Free returns used to be regular practice in this scenario but nowadays plenty of major fashion retailers don’t offer that option.
Research conducted by Which? looked at the returns policies of the 20 biggest online fashion retailers and found that 12 do not offer free postal returns.
The consumer champion also shared that the fees aren’t always made clear early on in the checkout journey.
Gurpreet Chokar, Which? consumer law expert, said that it was becoming “increasingly common” for customers to foot the bill if they couldn’t return their item to a physical shop as many online retailers were now shifting away from free online returns.
“While some shoppers will be able to return items at physical stores without any extra charges, retailers must ensure that any return fees are clear upfront so that customers can make an informed decision before they place their order,” Ms Chokar said.
What do major retailers charge for postal returns?
PrettyLittleThing, H&M and Boohoo are among the stores charging the lowest return fee at £1.99 while MandM Direct charges customers between £2.99-£3.99.
Quite a few retailers will ask the customer to pay for postage, such as Matalan, Sports Direct and TK Maxx.
A couple offer free postal returns in specific circumstances, such as with Shein as the first return label per order is free.
Which? found that Zara, River Island and New Look outline their postal return fees on product listing pages, but “other retailers don’t explicitly state that you have to pay for returns anywhere during the checkout process”.
They add: “When shopping online, it’s worth first checking whether you’ll face any returns fees if you do decide to send items back.”
Recommended reading:
What are your rights for postal returns?
Regulations state that consumers have a right to return an item they have purchased online.
The product does not have to be in its original packaging, but a company is entitled to ask for some form of proof of purchase.
Companies are not allowed to charge you for items that were placed in your online shopping basket as a result of a pre-ticked box.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, consumers also do not have to pay for returns if their item is faulty or not as described.