H&M joins Zara and Boohoo in charging for online returns

H&M has joined fellow fashion giants Zara and Boohoo in charging customers for returning items purchased online.

According to the BBC, shoppers at the Swedish fashion retailer now must pay £1.99 to return parcels either in store or online, with the cost taken from their refund.

However, returns will remain free of charge for H&M members.


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An H&M spokesperson told the BBC the move was introduced in the summer.

On its website, it informs consumers that they will not be charged the £1.99 fee if items are determined to be faulty or incorrect and urged customers to make sure to note that information when registering their returns.

“It’s interesting that companies seem to be doing it by stealth, but it’s a sensible thing to be doing,” said retail analyst Jonathan De Mello.

“It makes economic sense, as it discourages shoppers from bulk buying online products and then returning the majority of them. That’s been a real problem for companies.

A host of retailers, including Uniqlo and Next, already charge for online returns.

Last summer, Boohoo quietly introduced a fee for returns amid rising shipping prices and soaring returns.

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