CONSUMER CHAMPION

WHEN you purchase goods online, one of the major advantages is the 14 days you have from the date of delivery to return them for a full, no-questions-asked refund – assuming they remain in original packaging and a sale-worthy condition. Even better, most retailers will pick up the tab for the return, meaning consumers do not have to pay a penny if they have changed their minds about an order. However, all this is set to change. Earlier in the year, Next, Boohoo (which owns BoohooMan, Karen Millen, Nasty Gal, PrettyLittleThing, Coast,

Misspap, Oasis, Burton,

Wallis, Dorothy Perkins,

Warehouse and Debenhams) and Zara announce they would be introducing a charge for returns. Other retailers are likely to follow suit, with fees typically deducted from refunds. Readers have been getting in touch asking why, and whether it’s legal? Here’s what you need to know:

Pass the parcel… no more freebie returns

WHY RETAILERS ARE CHARGING?

It’s become common for younger consumers to order multiple items to try on at home and then return the majority – a changing room at home if you like. This practice, dubbed “bracketing”, is eating into retailers’ profits, especially as the cost of postage and packaging continues to rise.

IS IT LEGAL?

Yes, so long as the retailer informs customers at or before the point of purchase that there will be a cost for returning unwanted items. The law – in this case, The Consumer Contracts Regulations and Consumer Rights Act – only stipulates that traders must pay for goods to be returned when they are faulty, not in circumstances where the consumer has simply changed their mind.

WHAT CAN I DO?

Either find online traders that don’t charge or shop in-store so that you can inspect goods and try them on before committing to a purchase. Perhaps this will be the start of the revival of the high street?