More Which? more often
If you select Which? as a 'preferred source' on Google, you'll see the independent news written by our expert journalists more often when you search
Make Which? a preferred sourceDisabled online fashion shoppers face unfair return fees and inaccessible deliveries
Which? ran mystery shops with H&M, JD Sports, Zara and more
Disabled online fashion shoppers face inaccessible deliveries and unfair return fees, a Which? mystery shop investigation with the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RIDC) has found*.
We investigated the delivery and returns experience for disabled shoppers through 18 mystery shops, with three shops for each of the six biggest online fashion brands: H&M, JD Sports, John Lewis, Next, Sports Direct and Zara.
Many of our participants expressed frustration that they were unable to leave specific delivery instructions (or that their instructions weren't followed) when placing their orders.
Others experienced unfair return fees and unreliable home collection services when trying to return items.
With so many customers relying on online shopping, Which? is urging retailers and couriers to do better and ensure their deliveries and returns run smoothly.
Delivery instruction challenges
Leaving specific delivery instructions when placing orders was one of the main gripes experienced by our mystery shoppers.
Many told us they found it difficult to leave their access requirements with Evri and Royal Mail (the two couriersthat fulfilled the orders in our research).
Those whose orders were fulfilled by Evri expressed frustration that they could only pick one instruction from a list of pre-set options.
One Sports Direct customer, who used Evri, told us: ‘There were only three options for delivery instructions – pre-written accessibility instructions rather than a free-form text box. None of the options really worked for me and my disability… I had to pick the one that fit closest to my needs.’
Many shoppers told us they want to be given free-form text boxes to describe their needs instead.
‘Being able to provide full delivery instructions would be better, ideally through an open-text response, but at the least being able to select more than one option. I would have also wanted to ask for more time to answer the door, for instance,’ another Sports Direct customer added.
One Royal Mail customer, who had ordered from Zara, told us they were not able to give specific instructions: ‘The only option I was given was the actual delivery of the item…and to select my preferred place for the item to be delivered, such as to a neighbour or a chosen safe place. I wasn’t given the option for the delivery person to ring the bell instead of knocking.’
Another didn’t leave instructions as it required them to download the Royal Mail app, which they said was inaccessible.
‘My needs were ignored’
But even when customers managed to leave instructions, they were often not followed correctly.
One H&M customer, whose item was delivered by Evri, told us: ‘I asked for the doorbell to be rung and it wasn’t. I did not ask for the parcel to be put through the letter box or left in a safe place.
‘I found the parcel in my hallway after I heard something coming through the letterbox. This made me feel like I wasted my time clicking the accessible-needs link and asking for the doorbell to be rung… my needs were ignored.’
Another Sports Direct customer, whose parcel was also delivered by Evri, told us: ‘He [the courier] chucked it quickly just inside my flat door… inaccessible for me to reach until a carer comes.’
Has it become harder to leave delivery instructions?
When Which? last investigated deliveries for disabled customers in 2022, most of the biggest online retailers allowed you to leave delivery instructions at the checkout.
But many have since removed this function from their checkout pages, instead requiring you to leave any accessibility instructions with the courier delivering your item.
In 2023, the delivery regulator, Ofcom, introduced new guidelines requiring delivery companies to ensure that disabled customers can communicate their delivery needs to them.
However, the experiences of our mystery shoppers suggest that couriers might not be doing enough to ensure all disabled customers can leave their access requirements.
Many couriers, for example, have character limits on their free-text fields, while others require you to either download an app or contact their customer service team (which might be easier said than done).
Hannah S, who took part in our research, told us she's noticed it's become more challenging to register her access needs.
'It's become more difficult to leave this information. Not every courier gives you the option of leaving details, and if they do, it's often only tick boxes, not a free-text box. But not every single disabled person has the same needs,' she told us.
Home collection headaches
Home collections for returns, which many disabled consumers rely on, were another recurring problem.
‘I specified a home collection with a date, and I received an email from Evri saying I was not in when they came, which was the day before the date I had requested,’ one H&M customer said.
Others expressed frustration that the retailer they'd shopped with didn't offer a home collection return option.
‘I had to get my carer to drive me to the drop-off point and return the item – I can’t access anything outside my home, so without my carer, this wouldn’t have happened. Having to go to a drop-off point is inaccessible. It was a difficult process for a disabled person,' one JD Sports shopper said.
H&M, JD Sports and Zara customers incurred unfair return fees
Many online fashion retailers now charge you to return items via post, while offering free in-store returns.
Which? previously expressed concern that these types of returns policies could discriminate against disabled customers who can't access stores. JD Sports, Next and Zara subsequently told us they’d waive the fees for disabled customers who weren’t able to benefit from free in-store returns.
To test this, we asked our mystery shoppers to request free postal returns, explaining that they couldn't access stores due to their disabilities.
The results were mixed: Zara, which charges £2.95 for online returns, gave one shopper a free returns label, but the other two participants didn't have such a positive experience.
