Web shops ditch free returns to tackle the ‘serial returners’

ONLINE stores are making it more difficult to send back items as they face massive losses due to ‘serial returners’.

Four in ten admit they do not offer free returns as a way to discourage shoppers from returning non-faulty items.

And a further 12 per cent have stopped offering the service because it became too expensive, according to a study.

The shift comes in response to the increasing trend of shoppers regularly abusing the returns system.

Consumers have the right to return items that are faulty or don’t fit, including clothes and shoes. Many online stores make it easy for customers to do this by offering free returns on unwanted items.

But estimates show that a quarter of returned items are unfit for resale – often because they have been used, are marked or have parts missing, according to research by Barclaycard.

There is evidence that people are returning items and demanding a full refund even if they have been worn or damaged.

When shopping for clothes, many shoppers will also buy the same item in different sizes and colours with the intention of trying them on and returning the ones they don’t want.

Because they may no longer be in season by the time they are returned, retailers are therefore unable to re-sell them. Such ‘buy-and-return habits’ have forced a fifth of retailers to introduce a system to dispose of stock they cannot resell, with one in ten using a third-party reseller to get rid of items at a loss.

The fashion company Boden offers a free returns policy, but has warned customers that ‘rotten apples’ who abuse the system could find their transactions blocked.

Its website states: ‘If you are a pathological chancer and simply can’t help yourself, we recommend trying it on with our competitors instead.’ Barclaycard said charging for returns could backfire, with a third of people saying it would put them off shopping.

Barclaycard said: ‘Retailers’ decisions to restrict returns policies could ultimately be having a negative impact on their business.’

Sharon Manikon, from Barclaycard, said: ‘In the 21st century we can buy as much as we please at the touch of a button. Shopping is no longer a necessity, it’s a well-loved hobby.

‘Offering a good returns policy can help retailers attract and retain customers. However, it’s crucial to be clear on when customers can and can’t return items.’