A popular online fashion retailer has announced it is charging customers to return items from now on, which has caused anger amongst shoppers. Boohoo has said it will charge people £1.99 per parcel returned to them.
The message has appeared on the returns and refunds section of its website. It adds that there is still the option to have free returns if you are a "premier customer".
The information on Boohoo's site says: "Please note a returns charge of £1.99 per parcel will be deducted from your refund amount. Returns are free for premier customers."
Other retailers including Next and Zara have also started charging for returns. A Boohoo spokesperson said the introduction of the charge is due to shipping costs increasing.
The decision has been greeted with anger and frustration by shoppers, who are facing the realities of the cost of living crisis. Many have taken to Twitter to say they will not longer use the retailer.
One person wrote: "Boohoo charging for returns?!?! Goodbye babes."
Another Twitter user said: "With such unpredictable sizing, Boohoo have the cheek to give a return cost LOL."
Meanwhile, Emily Salter - senior retail analyst at Global Data - suggested why Boohoo had introduced the fee, tweeting: "This is unsurprising as boohoo's profitability has taken a big hit from the cost of returns. Returns will be free for boohoo Premier shoppers, but many consumers will be reluctant to spend on such schemes with the rising cost of living, pushing them to rivals, especially Primark."
A Boohoo spokesperson said: "As the cost of shipping has increased, we’ve had to look at where we can adapt without compromising what our customers love most, the convenience of shopping with us and the great value that our brands offer.
"This has meant that we will be applying a charge of £1.99 to returns so that we can continue to offer great prices and products and do this in a more sustainable way."
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