complete and that you will not omit any information that is requested of you, or that a reasonable person would consider relevant to the Services you seek. The provision of incorrect information in connection with obtaining prescription medicines may constitute a criminal offence.
We reserve the right to not provide, or to withdraw the provision of, any Services to you in circumstances including where, at any time:
When you undertake a consultation with a Stela Practitioner (doctor or nurse), you enter into a practitioner-patient treatment relationship with that Stela Practitioner.
Stela Practitioners operate with clinical independence and are solely responsible for the healthcare services they provide to you, including compliance with standards of care, record keeping, and other professional obligations, as well as compliance with relevant privacy laws. They have the same obligations to you as if they were consulting you in person.
Our services focus on assessment of your suitability for our program, and medical advice and the issuing of prescriptions in connection with obesity management.
We do not guarantee that you will be able to consult with a particular Stela Practitioner. You acknowledge that a Stela Practitioner may, in their absolute discretion, refuse to prescribe medication to you, issue you a repeat prescription, and/or provide any other services or referrals requested by you.
Furthermore, the continuation of your treatment program and the provision of further services (including prescriptions) are contingent upon your adherence to the recommended treatment plan, which may include mandatory follow-up appointments with a medical doctor when deemed clinically necessary by a Stela Practitioner. If you decline such mandated appointments or other crucial aspects of your treatment plan, the clinic reserves the right to review, modify, or discontinue the provision of further treatment and services.
We do not guarantee that a consultation through the Platforms is suitable for you or is the appropriate course of treatment for your particular health condition. The Stela Practitioner with whom you consult will be solely responsible for determining:
We take no responsibility and make no warranties, express or implied, in relation to the content of any consultation between you and a Stela Practitioner (including any medical advice provided, prescriptions given, and/or medicine and/or medical device supplied by a Stela Practitioner). You and the Stela Practitioner are responsible for the conduct of each consultation and all information or communications made.
A Stela Practitioner may issue a prescription for a particular medicine and/or medical device and with a particular number of repeats if they consider it to be clinically appropriate. You acknowledge and agree that:
You agree that the fact that a Stela Practitioner prescribes you a particular medicine does not constitute a representation that that medicine is available for dispensing from our partner pharmacy or elsewhere. We take no responsibility and make no warranties, express or implied, about the available supply of any medicine prescribed by a Stela Practitioner.
Certain Stela Contributors (e.g., dietitians) may provide dietary advice and general health and exercise advice within their scope of practice. You acknowledge that this advice is provided in connection with comprehensive weight management.
You and the relevant Stela Contributor are responsible for all information or communications made in connection with any advice provided.
You acknowledge that Stela Practitioners and Stela Contributors may request confirmation or clarification of information you have previously provided, and may request additional information from you. You agree to provide accurate, complete, and up-to-date information to Stela Practitioners and Stela Contributors (and to correct any previously provided information which is or becomes inaccurate). You further acknowledge that the provision of incorrect information in connection with obtaining prescription medicines may constitute a criminal offence.
Stela Practitioners and Stela Contributors will keep records of each consultation or other communication with you, and it is their responsibility (where applicable) to maintain your clinical and other records as required by law and in accordance with the Privacy Policy. We may hold those records and will maintain them as required by law and in accordance with the Privacy Policy. We will use Elixir as our patient management system for secure cloud-based data storage.
If a Stela Practitioner prescribes you a medicine, you must carefully read all information provided to you via the Platforms about that medicine (as well as any information provided in connection with our partner pharmacy, if applicable). You must also follow any medical advice provided to you by a Stela Practitioner or a Stela Contributor in relation to any prescribed medicine.
You acknowledge and agree that your active participation in your care plan is essential for the effective and safe provision of our Services. This includes, but is not limited to, attending all scheduled follow-up appointments, including those where a specific type of Stela Practitioner (e.g., a medical doctor) is mandated for clinical reasons. Failure to comply with these requirements, or declining recommended treatments or follow-up modalities, may result in the clinic's inability to safely and effectively continue your treatment, and we reserve the right to cease providing services or prescriptions to you in such circumstances.
It is your responsibility to advise your general medical practitioner of any medicines or treatments our Stela Practitioners have prescribed you. However, if you would like our Stela Practitioners or Stela Contributors to forward such information to your general medical practitioner on your behalf, please let your Stela Practitioner know and provide your written consent for us to do so.
