Big-name retailers breaking the law on returns

Anyone with an online shopping habit knows that returning products can be a chore or leave you out of pocket.

We’ve heard many gripes over the years – from disappearing parcels to missing refunds and lengthy delays. So we decided it was time to use our mystery shoppers to test just how the biggest online shops compare. 

We uncovered some shocking practices; with several big-name retailers not refunding us at all, others breaking the law by routinely failing to reimburse our delivery fees and huge discrepancies in how long it took us to get our money back.

Read on to find out who you can trust when it comes to online returns — and the retailers who might not give your money back when they should.

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What did our undercover shoppers do?

Our 12 mystery shoppers, based across Great Britain, each placed an order at 17 of the UK’s biggest online shops in June and July — totalling more than 200 items. 

They returned the purchases by post, which we know is the most common returns method. They recorded everything from whether they were refunded correctly to how much the return cost and when the money landed back in their account. 

Back at the office, our consumer rights experts trawled the retailers’ websites to assess just how consumer friendly their returns policies were. 

While we couldn’t order exactly the same items across the different retailers, we tried to make them as similar as possible: all were under £10, smaller than a shoebox and none were particularly fragile. Our shopping list included things such as socks, water bottles and computer accessories.

• Find out more: your consumer rights when shopping online

Which are the best and worst shops for returns?

Our experts scoured retailers' return policies to give brands a score based on what returns should be like, and our mystery shoppers rated shops on the experience to form an overall score. 

Here's how the different shops compared:

How did the different stores compare?

Top of our table are Amazon and John Lewis, which both offer free returns, consistently refunded both the purchase cost and the delivery fee, as well as publishing clear and correct T&Cs online that our mystery shoppers found were stuck to in practice. 

Our mystery shoppers liked the fact they were kept notified of their John Lewis return at every stage. John Lewis did so well we’ve made it our first Which? Recommended Provider for returns. 

The shoppers also liked Amazon’s efficiency, with one saying: ‘I’d received my package, returned it and had my refund before many retailers even sent their package.’ 

At the bottom of the table is Matalan. It doesn’t offer free returns; it only refunded seven out of 12 of our mystery shoppers for the product they’d bought, and it didn’t reimburse any of their delivery fees. Our shoppers bought an item worth £3.99. They paid £3 for delivery and £2.99 for a return. Almost half those who sent the item back didn’t get any of their money back – leaving them £9.98 out of pocket, when they should have been just £2.99 down. 

One mystery shopper said: ‘There’s a returns label in the bag, but it’s so faded that I can’t read the instructions.’ Another added: ‘I had to print a label, despite being sure I’d opted for the non-printer-needed option. The label says I need to send it back within seven days, which I don’t think is right.’

• Find out more: can I cancel an online order?

Big names, bad practice

Shockingly, the bad practice didn’t stop with Matalan. We also found real problems at other big-name retailers — both River Island and Sports Direct didn’t refund any of our mystery shoppers’ delivery fees (something that’s required by law). They both also charge for returns, which retailers are entitled to do, but this meant shoppers were left out of pocket each time they sent something back.

Similarly, Boots, Halfords, House of Fraser, Pets at Home and Superdrug also failed to refund the delivery fees in either all, or almost all, of cases. Next also failed to do this in a few cases. We also didn’t get refunds for the actual product in some instances — joining Matalan in this is Pets at Home, which refunded only six of our 12 mystery shoppers for the product they returned. Halfords failed to do this on two occasions and Next and Superdrug once each. 

We didn’t just test what happened in practice; we also looked at the written policies and information about returns that online shops give their customers. Surprisingly few retailers were good both on paper and in practice in our mystery shop — only Amazon and John Lewis stood out from the crowd here. 

Unfortunately, we found a lot of retailers had decent T&Cs, but were terrible when we put them to the test. These included Sports Direct and House of Fraser, which had great T&Cs but repeatedly failed to comply with the law in practice by repeatedly failing to return shoppers’ delivery fees. 

Halfords was similar, also appearing to pay little more than lip service to consumers’ rights, with a much better score for its policies than its actual practices. On the other hand, some shops, such as Asos and Holland & Barrett, had poor returns information on their websites but were much better in practice when our mystery shoppers put them to the test.

Adding unnecessary friction

Complying with basic consumer rights law isn’t the end of the story. Our investigation also revealed big differences in how easy retailers make returns. Many are very smooth, with customers being able to arrange a return themselves online. But others add seemingly unnecessary layers of friction. 

For example, our mystery shoppers were directed to use live chat to arrange a return at Pets at Home — which might not be an issue for most people, but others could struggle. 

