PrettyLittleThing customers angry after accounts blocked over returns – BBC News

Fast-fashion brand PrettyLittleThing (PLT) is facing criticism from customers whose accounts with the company were deactivated due to the frequency with which they returned their purchases.

In an email seen by the BBC, shoppers were told on Friday that their accounts had been reviewed and blocked, preventing them from placing any further orders.

Some of those affected criticized the new policy on social media, saying they had only made one return so far this year or suggesting they would return fewer items if the company was more consistent with garment sizing.

PLT did not immediately respond to the BBC’s request for comment.

One PLT customer called the latest move a “joke” and said returns were not necessary if the size and quality of the clothing were not “terrible.”

A post on X said: “They don’t have a store, [of course] People will give things back.”

Another wrote that he received the email notifying him that his account had been deactivated, even though it had been three months since he last returned to the company.

On TikTok, videos of shoppers asking why their accounts were suspended also received hundreds of likes.

It was initially unclear which criteria the company used to make its decisions.

Becca Unsworth, a 24-year-old pension administrator from Preston, told the BBC she was “horrified” that her account had been frozen.

At first she wasn’t sure whether the email had been sent to her in error.

However, on Saturday morning, a PLT customer service representative informed her that the letter was genuine.

She describes herself as a loyal customer for the past seven years: “I go to PLT for absolutely everything – something for work, a new top for a night out on the town, hair stuff, beauty products. I’ve spent so much money there.”

“I return items, but only because they may arrive faulty or I may have to order an item in three different sizes to make sure it even fits,” she said, describing the brand’s sizing as “terrible.”

Becca had also paid the £9.99 fee to access PLT’s ‘Royalty’ program for a year, allowing unlimited deliveries in the UK.

However, she was informed that by deactivating her account, the company would not provide her with a refund or even a partial refund.

She adds that the experience [her] will never shop there again” and now choose stores like Asos or Shein.

Sophie Smith, a 26-year-old PLT buyer from Norwich, said she initially thought the message she received was a “joke”.

She has been a member of the Royalty delivery program since its launch and turns to PLT for outfits for endless brunches, weddings or nights out on the town.

She told the BBC she had only returned to PLT once this year, adding that recent developments showed the company “does not value its customers”.

In the email, PLT apologized for any inconvenience and pointed out that buyers could still make returns through the online portal.

PLT is part of the Boohoo Group, founded in 2006 by Mahmud Kamani and retail manager Carol Kane.

The brand started as a pure accessories company with a focus on trendy, affordable pieces.

Umar Kamani, one of Mahmud Kamani’s sons, was the co-founder and director. He was the one who drove the brand’s collaborations with greats such as supermodel Naomi Campbell and influencer Molly-May Hague, as well as its expansion in the USA.

Despite coming under the spotlight for its working practices, Boohoo Group was one of the big winners of the pandemic as online retail flourished.

Since then, however, the company has faced several challenges: return rates normalized, competition from ultra-fast fashion brands like Shein increased, and customers’ budgets were cut due to the cost of living crisis.

Customers recently vented their frustration when PLT decided to introduce a £1.99 fee for returns, including for members of its ‘Royalty’ service.

Major fashion chains such as Zara, Uniqlo and Next already charge fees for online returns, while PLT competitor OhPolly recently introduced a policy whereby the higher the value of the returned order, the higher the return fee.

Instead of a flat fee, buyers now have to pay a return fee of £8.99 to return each item ordered, while less than half of the items, for example, are charged just £2.99.

However, analysts say retailers themselves are facing cost pressures and are therefore forced to introduce such fees or increase their prices.

For fashion retailers, the cost of returns can be costly, and they must also consider the environmental impact of using delivery trucks for this purpose.

More and more companies have therefore decided to pass the costs on to customers. They have also reduced the return rate through stricter controls to determine whether garments have been worn for a specific occasion and returned after a single use.