Leading UK retailers ‘breaking law’ by not refunding customers for returned goods, Which? finds
Consumer group says online shops routinely failed to reimburse delivery costs of unwanted purchases or cost of items Leading retailers are breaking the law by failing to properly refund customers for returned goods, a Which? investigation has found. Some of the UK’s biggest online shops routinely failed to reimburse delivery costs when customers returned unwanted purchases, while others failed to…
A consumer watchdog has uncovered significant issues with UK online retailers failing to properly refund customers for returned goods, which could amount to breaking the law. Retail giant John Lewis emerged as the top performer, praised for its clear and supportive return process. However, other major retailers like Matalan and River Island were found lacking.
Matalan did not offer free returns and only refunded the return cost to a small fraction of its mystery shoppers, leaving many out of pocket. River Island also failed to refund the original delivery fees despite legal obligations. The investigation, conducted by consumer group Which?, involved mystery shoppers purchasing over 200 items from 17 major online retailers to test their return processes.
The findings highlight systemic shortcomings in retailers' refund procedures, with customers often left to absorb the costs of both return delivery fees and the refunded item prices. Consumer advocate Reena Sewraz criticized the lack of proper safeguards, stating that retailers must improve their return processes to avoid leaving shoppers financially vulnerable.
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