John Lewis cuts 90-day returns policy to just 35

GENERATIONS of shoppers remained loyal to John Lewis, comforted by the knowledge it had one of the most generous refund policies on the high street.

Customers were able to take back an item for up to 90 days, providing it was unused, under a ‘no-quibble’ returns policy.

However, the company has cut the returns deadline to just 35 days from the beginning of this month, without any fanfare.

The major change, designed to save cash and staff time, is one of the first moves by the department store’s new boss, Paula Nickolds.

Its 90- day returns policy had become a particular problem for John Lewis’s fashion department.

It is very difficult to sell an item that is returned weeks after the purchase, even if it is in pristine condition, because trends move on more quickly than in the past.

Equally, someone trying to return an item to get it in a different size can find it is no longer available.

Fashion retailers are also alarmed by a trend among shoppers to buy items, wear them once, and then send them back for a full refund.

The pace of change is also an issue for returned home electronics – with TV sets, tablets, laptops and other gadgets constantly replaced by upgraded new versions with extra bells and whistles.

Items bought before February 1 will still be covered by the 90-day policy. The chain said it will tell customers about the change via receipts, parcels and at the point of sale. Its cut to 35 days brings John Lewis into line with Marks & Spencer. M&S cut its returns deadline from 90 to 35 days in 2009 in a move that triggered a backlash from cus- tomers. John Lewis is likely to suffer a similar response if customers are turned away at tills.

A commenter on the Retail Week website described the change as a ‘very backward step’ and ‘total madness’. Another wrote: ‘Senior management’s actions of reducing service standards and staff will in the end see a dilution of the [John Lewis] unique selling point that will result in further falling profits.’

Others insisted its returns policy was still much better than most retailers. One shopper said the main victims of the change will be people who re- sell John Lewis items on eBay and Amazon.

On social media, he wrote: ‘They buy items in the sale. List them on Amazon then return them if the item hasn’t sold within the 90 days.’

Most high street stores offer a noquibble return within 28 or 30 days. Under the law, shoppers have up to 30 days to return a product that is faulty in return for a full refund. If the fault occurs between 30 days and six months, the retailer is required to at least offer a repair or replacement. John Lewis claims customers will not miss the generous policy after its research found 85 per cent did not know about it. A spokesman said: ‘Our 35- day, noquibble returns policy for unwanted items will be one of the best returns policies of all UK retailers.

‘Before we made the change, we asked our customers about our policy and found that over 85 per cent were unaware of our policy for unwanted items and over 90 per cent of customers who change their mind about a product bring it back within 35 days.

‘ Today, our product ranges – particularly clothing – change much more frequently than they used to and bringing items back once products are out of stock can lead to disappointment.’

‘It’ll result in more falling profits’