You should contact your general medical practitioner immediately if your medical condition changes or your symptoms worsen. You agree that, if you suffer from any noticeable side effects from any medication or treatment you receive, you will either immediately let us know via text message or email, book a consultation with one of our Stela practitioners, or consult your general medical practitioner.
We are not a pharmacy and do not supply any pharmacy-only or prescription medications directly to patients. We offer two options for having prescriptions issued by Stela Practitioners fulfilled:
A Stela Practitioner may, in their clinical discretion, determine that one of these options is more appropriate for your circumstances. You acknowledge that any Dispensing Pharmacy may refuse to dispense your medication for any reason, including on the basis of their own clinical judgment or unavailability of the prescribed medication.
If our partner pharmacy will arrange for the delivery to your shipping address by an Associate Courier. For this purpose, you consent to us providing your personal information to the Associate Courier in accordance with the Privacy Policy, and you agree to the Associate Courier contacting you to confirm delivery details.
You may be provided with an estimated delivery time frame. You acknowledge that this is an estimate only and is based on the assumption that our partner pharmacy has all the information it requires to be able, and in its absolute discretion decides, to dispense the prescribed medicine to you and that the Associate Courier has all the information it requires to deliver the prescribed medication to you. Without limitation, if our partner pharmacy or Associate Courier does not have all the information it requires to dispense or deliver the prescribed medicine to you (as applicable), then a different delivery time may apply.
You are responsible for ensuring that you have appropriate arrangements in place to accept delivery of your medicine. We are not responsible for the actions of an Associate Courier.
If your medicine appears to be damaged, wrongly dispensed, or your delivery is delayed, you should contact us to seek advice using the contact details provided in these Terms.
In addition to our standard services, Stela Clinic offers an optional Membership Plan for patients on specific treatment paths. The Membership Plan operates on a recurring weekly payment basis and provides enhanced access to and management of your treatment. There are two tiers of the Membership Plan:
The specific plan you are on is determined by the treatment prescribed by your Stela Practitioner.
The benefits of the Membership Plan include:
The specific fees, payment structure, and deposit requirements for the Membership Plan are detailed in the "Payments, Refunds, and Cancellations" section of these Terms.
All fees are in New Zealand Dollars (NZD) and are inclusive of GST. Our fees may include:
With the exception of certain products and services which may be purchased on a one-off basis, all Services offered via the Platforms may be purchased on an automatically renewing subscription basis or through one-time follow-up consultations. Generally, prescriptions will only be issued following a consultation with our Stela Practitioners.
If and for so long as a subscription contract is on foot between you and us, you agree for the payment mechanism you have provided us to be billed at regular intervals. We will give you notice of this in advance of each renewal date and provide you the opportunity to pause or cancel your subscription before your contract is renewed.
When you conclude a subscription contract with us, the fact that the subscription fee is a particular price (or that any other term provides for particular rights or obligations) does not constitute a representation that renewed contracts with us will contain that subscription fee (or any other term). Accordingly, we may, in our sole discretion, vary the fees and payment terms applying to the Services at any time.
Any change to the fees or payment terms applying to the Services will be immediately effective upon the publication of that change on the Platforms or by otherwise providing notice to you and will apply to the Services requested by you following that change. You will be provided an opportunity to decide not to renew the subscription contract in these circumstances.
If you have booked or paid for Services prior to a change in fees or payment terms being published on the Platform(s) or otherwise notified to you, but have not received the Services prior to that change taking effect, you will not be charged more for the applicable Services at the time you receive them.
All prices listed on the Platforms for the Services are inclusive of GST and shipping costs where relevant.
Payment Structure: The Membership Plan requires an initial upfront payment consisting of a $480 Refundable Security Deposit plus your first weekly membership fee ($80 or $150). Following this, the applicable weekly membership fee will be charged on a recurring basis.
Security Deposit Purpose: The $480 Security Deposit is held by us to cover the significant upfront cost of the medication provided to you as part of your plan. Medication is dispensed in multi-week quantities (a "Supply Cycle"), and the deposit protects the clinic against the financial loss of this medication in the event of early cancellation.
Security Deposit Refund Conditions: Your $480 Security Deposit is fully refundable when your membership ends, provided that the total weekly fees you have paid during your most recent Supply Cycle are sufficient to cover the cost of the medication dispensed for that cycle.
