If you’re buying something online, over the phone or from a catalogue there are laws in place giving your a right to send it back for a full refund if your shopping arrives and turns out not to be quite what you were looking for.
But that doesn’t mean it’s free to return it. Because while – with a few exceptions – you can send almost anything back, a surprisingly large number of shops charge you for the privilege.
New research, conducted for Be Clever With Your Cash, shows that Brits are set to spend £27 million sending unsatisfying Black Friday purchases back to retailers this year, with one in three shoppers (32%) thinking returns are always free and another one in five (20%) not checking return policies before buying something.
That could end up costing you quite a bit, with some shops charging as much as £9.99 for some returns.
The good news is that there are still plenty of places that will let you send things back free of charge.
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The shops charging the most to return goods
Our investigation of 26 of the biggest retail brands in the UK found the average shopper faces loses £5 on return costs on items they regret buying.
The worst offenders out of major brands for paid returns include Wayfair (£4.99–£9.99), Sports Direct (£4.99), Matalan (£3.99), Dunelm (£3.99) and Zara (£2.99).
However that cost can rise a lot higher depending on the size of the item you’re sending back.
Here are the high street shops and big online brands that have some of the highest fees as standard for returning items.
| Brand | Delivery Fee | Return Fee | Notes |
| Wayfair | £4.99 Standard / Large Item Fees may apply (not specified) | £4.99-£9.99, £20-£50 for Large Items | Free Delivery over £59 |
| Sports Direct | £4.99 Standard/ £7.99 Express / £9.99 Next day | £4.99 | |
| H&M | £3.99 Standard / £5.99 Next Day | £2.99 | Free Delivery over £40 |
| Zara | 2.95 Standard /4.95 Next Day | £2.95 | Free Click & Collect |
| SHEIN | £3 Standard / £9 Express | £2.50 | Free Delivery over £35 |
| Next | £4.95 Standard / £3.50 Parcelshop | £2.50 | Free Collection |
| Pretty Little Thing | £3.99 Standard / £5.99 Next Day | £1.99 | |
| Bohoo | £3.99 Standard/ £5.99 Next Day | £1.99 | |
| Debenhams | £3.99 Standard/ £5.99 Next Day | £1.99 | Selected Large Items incur a £50 Returns cost |
| Matalan | £3.99 Standard/ £4.99 Next day | £1.99 | Approx £1.99 Delivery fee |
The shops where it’s still free to send things back
Of course, not everywhere charges – and the better news is there are still major brands where it’s free to send things back.
M&S, ASOS, Selfridges, Argos, Currys and Boots all let you send things back free, while a string of others let you send most things back free – with only a few exceptions for larger items.
Here are the big brands that don’t charge for returns:
| Brand | Delivery Fee | Return Fee | Notes |
| Abercrombie | £3.95 / £5.95 Express /£10 Same Day | Free | Free Delivery over £75 |
| Argos | £3.95 Standard | Free | Free Delivery over £100 Free Click & Collect |
| ASOS | £4.50 Standard / £5.95 Nextday | Free | Free Delivery over £40.Asos Deduct £3.95 for people who return often under their ‘High Return Rate’ |
| Boots | £3.95 Standard/ £5.95 Next Day | Free | Free Delivery over £25Free Click & Collect |
| Currys | £3.99 Standard / £5.99 Next Day | Free | Free Delivery over £40 |
| JD Sports | £3.99 Standard /£5.99 Express | Free | Free Delivery over £80 |
| LookFantastic | £3.95 Standard | Free | Free Delivery over £25Products must be unused and unopened |
| M&S | £3.99 Standard /£5.99 Next Day | Free | Free Delivery over £60, Free Collection |
| New Look | £3.99 Standard/ £5.99 Next Day | Free | |
| Selfridges | £5.95 Standard/ £8.95 Nominated Day | Free | Free Delivery over £150/ Free Click & Collect |
The shops that sometimes charge
There are also shops where you sometimes get charged return fees and sometimes don’t.
Whether you incur a fee or not depends on a fair few factors – so you need to be careful.
For example, on Amazon, you’ll not be charged for things that you buy directly from Amazon itself, but if you buy something on Amazon, that’s supplied by a third party, then you could be charged.
Here’s who’s charging what:
| Brand | Delivery Fee | Return Fee | Notes |
| John Lewis | £4.50 Standard / £2.95 Click and Collect | Free/ £29.95 for Large Items | Free Delivery over £50 |
| Amazon | Varies – AVG £3.99 | Varies (Free from Amazon) About £3.99 if not. | Varies depending on if shipped by Amazon or not |
| Ikea | £5 Standard/ £7 Express / Large Parcel £10-14 / Furniture £30-45 | Free / £25 for Collection | Free over £60 |
| Nike | 4.5 Standard | Free (For Members) Otherwise pay delivery | Free Delivery for ‘Nike Members’ or over £99 |
| AO.Com | Varies (not specified) | Free for small Items, then Collection from £24.99-49.99 | |
| Dunelm | £3.95 Standard | Cost of Delivery | Free Delivery over £60 |
The things you can’t send back at all
While distance selling rules mean you can send most things back – there are exceptions.
For example, it’s hardly fair for someone to order a customised, one off, monogrammed item then expect the shop to sell it on to someone else. As such, personalised, custom-made items are exempted from the returns rule.
Here’s what most likely to see the 14-day return rule
- Items that deteriorate quickly – like fresh flowers or food
- Personalised or custom-made items
- Anything sold by a private individual, such as from a social media marketplace or online auction site
- CDs, DVDs or software, if you’ve broken the seal
- Items with a broken hygiene seal, like earrings or swimming costumes
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