Zara charging for returns

[LoveLabradors]

Zara have started charging for returns. What do people think? Better for the environment as might discourage ordering on a whim? Or cost cutting - making the customer pay for a service that should be free? Zara are closing stores so the fact they are saying that returns to store are free is a bit of an irrelevance when for most people the stores are miles away!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61423753.amp

I wonder if other places will follow Zara’s lead?

As the article says other stores already do this. I think it's a great idea. Wouldn't put me off ordering from them.

I think that, if any of these stores were genuinely concerned, they would sort out there sizing so that you didn’t have to order 3 of everything. And yes, I think others will follow.

Uniqlo already has and it has definitely put me off ordering from them, especially as their sizes are all over the place anyway.

They're targeting a certain customer profile with this: 'haul' purchasers. I used to work for ASOS and they had a similar problem with people who would buy 50 or 60 items, have a try-on session at home, and then return 98% of them.

Like it or not, returning items costs a business money and eats into the profit margin. It adds to the courier costs and often the returned clothes are soiled or unwearable and have to be recycled, thrown away or otherwise disposed of, which also costs money.

It's not great and I do think it penalises a majority of customers for the behaviour of a minority (although it's quite a big minority, in reality). But I understand why they're doing it.

I’m not a regular Zara shopper but I think this is really unfair, especially given that they are primarily a fashion retailer. How on Earth are we supposed to know whether a given item will fit when sizes vary so wildly between different retailers and even different lines, and the online images can be so misleading re fabric, colour etc?

I’m quite a fussy shopper - like to feel fabric, check for faults etc - and much prefer in person shopping, but like many others have been forced online due to covid, store closures, poor in-store stock levels etc. I don’t order excessive amounts online, but regularly order multiple sizes of an item to ensure a good fit. But now it feels as though some retailers don’t want my online custom either!

I won't order where I have to pay for returns, sizing is all over the place between shops so I always need to order multiples.

I didn't know that - disappointing- especially since my closest store recently relocated to a shopping centre and has very little stock in comparison to previous shop.
It's weird how many fashion manufacturers appear to have a death wish. Zara's website has been useless for a while in terms of overly stylised and often off putting over sexualised model poses that make it very hard to see the clothes. I also think they have changed demographic slightly - formerly aside from Trafaluc which was 'young', there was a good mix of reasonable quality clothes suitable for all ages. Lately not the case - and so much 'recycled polyester ' etc

If that's the case why not put a cap on the number of items you can order in one go? 60 is ridiculous!

I would be happy for them to limit the number of free returns per year to discourage “haul” purchasers and those who buy loads to photograph for Instagram. But not to stop free returns entirely. Clothes don’t always fit and I often need to order two sizes. Or the photo is poor and the product doesn’t match. I won’t buy from shops that don’t offer free returns.

They're targeting a certain customer profile with this: 'haul' purchasers. I used to work for ASOS and they had a similar problem with people who would buy 50 or 60 items, have a try-on session at home, and then return 98% of them

I do get this (having regularly been stuck behind said purchasers in the post office queue as they return their 58 items while I wait to return my 1), but it feels as though they want the rest of us walking round in ill-fitting (and potentially poorly made) clothes as penance for the sins of the few!

If that's the case why not put a cap on the number of items you can order in one go? 60 is ridiculous!

Some retailers' sites can do that (I don't know about Zara) but people just get around it - making multiple orders, for example.

I absolutely won't order if I have to pay delivery or returns. Its the first thing I check.

I do end up returning a lot because things don't fit correctly or aren't as expected or don't suit me. Not sure how I could avoid that.

My 'local' city (still an hour away) is bloody useless and has almost nothing left so physically going shopping is no longer an option either (have tried 3 times in last year and failed completely).

I'm really really irritated by this. I'm already finding buying clothes bloody impossible.

I think it’s fine. If people want to try clothes on in a shop then most of them will have to pay for parking or a bus into town.

Its just paying a small amount for the comfort and convenience of being able to try things on at home in your own time.

I don't buy where I have to pay for returns. I spend quite a lot on clothes for me and dc so it's up to these companies whether they want to lose purchasers like me.

I can understand the need to reduce waste and discourage those who order with no intention of keeping things but shops need to sort out their sizing. It's about time women were able to order clothes isized by actual measurements rather than 10, 12 etc or worse still S, M, L.

My hit rate with shopping online is really low. 90 - 95% goes back. My best success is with retailers who give more information on what they are selling, eg length of an item. Currently, success at ordering clothes online which I like is hampered by the poses they models in where I can't even see what the item looks like. Don't sell me a top by modeling it with a coat!

@FairyCakeWings shopping centres often have free parking. I don't go shopping as much because they don't stock much I'm the way of sizes now.

My hit rate with shopping online is really low. 90 - 95% goes back. My best success is with retailers who give more information on what they are selling, eg length of an item

Mine’s slightly higher - but only because I’m super cautious and only really buy tops etc online. If I want skirts, trousers or dresses it’s almost inevitable that most of it will go back, because I’m only 5 foot 3 and 90% of the current styles swamp me. Shopping for me right now is a quest to seek out the 10% that don’t.

About 70% goes back for me because my shape is changing in mid-life and I don't like trendy clothing. Often sleeves look fine on the website but turn out to be huge poufy balloons in real life. Zara's website is totally shit, I agree. Models hunched over so you can't see how the blouse falls.

Oh well, I am just going to go elsewhere.

My Uniqlo ordering her really reduced since they started charging for returns. I feel like a lot of shops seem to encourage online ordering so it’s annoying when they introduce things like paid returns. I think it’s more wasteful in a way as I’m not going to pay £2.95 to return something that cost £5.99. People will end up keeping stuff they don’t need.

I don't like paid returns as even if you check the size guide, I still can't tell if something is going to fit me properly. I can maybe tell the waist measurement and hip measurement will be right. But that doesn't tell you the gap between the two and if that's going to work for my figure. Or if the waist on a dress is going to hit where my waist is.

It also penalises anyone shopping from the petite/plus/tall ranges. So many shops have moved most of their stock online in those ranges. The only option is to shop online and they are probably also some of the people most likely to need to return because sizing is a bit trickier.

Paypal do free return shipping for customers, just use paypal at checkout and then if you need to return an item, request a returns refund from paypal. Simple.
www.paypal.com/uk/smarthelp/article/can-i-get-free-shipping-to-return-a-paypal-purchase-faq3544

I think it's fine in most mens clothes, where sizes are measured in inches and they know what size to buy.

Not for womens clothes where the size on the label means fuck all. Never mind being different sizes in different shops, I have two pairs of next jeans bought at the same time, both fit me, one is a 14 and the other an 18

Zara sizing is so off that I usually have to order a few sizes in things that I like to try them on, we don't have a store locally so that isn't an option. I just won't order from there if they're going to be charging for returns that will be inevitable and I think a lot of people will do the same.

I wouldn't order from a retailer that charges loyal customers who do not bulk buy return fee. Never bought from Zara anyway.

It doesn't stop "haul" purchases, in fact it encourages them.

You only pay the return cost once per order, so it encourages you to buy a lot at once, perhaps to avoid initial postsge cost (most websites offer free psotage over a certain amount) , and if you need to return 40 items it will only cost you £3.

Rather than say buying 2 items, and paying for postage and return costs. Or ordering something, it doesn't fit so pay for return and order in another size, only to have to pay return again when that also doesn't fit.