If you cancel your membership after a new medication supply has been dispensed but before you have completed the full payment cycle for that supply, a portion of your deposit will be retained to cover the medication costs not yet covered by your weekly fees. The refundable portion of your deposit is determined by your plan and how many weekly payments you have made within that Supply Cycle, as detailed below:
| Membership Plan | Refundable Portion of Deposit if You Cancel After 1 Week (1 Payment) | Refundable Portion of Deposit if You Cancel After 4 Weeks (4 Payments) |
|---|---|---|
| $150 / week | $120.00 is refunded. | The full $480.00 is refunded. |
| $80 / week | $60.00 is refunded. | $240.00 is refunded. |
A 'Supply Cycle' refers to the multi-week period for which medication is dispensed at one time. For the $80/week plan, the Supply Cycle is 8 weeks. For the $150/week plan, the Supply Cycle is 4 weeks.
For the $80 per week plan, the full $480 deposit becomes refundable after the completion of the full 8-week Supply Cycle. To initiate the cancellation of your membership and the refund process for your deposit, you must contact us at admin@stela.co.nz.
You may cancel your Membership at any time by emailing us. To avoid being charged for the next weekly fee and to prevent the dispatch of your next medication supply, you must provide at least 5 business days’ notice before your next scheduled weekly payment.
For all patients, payment is made by credit/debit card or via other accepted payment methods as outlined on our website.
When you add a new credit or debit card, you may see a $1 pending charge on your bank statement. This is a temporary authorisation charge to confirm the card is valid and is refunded immediately. However, bank processing times can vary, and the charge may take up to ten days to disappear from your bank statement.
When booking an appointment or while waiting to see the next available Stela Practitioner online, Stela Clinic will validate the payment method by placing a temporary "hold of funds" for the cost of the selected appointment, which will then be released. This method ensures the payment method is valid and reliable. The return of funds is controlled by each individual's bank, and if not available immediately, should take no longer than 3 days to be released.
Stela Clinic does not directly collect or hold customer payment card information. All payment card collection, storage, and transactions are performed directly by our secure Payment Card Industry compliant third-party payment processor. At no time are full customer card details viewable by Stela Clinic.
All payments must be made prior to the consultation or prescription of medicines.
If your credit or debit card is declined by its financial institution or fails to process, Stela Clinic may attempt the same card again and/or contact you to make alternative payment arrangements. Stela Clinic may decline to provide future appointments until all unpaid invoices have been settled.
In the event that payment is not received by the end of the month in which services were provided, an administrative charge may be applied to the outstanding balance. This charge is intended to cover administrative costs associated with late payment processing.
Patients exceeding the debt threshold must make a prepayment equivalent to the estimated cost of the services they seek before scheduling any additional appointments or receiving care. For patients having difficulty with payment, payment plans can be put in place.
Failure to settle outstanding account balances within a reasonable timeframe may result in the termination of services to the patient, once all steps to recoup outstanding debts have been made. You are liable for all costs associated with debt collection where you default in payment of any invoice.
We may provide discounts (including through the use of promotional codes) for particular Services and for particular patients, in particular circumstances.
Promotional codes for services which include prescription medicines are only available to patients of Stela Practitioners who have determined, in their clinical discretion, that they are suitable for the medicine. The offer of a promotional code to you for such services does not constitute any representation that a Stela Practitioner will determine you to be suitable for any medicine.
Unless otherwise specified, a promotional code:
Violation of any of these Terms will invalidate the promotion and render the promotional code inapplicable.
You have rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and the Fair Trading Act 1986 in relation to the provision of the Services, as well as in relation to any goods and services provided to you by our partner pharmacy, including rights to refunds, replacements, and repairs in certain circumstances.
Subject to your rights set out above, we will only offer refunds for payments made to our partner pharmacy, if:
Consultation fees are non-refundable, except as required by law, including your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993. You may be eligible for a medication refund if your payment has been processed but the medication hasn't been dispatched yet.
Weekly Fees and the cost of medication are non-refundable once medication has been dispensed by the pharmacy, as prescription medicines cannot be returned.
Security Deposits for the Membership Plan are only refundable in accordance with the specific conditions outlined in the "Stela Clinic Membership Plan - Fees & Security Deposit" section of these Terms.
Refunds will only be offered if a Stela Practitioner deems you clinically unsuitable for treatment before medication is dispensed, or if a significant pricing or service error is identified on our part.
