PrettyLittleThing shoppers are ‘heartbroken’ as the brand makes a major rule change

Popular online fashion brand PrettyLittleThing has ditched its free returns policy, leaving shoppers “devastated”. The brand joins others such as Zara, Wayfair, Oh Polly and H&M, which now charge returns.

According to retail payment experts at Dojo, this move could be an attempt by the brand to mitigate the serial refund and wardrobe phenomenon. This is where consumers buy “irons” of clothes to try on, or wear clothes once they keep the tags, only to return them.

Customers took to social media to share the news, with TikTok user @sjbrame sharing the update on her account. The post gained over 100,000 views and many comments from shoppers sharing their thoughts on the move.

Among them, one person said: “Omg I’m devastated,” while another wrote: “What so I pay royalties but I have to pay to return my packages now too. That’s great”. A third shopper added: “Life is RUINED”, while a fourth said: “I noticed this earlier!! What a joke”. Another wrote: “This hurts more than a breakup!”

PrettyLittleThing previously offered free returns via popular couriers such as Evri, Royal Mail and Inpost. However, these services now cost customers £1.99 to send a return to the UK from the start of June. This amount will be deducted from the refund of the customer’s order. If customers use an alternative method, they are responsible for the cost of the return using the alternative return method chosen.

Shopping experts at Dojo said: “Large returns can be very expensive for businesses, so it’s no surprise that fast fashion retailer PrettyLittleThing has ended its free returns policy.

“Buy now, pay later has significantly contributed to customers buying more than they normally would to try different sizes and colors without the money leaving their bank account. This makes mass returns cost brands money for the returns process.

“PrettyLittleThing is the latest in a long line of brands to start paying for refunds, and we’re likely to see more brands follow suit. This comes just weeks after Oh Polly announced that customers would be charged up to £8.99 to return items.

“This is a move to help reduce the amount of unnecessary returns customers make and to help offset the business costs incurred during the returns process.”