Return postage charge

[pickledonionmonster]

I buy everything online and I very rarely return stuff, but usually when I do there is no charge to return it. Whack on the postage label or the Hermes label and off it goes. I thought there were rules about distance selling, as things online are often different from even their own photos or the sizes come up strangely .

I've just been stung by Tu for £3.50 for returning stuff via post that just didn't fit the kids. I bought their usual sizes that I would in other brands. Tu have deducted the returns postage charge from my refund. I'm annoyed. I don't have a sainburys nearby and get an online supermarket delivery weekly from Tesco. I won't be shopping with sainsburys for clothing again.

My DH just said he pre paid £10 for a years returns with M&M which is a discount leisure place. I can't believe this is a thing.

I have a distant memory that next might charge for returns too?

I have the grump now aibu?

It’s clearly stated on their website that there is a £3.50 charge for returns unless items are faulty.

You can usually return Tu to Argos.

A few places charge for returns now, that's why the places that don't have free returns! plastered over their sites.

Legally, they can charge for returns

I actually think more companies should charge for returns. It might stop people buying things in 3 different sizes and colours knowing that can just return the rest. A lot of returns end up in landfill, the whole thing is just really wasteful.

@SmithofSilver

I actually think more companies should charge for returns. It might stop people buying things in 3 different sizes and colours knowing that can just return the rest. A lot of returns end up in landfill, the whole thing is just really wasteful.

Why would not being able to order options be a good thing? I would rarely buy online if I couldn’t try things on and see which fits best, and unless damaged (which a company would charge for), returns are just re-sold anyway as they would be of you took something back to a shop?

YABU a company shouldn't have to cover the cost of everyone returning stuff every two minutes, it's extortionate, and it isn't a legal requirement if there is nothing wrong with the item/s. Even those that offer free returns factor it in to the price you are paying overall, so you pay more, as does everyone else. Nothing is free.

It is very normal these days to charge for returns.
I think they want to discourage people from just buying lots of stuff and returning it if no good. There will be a cost to putting that stuff back on the “shelf”.
Surprised about the M&M £10 for a year thing.

I don't think it is normal to charge, I just won't order from them again. Amazon, Gap, H&M, Boden, Hollister are all places I've returned stuff in the last six months for free and so not been charged .Generally I don't return much, but I don't want to be charged to return things.

That's more companies you have returned to in six months than I have in several years and I buy everything online. As I said, you're paying for those returns somehow, in higher prices, or the way the staff are treated/paid. It isn't free by any stretch of the imagination. It's like the whole "free postage" thing. It isn't free, someone pays for it, and with a savvy business, it's the end users.

@HunterHearstHelmsley I think Argos is pretty much now only in Sainburys stores now

@delilahbucket really? I do buy a lot, my children seem to grow constantly and things just don't seem to last well. I probably have about 5 deliveries a week. If I added in DH then he probably also has 5 just from Amazon a week.

Distance selling rules give you the right to return an item if you don't want it, they don't give you the right to have the return postage paid.

I'm surprised this hasn't come up for you before now. YABU for not having read the details. They do give you the option of returning for free to a store. M&S is the same, as is Next. It's not uncommon. Amazon used to be atrocious for this but have now increased options for free returns as it was a barrier to their world domination expansion plans in some product areas, such as clothing.

As you will now do with Sainsbury's, I don't buy online from any where which doesn't offer free returns or if I can't easily get to a store.

Ive heard that there are some amazing places; I think they're called shops, where you can literally go and try things on. Its then possible to select the best one. Whatsmore you can take it away with you at that point after paying for it and not having to rely on delivery - maybe shopping in town centres is worth a try?

On a more serious point why should everyone else pay for your convenience?

If you pay for something with PayPal and have to pay return postage, they'll refund the cost to you. I think there's a maximum of 12 claims per year permitted.

There is absolutely no requirement to offer free returns.

Saying that, yes paying for returns does put me off shopping with that company again. I like a stick on pre paid royal mail label please, and reusable packaging, and will be more likely to shop with companies that offer this.

Next will send Royal Mail prepaid return labels if you phone customer service, as I recall. But they don’t supply them in the package. Real pain.

@Optimist1

If you pay for something with PayPal and have to pay return postage, they'll refund the cost to you. I think there's a maximum of 12 claims per year permitted.

Oooh really

Tu at sainsburys isn't mega cheap, so they aren't cutting prices by charging for returns. Yep I suppose it's my fault, but I could have been their next big customer. I was going to re-buy the items I sent back in smaller / larger, but I won't now. They are on my black list.

