ASOS shopping. Credit: T. Schneider, Shutterstock
Online fashion retailer ASOS is facing fierce backlash after banning some UK customers for returning too many items.
The move, enforced under its fair use policy, has raised questions about consumer rights, inconsistent sizing, and how much power retailers should have over their shoppers.
“We recently closed the accounts of a small group of customers whose shopping activity has consistently fallen outside our fair use policy. This helps us maintain our commitment to offering free returns to all customers across all core markets,” ASOS told the BBC.
In the last financial year, ASOS shipped 67.2 million orders worldwide.
ASOS customers furious over account closures without warning
Shoppers say they were blindsided by sudden bans, often without any opportunity to appeal.
Lucy Britnell, a self-described “shopaholic” from Teesside, had used and paid for Asos Premier since 2018. (ASOS Premier offers unlimited Next Day and Nominated Day Delivery on £15+ (€17.65) orders (plus, free Standard Delivery on everything else) for £9.95 (€11.72) a year.) After spending over £500 (€586.50) on a recent holiday shop, she received a termination email from the company.
“Most of the time I have to order two sizes and then I’ll return the one that doesn’t fit – and ASOS sizing, especially its own brands, is very unpredictable,” Britnell told the BBC.
Her frustration deepened when, on the same day her account was banned, ASOS contacted her via Instagram asking to repost a photo of her wearing their clothing. “It was a real slap in the face – I thought it was a joke at first.”
ASOS customer service slammed as “robotic” and “unhelpful”
Other banned shoppers say the appeals process is practically non-existent.
Louise Gowrie, 27, from Glasgow, tried to challenge her ban through the Asos live chat system but was repeatedly cut off.
“They told me the decision was final – and cut me off again with no reasoning,” she told the BBC.
Frankie Allen, a 32-year-old PR director from London, also fell foul of the policy despite 20 years of loyalty. Like many others, she regularly orders two sizes and returns the one that doesn’t fit.
Retail experts say the cost of online returns is increasingly unsustainable.
“Managing high volumes of returns simply isn’t a sustainable model,” said Medi Parry-Williams. “In many cases, a return fee of £3.95 (€4.63) doesn’t come close to covering these costs.”
ASOS first warned in 2019 that it could shut down accounts with excessive returns. Last year in Britain, ASOS started charging £3.95 for frequent returners, and for those who kept less than £40 of their order. However, returns remain free on the ASOS Irish site, as noted by BusinessPlus.ie.
ASOS isn’t alone in this returns conundrum. Fellow fast-fashion brand Pretty Little Thing deactivated accounts last year for similar reasons, shortly after adding a £1.99 (€2.33) return fee.
Returns have become a logistics and environmental nightmare for the fashion industry. Data from Statista shows that three in four returned items of clothing are dumped in landfill or burnt due to processing fees.
As some high street stores vanish and online fashion dominates, many shoppers rely on return flexibility to get sizing right. Is it fair for retailers to police returns, or should they invest in consistent sizing and better customer support instead?
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