Fashion Brand Joins Others in Charging Customers for Unwanted Clothing Returns

  • PrettyLittleThing introduces returns fee
  • Charge of £1.99 for returning orders
  • Fee deducted from refund amount
  • Applies to PLT Royalty members as well
  • Customers complain about inconsistent sizing
  • Boohoo, H&M, Asos and New Look also introduced returns fee
  • Retail payment specialists Dojo suggest rising costs of processing returns
  • Online retailer Oh Polly charges up to £8.99 for some customers’ returns

PrettyLittleThing has become the latest fashion retailer to introduce a returns fee, following in the footsteps of Boohoo, H&M, Asos, and New Look. The £1.99 charge will be deducted from customers’ refunds for returning orders, including PLT Royalty members who previously enjoyed unlimited free delivery. Customers have taken to social media to express their dissatisfaction with the new policy, citing inconsistent sizing as a reason for increased returns. Retail payment specialists Dojo suggest that this move aims to tackle the rising costs of processing high amounts of returns, exacerbated by ‘buy now, pay later’ services like Klarna. Online retailer Oh Polly recently introduced a new policy charging up to £8.99 for some customers’ returns.

Factuality Level: 7
Factuality Justification: The article provides accurate and relevant information about PrettyLittleThing introducing a return fee for customers, mentions other brands that have implemented similar policies, and explains the reason behind it (rising costs of processing returns). However, there is some slight sensationalism in the language used (‘inconsistent sizing’ instead of ‘inconsistent sizing’) and the article could be more objective in its presentation.
Noise Level: 5
Noise Justification: The article is mostly focused on reporting recent changes in return policies of fashion brands without providing much analysis or insight into the underlying reasons behind these decisions or their potential impact on the industry.
Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: Retail industry
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses PrettyLittleThing introducing a returns fee for customers, which impacts their financial operations and may affect customer behavior in purchasing decisions. This can have an impact on the retail company’s sales and revenue. It also mentions other fashion brands like Boohoo, H&M, Asos, and New Look implementing similar policies, indicating a potential trend within the industry.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: No
Extreme Rating Justification: There is no extreme event in the text.

Reported publicly: www.retailgazette.co.uk