‘I asked three times for a concession and each time was [told] no, unless I took it to a store,’ said one person, who was subsequently charged the return fee.
‘When I first requested a discount, the operator said I’d receive an email within two days, but nothing came. I followed up again and was told pick-up charges would still apply even after citing the Equality Act and explaining my disability. Later, without any contact, I unexpectedly received a refund at 3:30am despite being told it wasn’t possible,’ another recalled.
Participants who shopped with JD Sports, which also asks customers to pay for return fees (from £2.50), had similarly inconsistent experiences.
One customer sent their request for a free return – but when five days had passed, and they still hadn’t heard back, they decided to return the item and pay the delivery return fee. Another customer received a code to secure a free return, but only after sending a follow-up email to chase it up.
The third shopper received a code promptly, but didn’t find the process of applying it user-friendly.
H&M, which charges non-members £1.99 to return via post, denied all requests for a free return. ‘[H&M’s] telephone agent declined my standardised request to waive or reduce the shipping fee…it seems unfair that access to an H&M store would remove the fee but inaccessibility of the store due to blindness would not,’ said one participant.
When Which? previously challenged H&M on its policy, it told us that all customers can benefit from free postal returns by signing up to its free membership programme. But not all customers will want to sign up to this programme, which asks you to hand over personal data.
By contrast, all three Next shoppers had the £2.50 return fee promptly waived after they sent the retailer our template letter.
‘It was very straightforward. They got back to me within the day and agreed that I would not have to pay the £2.50, and to let them know as soon as the item has been collected for return to them,’ said one participant.
Another said: ‘Their customer service has been exceptional, and they even called me to ask if there was anything further they could do for me as a customer with a disability.’
John Lewis doesn't charge for postal returns, while Sports Direct doesn't offer its customers the option of a free return in-store.
How to enforce your consumer rights
Under the Equality Act, retailers must make reasonable adjustments to ensure disabled consumers can access their services.
Retailers that offer free in-store returns must make sure that disabled customers can also benefit from free returns.
If you're a disabled customer and can't easily access a store to make a free return, you can use the letter template below to get in touch with the retailer.
Dear [retailer name],
I am a disabled customer looking to return an online order. I notice that you offer free in-store returns, while asking customers to pay to return items via post. However, due to my disability, I am unable to access your stores to benefit from a free return.
Under the Equality Act 2010, retailers must make reasonable adjustments so that disabled consumers are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared with non-disabled consumers.
I would therefore like to ask whether you are able to offer a free postal return as a reasonable adjustment in this instance.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
'Retailers and couriers don't always respond consistently'
A RIDC spokesperson told us: ‘Looking at the shopping journey as a whole, what stood out in our research was how inconsistent the experience was for disabled shoppers. While some stages were accessible and worked well, barriers remain around communication, delivery and returns.
‘Systems don’t always allow disabled customers to communicate their needs easily, and retailers and couriers don’t always respond consistently.’
What did the companies say?
Evri said it's sorry to the few customers in our research who said their requests weren't followed. Its preference options were selected by disabled people through a panel via RIDC, and it's planning further research on these options with Scope's panel. Its option to select a specific safe place includes a free-text field. Customers are prompted to share accessibility requirements in a prominent section of its notification emails, and preferences can be selected at any time through its website or app. It welcomes any details Which? can share so it can look into these individual cases fully.
JD Sports told us it offers a variety of return options. Disabled or neurodivergent customers, who may struggle to reach a store or drop-off points, can call its customer care team, who are equipped to discuss the adjustment options available, including a free collection from the customer's home. A source close to JD Sports told us that customers don't have to provide proof of disability when discussing adjustment options. Customer feedback indicates that the returns code process works well, but it will enhance its FAQs, including step-by-step guidance on how to activate the returns code. It will soon include a 'do you need additional support?' button on all its emails, which will open a separate page, including FAQs and details of who to contact if further support is needed.
Royal Mail said it's expanded the options available to make its service more accessible for customers, including requests for posties to knock louder or allow more time for someone to reach the door, as well as using Safeplace so items can be left in a secure location. It will continue to look for ways to make deliveries easier for everyone. Customers who aren't able to use the app can contact Royal Mail's customer services to register their accessibility needs.
Zara told us that for customers who can't reasonably access a store or postal drop-off point due to a disability, it provides a suitable alternative, such as free home collection or a pre-paid returns label. These arrangements are assessed individually. Zara regrets that the experiences of Which?'s mystery shoppers weren't consistent. It's asked for further details to better understand each situation.
Which? contacted Sports Direct and H&M, but they did not provide responses.
*Which? and the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RIDC) ran 18 mystery shops in August 2025. Three participants based in England mystery-shopped each of the six biggest online fashion retailers (18 participants in total). Members of the RIDC panel were asked to order an item, have it delivered to their home and return it to the retailer, reporting on their experience after completing each stage.