Ruth Comerford & Grace Dean
BBC News
BBC
Louise Gowrie tried to appeal her ban but was rejected
Asos shoppers have expressed anger after their accounts were shut for returning too many orders.
Some customers have received emails in recent days informing them they are banned for allegedly breaching the online fashion giant’s fair use policy.
It comes after the company last year began charging a controversial £3.95 fee if customers make frequent returns and keep less than £40 worth of items in an order.
In a statement, Asos told the BBC: “We recently closed the accounts of a small group of customers whose shopping activity has consistently fallen outside our fair use policy.
“This helps us maintain our commitment to offering free returns to all customers across all core markets.”
Asos’ fair use policy says that it may shut down accounts that have “unusual or suspicious activity”, which it says includes “unusual patterns of returns activity” and items being returned that look worn.
The retailer first warned customers in 2019 that it might deactivate accounts displaying such patterns, but customers say a tougher crackdown has begun in the last week.
Lucy Britnell, a self-confessed “shopaholic” from Teesside, has paid for a premier Asos account since 2018, which gives customers free delivery – but has now been banned.
Lucy Britnell has shopped at Asos since she was teenager
“I probably spend at least £100 a month with Asos – my latest holiday shop [over several orders] was £500,” she says.
“Most of the time I have to order two sizes and then I’ll return the one that doesn’t fit – and Asos sizing, especially its own brands, is very unpredictable.”
In an email on Thursday, Asos told Lucy: “After reviewing your recent return activity, we’ve noticed that it no longer aligns with our current policy.”
It said that it would close her account in 30 days and the ban would apply to any new accounts she opens.
The same day, she received an Instag
Read More