ASOS has introduced a new charge for some shoppers, potentially bringing next-day delivery costs close to £10. Those with a high return rate now face an additional £3.95 fee, separate from standard delivery costs. This applies to customers who return more than 80% of items in five or more orders.
The new fee means a shopper with a high return rate opting for next-day delivery would pay £9.90, as ASOS charges £5.95 for this service. Standard delivery, priced at £4.50 or free for orders over £40, would cost high-return customers £8.45. For instant delivery, which can cost up to £11.95, the total would be £15.90.
ASOS already charges £3.95 for returns from high-return customers unless they keep £40 or more of their order. Shoppers with a return rate of 70% or less can still enjoy free returns. Customers can check their return rate by logging into their ASOS account.
The Sun reports that shoppers have taken to TikTok to criticize the new charge. One shopper said: "This new returns rate thing is diabolical. I understand they wanna reduce returns, but if you're online that's something they gotta deal with." Another commented: "No other company has upped their delivery costs to this, that's wild. ASOS needs avoiding." A third added: "I buy multiples of an item because their sizing is always off, I'm now hit with return rate message and started getting charged for returns! I won't be using them anymore."
ASOS explains on its website: "Our Fair Use Policy exists to ensure we can continue offering free returns to the vast majority of our customers. For the small group of customers who consistently take actions that make providing them with free returns unsustainable, we deduct and retain £3.95 per returned parcel from their refund to help cover the cost of getting the goods back to us. In extreme cases, we will also add an additional £3.95 handling fee charged separately from our usual delivery costs."
It continues: "When deciding whether to make this deduction from your future refunds, we always look at your most recent shopping behaviour over the past 12-months, updated every time you place a new order. To keep it accurate, there's a 30-day delay before any changes to your status, so all returns have time to be processed." ASOS has been contacted for comment.
