Asos launches new return policy after announcing it will blacklist ‘serial returners’
The retailer will take action if it notices an ‘unusual pattern of returns activity’
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Your support makes all the difference.Online retailer Asos has announced a change to its returns policy which could lead to some users having their accounts deactivated.
Earlier this year, Asos, in addition to several other retailers, said it was going to start blacklisting "serial returners" from the website.
"Serial returners" is a term which refers to consumers who frequently buy clothes online, wear them, and then return them for a full refund.
This week, Asos sent an email to its shoppers, detailing the change to its returns policy.
The company stated that in order to ensure returns are made in a "sustainable" way, if it notices an "unusual pattern" of returns activity, it may "investigate and take action".
Asos provides more information about its "fair use" policy on the website, explaining that it's unlikely to affect the majority of people who shop through the retailer.
"[If] 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 [sic]," the company states.
Asos adds that if a person believes their account has been wrongfully deactivated, they should contact customer care.
In addition to cracking down on serial returners, Asos' new returns policy will also allow shoppers to return unwanted purchases after the usual 28 days.
Within the first 28 days of an Asos purchase, consumers can return the product for a full refund.
Now, should they wish to return a purchase after 29 to 45 days, they can still do so, but will receive an Asos gift voucher for the amount they spent as opposed to a full refund.
In December 2018, it was reported that Asos shares had dropped 37 per cent after the online retailer warned it had experienced a "significant deterioration" in trading.
“The current backdrop of economic uncertainty across many of our major markets together with a weakening in consumer confidence has led to the weakest growth in online clothing sales in recent years," Asos stated at the time.
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