There are no such thing as free returns OP.
There is no such thing as free delivery either.

@SmithofSilver

I actually think more companies should charge for returns. It might stop people buying things in 3 different sizes and colours knowing that can just return the rest. A lot of returns end up in landfill, the whole thing is just really wasteful.

How are you supposed to try stuff on and make sure it fits and suits you unless you order multiple sizes and/or options. Why would returns go to landfill, surely they are just resold by the company? And it's better environmentally surely to order everything you might want in one go and do one return rather than ordering things, sending back, reordering a different size or colour, sending back etc etc etc with multiple delivery journeys. There's also the argument that it's better one delivery person is going to multiple houses than multiple people driving to the shops and parking etc.

Obviously the returns etc carry a cost to the company. But companies have lots of costs to operate a business. If they aren't doing online sales they are running stores, paying rent and rates, paying the associated bills and staffing costs. Online stores tend to have much lower running costs but might have costs in terms of postage and processing returns.

Sainsburys do charge for returns as their right as do lots of companies - I always check before purchasing. It does put me off ordering and I prefer shops who have free postage and returns although I am conscious that if I was travelling to a store I would be paying for petrol and/or parking so will consider that when thinking about whether to pay for postage and/or returns.

If everywhere charged for returns it would push me into wanting to shop more in the shops rather than online as it would become too costly overall (albeit I can only do that when I feel well enough as have chronic illness) and tbh shopping in person is more fun even though there is less choice.

YABU.
Where I work I arrange a lot of returns for large items, and it's shocking how many customers demand the delivery charge to be refunded as well - I do this before being asked for faulty items, but it seems a bit much for a customer changing their mind about a perfectly decent item. Also 5 deliveries per week is mad, I don't have a car but do most of my shopping in physical stores with DC in tow.

@yellowc4 I have a toddlers and a 5 year old. The 5 year doesn't want to spend the weekend at the shops. Trying stuff on is hard work. The toddlers do love the shops, but you cannot take your eyes off them as they touch everything and they have expert escape powers to get out of the pushchair. They can tolerate one trying on session, then you have to go home. It's too much of a time waste, plus there's the crying in the car and the wrangling into car seats, so online is best.

Those saying the clothes will be resold might want to read www.bbcearth.com/news/your-brand-new-returns-end-up-in-landfill

@pickledonionmonster

I buy everything online and I very rarely return stuff, but usually when I do there is no charge to return it. Whack on the postage label or the Hermes label and off it goes. I thought there were rules about distance selling, as things online are often different from even their own photos or the sizes come up strangely .

I've just been stung by Tu for £3.50 for returning stuff via post that just didn't fit the kids. I bought their usual sizes that I would in other brands. Tu have deducted the returns postage charge from my refund. I'm annoyed. I don't have a sainburys nearby and get an online supermarket delivery weekly from Tesco. I won't be shopping with sainsburys for clothing again.

My DH just said he pre paid £10 for a years returns with M&M which is a discount leisure place. I can't believe this is a thing.

I have a distant memory that next might charge for returns too?

I have the grump now aibu?

The prepaid returns with m&m - is that m&m direct??

I ask because I have a delivery pass with them - £10 for a years unlimited next day delivery - but it doesn't includ3 returns.

@Lunariagal yes, he said it includes returns, obviously we both can't read !

[quote pickledonionmonster]@yellowc4 I have a toddlers and a 5 year old. The 5 year doesn't want to spend the weekend at the shops. Trying stuff on is hard work. The toddlers do love the shops, but you cannot take your eyes off them as they touch everything and they have expert escape powers to get out of the pushchair. They can tolerate one trying on session, then you have to go home. It's too much of a time waste, plus there's the crying in the car and the wrangling into car seats, so online is best.
[/quote]
Well yes.. how do you think those of us with toddlers 10-15 years ago managed!? 🤣
People have been trying on and buying clothes from shops whilst in the ‘baby and toddler years’ for decades
Cracks me up- the ‘shock horror’ of having to go to a clothes shop with a toddler

You're going to black list a retailer because you failed to read properly?

That's really silly.

[quote AliMonkey]Those saying the clothes will be resold might want to read www.bbcearth.com/news/your-brand-new-returns-end-up-in-landfill[/quote]
Exactly. I thought this was common knowledge? If you don't know your size buy in a shop. If you don't know what suits you try on in a shop. Purposefully buying excess clothes when you always intend to return some is gross.

You need to clothes shop for kids twice a year tops, you can surely manage one Saturday twice a year bringing them to try clothes on, yeah it isn't fun but not everything has to be.