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British online fast-fashion and cosmetic retailer Asos plc says it will start charging U.K. non-subscription shoppers who frequently return large amounts of goods a fee of £3.95 ($5.19) to send items back unless they keep at least £40 worth of their order.
The Guardian reports that the e-tailer, which until now has made free returns of unused items within 14 days an important part of its offer in Britain, has written to some shoppers saying it has updated its “fair use” policy for orders made after October 8.
Shoppers signed up to the group’s Premier subscription service who return items frequently will have to keep at least £15 of their original order to escape a fee, while non-subscription shoppers who regularly send back large amounts will have to keep at least £40 of their orders.
Read More: Temu Sellers Protest Against Company Over Fines for Customer Returns
Although the company has not defined what is a frequent rate of returns, one industry definition suggests it applies to a customer who sends back more than nine in 10 of the items they order over an extended period.
In November 2023, Asos cited the battle against high return rates as a significant part of its effort to cut costs, as it tries to boost profits.
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