Fast-fashion
brand PrettyLittleThing (PLT) is facing criticism from customers who have had
their accounts with the company deactivated because of the number of times they
have returned their purchases. In an email seen by the BBC, shoppers were
told on Friday that their accounts had been reviewed and shut down so they
would not be able to place any further orders. Some of those affected have used social media to criticise
the new policy, claiming they had only made one return so far this year, or
suggesting they would return fewer items if the firm was more consistent in its
sizing of clothing items. PLT did not immediately respond to the BBC's
request for comment. The online retailer, which is part of the
Boohoo Group, had come under fire earlier this month after scrapping its free returns policy. One PLT customer branded the latest move a
"joke" and said returns would not be necessary if the sizing and the
quality of the clothing was not "awful". For
fashion retailers, covering the cost of returns can be expensive and they have
to consider the environmental impact of using delivery trucks for this purpose
too. More have been opting to shift costs on to customers as a result, as well
as clamping down on returns by introducing stricter inspections to spot when
clothes have been worn for an occasion and sent back after one use.