If you are eligible for a refund, it will be made using the payment method you used for the original transaction. We cannot process refunds to alternative cards or payment methods. If you terminate a paid subscription, your subscription will remain active until the end of your then-current subscription period, and any products that have already been paid for will be delivered, unless otherwise agreed at the time of cancellation.
A deposit of $480 will be collected initially for weekly subscription services. If your order or subscription is cancelled after your medicine has been dispensed from our partner pharmacy within one week of dispensing the medication (i.e. have only made one payment for that corresponding 4 week period where the medicines have been dispensed), you will not be able to apply for the return of the deposit.
Booked Appointments: You may cancel or reschedule an appointment free of charge up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time.
Membership or Treatment Plan Cancellation: You may cancel your recurring plan at any time by contacting us at admin@stela.co.nz. Your cancellation will take effect at the end of your current billing cycle. The refundability of your Security Deposit (if applicable) will be assessed at the time of cancellation based on the conditions above.
You must not:
Without limiting the above, you will not and will not permit a third party to:
You must not link to, frame, or mirror any part of the Platforms for a commercial purpose without our written authorisation. To discuss partnership opportunities, please contact us at admin@stela.co.nz.
The Platforms may contain links to or display the content of third parties (Third Party Content), including links to websites operated by other organisations and individuals (Third Party Websites). Third Party Content and Third Party Websites are not under our control. We have not reviewed the Third Party Content and do not control these Third Party Websites. We do not endorse, approve, or make any warranty or claim regarding Third Party Content, Third Party Websites, or the products, services, or information available on any Third Party Website, or in respect of the owner or operator of a Third Party Website or their conduct. If you use or rely upon Third Party Content or Third Party Websites, you do so solely at your own risk.
A cookie is a small text file stored in your computer’s memory or on your hard disk for a predefined period of time. We use cookies to identify specific machines in order to collect aggregate information on how visitors experience the Platforms. This information will help to better adapt the Platforms to suit customer requirements.
We may use third-party vendors to show our ads on sites on the internet and serve these ads based on a user’s prior visits to our Platforms. We may also use analytics data supplied by these vendors to inform and optimise our advertising campaigns based on your prior visits to our Platforms or the websites belonging to members of our group. While cookies allow a computer to be identified, they do not contain personal information about a specific individual. For information on cookie settings of your internet browser, please refer to your browser’s manual.
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless us and our related entities, our directors, officers, partners, employees, agents, contractors, affiliates, service providers, suppliers, and licensors in respect of any liability, loss, or damages (including reasonable legal fees) suffered or incurred by them arising (in whole or part) out of your breach of or failure to comply with any of these Terms (or the documents they incorporate by reference), your use of the Platforms, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third party.
We are not responsible for, and accept no liability with respect to, any material uploaded, posted, transmitted, or otherwise made available on the Platforms by any person other than us. We do not endorse any opinion, advice, or statement made by any person other than us.
To the extent permitted by law, including the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and the Fair Trading Act 1986, in no event shall we be liable for any indirect loss or damage which may be suffered due to your use of our Platforms and/or the information or materials contained on them, or as a result of the inaccessibility of our Platforms and/or the fact that certain information or materials contained on them are incomplete, incorrect, or out of date.
To the extent permitted by applicable law, we disclaim any liability resulting from the provision of services (including advice) by Stela Practitioners and the supply of goods (and associated advice) by our partner pharmacy. Liability shall rest with the appropriate provider and shall not be deemed to rest with us. All Stela Practitioners and our partner pharmacy are solely responsible for the clinical services they perform including (in the case of our partner pharmacy) the supply of medications.
All material on the Platforms, including the text, information, graphics, trading names, logos, design, layout, downloads, pricing, products, and services ("Content") is owned by or licensed to us. You must not reproduce, transmit, adapt, distribute, sell, modify, publish, or store Content for any purpose, other than as set out in these Terms, without our prior written consent or as permitted by law. All our rights are reserved.
We respect the intellectual property of others, and we expect you to do the same. Except as explicitly provided in these Terms, neither your use or engagement with the Services or these Terms grants you any right, title, or interest in or to the Content.
By accessing our Platforms, you understand and accept that:
To the extent permitted by law, all warranties, conditions, and claims (whether express or implied) arising out of or in any way connected with the Platforms and their use are hereby excluded.
We make no guarantee that the products and services provided through the Platforms are fit for your intended purpose. All products and services provided through the Platforms are provided on an 'as is' basis without warranty of any kind, express or implied.
