Fast fashion retailer Asos has notified its customers of an update to its returns policy, with a higher fee introduced for those deemed to be serial returners.
From October 2024, Asos will take £3.95 from refunds for customers with a high return rate – unless they keep at least £40 worth of items.
The retailer’s loyalty members will also be impacted. Asos Premier members, who pay £9.95 annually for benefits such as free next-day delivery, will also be charged for high return rates. However, they will only be required to retain £15 worth of goods to bypass the fee.
An email to customers reads: “We know how much our customers love Free Returns, and we will continue to make Free Returns available to all UK customers. However, as part of a small group of customers with a frequently high returns rate, you’ll now only get Free Returns when you keep £40 or more from your order.
“If you keep less than £40 from your order, we’ll deduct £3.95 from your refund. The vast majority of customers will still receive Free Returns on all orders. Don’t worry, this change will only apply to orders placed from 8 October 2024, and you’ll be reminded on-site.”
The DeliveryX Returns 2024 report looks at how a number of retailers are charging for returns since Zara set the precedent in May 2022. Unlike Asos, H&M’s loyalty scheme will enable consumers to return items free of charge.
Additionally, Oh Polly will calculate the returns fee based on the percentage of items returned. If a customer returned up to 50% of their order they will be charged £2.99 to send it back. If they wish to return between 90 – 100% of their order the charge rises to £8.99.
Furthermore, customers that are deemed to have high return rates and therefore display “unusual returns activity” will be subject to an increased fee. This will only decrease once their return rate falls and a review into their activity is carried out.
The DeliveryX Returns 2024 report harnesses ConsumerX research to present how charging for returns has impacted customer loyalty.
This report looks to showcase how the top retailers aren’t leaving returns out of their operational equations, and by handling returns with care are being seen as reliable and sustainable.
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