Customers angry as online retailer shuts accounts; 400% pay rise for team featured by Netflix doc | Money News

By Megan Harwood-Baynes, cost of living specialist

ASOS is facing a backlash for closing the accounts of customers making high returns, with one woman telling the brand: “Sorry I had a child and my postpartum body doesn’t fit your inconsistent sizes.”

Last year, ASOS announced a new ‘fair use policy’ in a bid to cut down on the number of items being returned.

Frankie has been an ASOS customer for over two decades, first registering with the website back in the early 2000s.

“I’m ten months postpartum now, so you can imagine that I’ve had to order multiple sizes to see what fits me,” the 33-year-old from London told Money.

And while she has kept just under £700 of products so far this year, she has had to return items that don’t fit – and some that were faulty.

“I’d hardly call that [being] an unloyal customer,” she said.

Despite reaching out directly to the fast fashion giant and telling them she felt she was being “penalised for having a changing body shape”, she was told she had violated the brand’s fair use terms on returns, and so her account had been permanently closed.

“If I ordered a size 12 from ASOS, one would fit, one would be like a size 8, and another would be like a size 14,” she said.

“I just ordered a skirt and some shorts, and a pair of tights varying from L to XL, and I’ve only been able to keep the tights.

“The shorts are either stuck to my thighs or fall from my waist
Other times I’ll keep the whole haul.”

She said she has been left feeling insecure, like she is “a nuisance for not knowing my size, even though their sizes aren’t consistent across clothing”.

“I worry that for more impressionable people, they’ll think something is wrong with their body and it’s their fault for making returns.”

She also said ASOS needs to have better quality controls, adding: “I was just as dissatisfied receiving faulty jeans as they were having to refund me.”

‘Clearly loyalty isn’t recognised’

Frankie isn’t the only mother affected.

One X user wrote on the social media site:  “Had this account for years and always order from ASOS but clearly loyalty isn’t recognised since I had my chat closed when I enquired about it… 

“I do most of my shopping on ASOS and can’t see how my returns are a lot. 

“God forbid a gal doesn’t know her size/style postpartum.”

‘I thought it was a scam email’

Marie Cavanagh, a 31-year-old energy consultant from London, told Sky News her account closure came as a “shock”. 

“At first I thought the message saying my account was being closed was a scam email,” she said.

“I have asked ASOS for more of an explanation as to why it was closed and was simply told that the decision was final, and that I wouldn’t be given any more information.

“The way this has been managed is appalling. As a loyal customer I feel really let down.” 

She tried to email the ASOS customer service team, but received a bounce-back reply saying the inbox was full. 

Why is ASOS closing accounts?

ASOS first announced the policy last year, saying it was reducing its free returns policy due to the rising costs associated with handling returns. 

“Serial returners” were told they would be charged £3.95 to send items back, unless they kept £40 worth of their order (for those with a Premier subscription, it was £15). 

But those who consistently returned items have started being told their accounts are being permanently banned.

An email, seen by Money, shows even Premier customers risk being banned. 

It’s not a new policy, but in the last 24 hours, there has been a noticeable uptick in the number of people posting on X to complain about the closures.

“My account is being closed due to high returns, yet my last two orders were sun tan lotion and eyelashes, both of which I kept.  Apart from that, I’ve barely used my ASOS account. 

“What a way to treat loyal customers since the days of As Seen on Screen!” (As Seen on Screen was the original name of the brand, before it became ASOS in 2002). 

Another added: “At least you’ve been given 30 days. Mine was closed with immediate effect. Last thing I ordered was a pair of trainers in two different sizes. 

“Returned the size I didn’t need = account closed.”

ASOS says ‘small group’ of customers affected

It’s understood that ASOS maintains its free returns policy is still enjoyed by the vast majority of its customers, and that the online retailer has sought to help shoppers find the correct size with its Fit Assistant tool. 

In a statement to Money, ASOS said: “We recently closed the accounts of a small group of customers whose shopping activity has consistently fallen outside our Fair Use policy. 

“This helps us maintain our commitment to offering free returns to all customers across all core markets.”