Nothing in these Terms is intended to exclude, restrict, or modify any condition, guarantee, warranty, right, or remedy that you may have under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 or any other applicable legislation which may not be excluded, restricted, or modified by agreement.
When registering with Stela Clinic, you give us the email address and phone number where you wish to receive confirmations, reminders, receipts, and other notifications from Stela Clinic. In the event your contact details change, you are responsible for updating these within your account or contacting our Customer Experience Team at admin@stela.co.nz for assistance.
We may use your contact information to communicate marketing content. You are able to unsubscribe from this type of communication at any point.
For details about the information we collect about you, how we use it, and how it’s shared and stored, please see our Privacy Policy.
To ensure online safety, we recommend that you do not share your device, phone number, or email address, and enable biometric authorisation (e.g., Face ID, or Touch ID) in the Account Settings on the Stela Clinic app if your device supports it. Be conscious of where you are attending your online appointment from, and choose a private space in order to keep your personal medical information confidential.
We may ask you to verify your identity. We do this to protect against unauthorised access to your personal health information and to guard against fraud.
Our preference is for photographic identification (driver's licence or passport). If this is not available, we may accept two other forms of non-photographic identification (e.g., utilities bill, credit or debit card, birth certificate, etc.).
We are only able to provide prescriptions or referrals elsewhere in the health system (including lab tests and radiology) if we are able to validate your identity to our satisfaction.
If you are not happy with any part of your Stela Clinic experience, you can make a complaint by contacting our Customer Experience Team at admin@stela.co.nz
You also have rights and we have responsibilities to you as a consumer under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights and nothing we set out in these Terms takes away those rights and responsibilities.
If your concern is about an aspect of the health or disability services that we provide, you have a right to complain under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights. You can make your complaint direct to us by using the link above, and you can also access free and independent support to help raise your concerns through the Health and Disability Commissioner’s Advocacy Office, or contact them on 0800 555 050. More information about your rights and our responsibilities under that Code, as well as your right to complain, is available here: HDC - Your rights & our process.
If you have concerns about privacy issues, then please also let us know by emailing it to admin@stela.co.nz. You can also review our Privacy Policy. If you have a complaint about privacy issues and we do not resolve it to your satisfaction then you can raise your concerns with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.
We may terminate or suspend your ability to use the services, or your account with us, at any time if we have a genuine concern that the relationship between you and us or you and any of our health practitioners is severely compromised, or for any other reason.
We will give you notice of any suspension or termination (including reasons for that suspension or termination) and you will be able to respond to that notice. We will also try to help you find an alternative provider, and we will bear in mind our duties to end our customer/clinician relationship responsibly and appropriately, with your needs in mind.
We will end your account automatically if we receive notice that you have died.
You may end your account with us and/or close your account at any time by emailing admin@stela.co.nz.
If your account is closed, either by you or by us, we will continue to hold your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
You will continue to receive communications from us unless you opt out.
Termination of the agreement between us, or ending your account, does not relieve either party from any liability that party has up to the time of termination, including any obligation to unpaid invoices.
You are responsible for your use of the services and ensuring that the services meet your personal requirements. Subject to our obligations at law and these terms of use, you use our services at your own risk. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account and devices by keeping your user account information and log-in details confidential and secure, ensuring you have appropriate biometric and/or passcodes set, and not sharing any such information with any third party.
We rely on you to be honest with us and to comply with these terms of use. You agree to indemnify us against all liabilities, losses, claims, and expenses that Stela Clinic suffers or incurs as a result of your use of the services in breach of the terms of this agreement, including in relation to any misrepresentations, inaccurate, or misleading statements concerning your eligibility or entitlement to receive the services (whether made intentionally or not).
These Terms are governed by the laws of New Zealand. The Platforms may be accessed throughout New Zealand.
You, and we, agree to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New Zealand and any courts that may hear appeals from those courts in respect of any proceedings in connection with these Terms.
WE, AND THE SERVICES, ARE NOT A SUITABLE SERVICE FOR EMERGENCY CIRCUMSTANCES. If you are in an emergency situation or need urgent assistance, including severe chest pain or breathlessness, heavy bleeding, broken bones, or loss of consciousness, please call 111 or seek urgent medical help at your nearest hospital emergency department immediately.
If you have any queries regarding these Terms, please contact us at admin@stela.co.nz.
Last updated: 09/07/25