Recently we wrote about ASOS’s announcement that they are cracking down on their returns policy to stop fraud.
While there was some good news – that the return period is now longer – the brand also announced that they would be taking more notice of those who repeatedly order and return an excessive amount of clothes, to prevent fraudulent activity.
They said: ‘We also need to make sure our returns remain sustainable for us and for the environment, so if we notice an unusual pattern, we might investigate and take action. It’s unlikely to affect you, but we wanted to give you a heads up.’
However, they did add that this is generally a very small percentage of people – recognising the act as more than what the most loyal of customers would buy and return.
They continued: ‘If we notice an unusual pattern of returns activity that doesn’t sit right: e.g. we suspect someone is actually wearing their purchases and then returning them or ordering and returning loads – way, waaay more than even the most loyal ASOS customer would order – then we might have to deactivate the account and any associated accounts.’
So, how can you make sure you aren’t blacklisted when returning new clothes?
Well, ASOS understands that some items just won’t work for you and you’ll want your money back. In most cases, returns will be totally fine.
Acceptable reasons would be if the clothes don’t fit, or if you simply don’t like them in person compared to what they looked like on the website.
As long as the item is still in its original condition, ASOS accepts the returns for free.
If you return an item requesting a refund within 28 days of receiving it, they’ll give you a full refund by way of the original payment method.
If you return an item requesting a refund within 29 and 45 days of receiving it, they’ll give you an ASOS gift voucher for the amount equivalent to the price you paid for the item.
They don’t accept returns for unwanted items after these return periods.
To make sure you do get a refund, you need to keep the item clean, and if it contains a hygiene strip, it must not have been removed.
This means you definitely should not wear the item before returning – which would count as fraud. If you liked the outfit enough to wear it out, but not to actually buy it, you shouldn’t be returning it for a refund.
ASOS says: ‘Of course, it’s fine to try an item on like you would in a shop, but please don’t actually wear it.
‘If an item is returned to us damaged, worn or in an unsuitable condition, we won’t be able to give you a refund and we may have to send it back to you (and ask you to cover the delivery costs). All items are inspected on return.’
To make sure you aren’t looked as suspiciously, make sure you are using ASOS in a reasonable way – which comes under its ‘fair use’ category, where they explain that if you are to order and return an exceptionally high amount of items, you may become subject to having your account, and any associated accounts, deactivated. AKA: banned.
Which would pretty much be the end of the world for fashion fans.
So essentially, as long as you are using the site in an honest way – and not ordering and returning a bunch of items incredibly frequently, you should be all good.
Metro.co.uk reached out to ASOS for further comment on what counts as suspicious activity, but they were reluctant to give away any specifics – so we can’t put a hard number on how many returns would be too many.
They said: ‘There are a number of factors that we take into consideration, but we won’t be disclosing those specifics.’
Just be wary, sensible, and enjoy wearing your paid-for clothes (as long as they actually fit, of course).
Oh, and maybe don’t post photos of yourself on the ‘Gram wearing clothes you sent back because they ‘didn’t fit’.
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