And at Currys, we found we had to officially request a return and wait for approval. Returns at Next were a little inconsistent, and we found some confusion over the amount refunded. It seems like it was sometimes refunding the return fee (£2.50) but keeping the original delivery cost (£4.95) – which is the wrong way round, and meant some shoppers were shortchanged by £2.45.

• Find out more: what are my delivery rights?

How much were shoppers left out of pocket?

Halfords stood out for being the one retailer where you had to arrange your own postal return rather than following a process arranged by the retailer. It recommended a tracked delivery; our mystery shoppers paid between £3.29 and £5.70. Halfords also didn’t return the delivery fee for any of our shoppers and didn’t refund the product for two of them, meaning most were significantly out of pocket. 

Shoppers were also left counting the cost at House of Fraser, Matalan, River Island and Sports Direct. None offered free returns and, generally, they didn’t return the delivery fee (when they should have). For example, a £4 item bought from River Island also cost £4 for delivery and £2.95 was deducted for the return, meaning our mystery shoppers received a refund of just £1.05 from a spend of £8, when they should have got £5.05 back.

What about Argos and M&S?

You might have noticed two big-name retailers missing from our rankings. M&S failed to qualify in our mystery shop because it didn’t offer postal returns on items bought online under £10 if you checked out as a guest — instead, you have to return in-store. This meant we couldn’t compare it fairly to the other retailers. We also don’t think it’s right that postal returns are not allowed — many people might struggle to get to a store due to location, transport or mobility issues. 

Argos also did not offer postal returns, so it similarly could not be included in our investigation. It did offer free home pick-ups, which could suit some, but if you’re regularly away from home, this may be inconvenient. Earlier this year Argos changed its returns policy for click and collect items after criticism from Which?. It had previously refused some returns, saying the usual cancellation rights for online orders didn’t apply to these.

• Find out more:  'Argos rejected my return because I’d plugged the item in’

What did the retailers say?

We contacted all the retailers mentioned in our investigation. 

Holland & Barrett said: 'We continuously review the information on our website to ensure our policies are as clear and transparent as possible for customers, and that they accurately reflect the service and support we provide.'

Superdrug said:  'We welcome Which?’s findings and are reviewing our returns page information. While returns affect only 2.5% of orders, we’re committed to making delivery simple and affordable. Today, around 80% of deliveries are free, and we’re working to make free delivery available to even more customers.' 

Boots said:  'Boots is fully compliant with the law and offers an extensive returns policy to ensure customers can shop with confidence. This includes going beyond our legal obligations by offering a 35-day returns policy for unwanted items, as well as refunding standard delivery charges on online orders in accordance with the law. Without the specific transaction details from Which? we are unable to verify or investigate the mystery shopper claims.'

Pets at Home said: ‘ We regularly review our policies and the information available on our website to ensure customers have access to clear and accessible guidance on our terms and conditions. As always, if customers have any questions or concerns, we would encourage them to contact us directly.'

A spokesman for Sports Direct and House of Fraser said: 'Unfortunately, we are not able to provide any meaningful comment on the "mystery shopper" claims. Despite requesting the basic details of the orders from Which? to be able to understand what has or has not happened with the specific transactions, they have refused to supply the necessary information. We of course seek to address genuine customer concerns.'

Argos said: ‘ We want shopping with Argos to be as easy and convenient as possible for our customers, and if they do need to make a return, we offer a range of options. Customers can return items to Argos stores, including our stores within Sainsbury's supermarkets, or arrange a collection for home-delivered items. This gives customers the flexibility to choose the option that works best for them.'

Currys and JD Sports declined to comment. The rest did not reply by the time of publication.

Tips for successful returns 

Use our advice to make sure your refund adds up to the correct amount, return fees don’t catch you out, and the money reaches your account as soon as possible

• Keep tabs on what you’re owed: You are entitled by law to get not only the cost of your product refunded but also the standard delivery fee (although not any extra you may have paid for premium or next-day delivery). Keep track and get ready to chase your money – we found many retailers routinely don't refund the cost of delivery.
• Return in-store for faster refunds: Many retailers say you’re likely to get a faster refund if you return in-store, so opt for this if it’s just as easy as a postal return. It’s also less likely your return will get lost, and you won’t need to worry about wrapping it securely. Some retailers, such as Sports Direct, don’t let you return online purchases in-store, though.
• Have a strategy for return fees: It’s worth knowing if you’ll need to pay for a return before you order. And if you’re buying several items, you may find it’s cheaper to order in one go and return them together rather than in separate transactions. This isn’t always the case though, so do your research ahead of time to avoid nasty surprises.

Find out more: how to get the best price when shopping online