REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
- More retailers are charging customers for shipping and related fees for mailing back returns.
- Roughly 41% of companies charged such fees in 2022, an increase from 33% in 2021, according to a survey.
- Retailers including H&M, JCPenney, and many others are imposing some kind of fees for returns.
It's becoming more common for customers returning products to shoulder shipping fees.
About 41% of retailers charged for shipping on returns in 2022, compared to 33% the year before, according to a survey by logistics company Narvar.
The survey, which the Atlantic reported, was based on an analysis of some 200 companies, according to the firm. Narvar, which helps retailers facilitate returns, provide delivery dates for orders, and offer information on tracking packages that are en route, conducted the survey to study the trend, according to a spokesperson.
Customers can face fees for shipping, handling, and potentially restocking, and can often return items physically in stores in order to avoid facing additional charges, according to a review of return policies on retailers' websites.
Several major retailers have referenced shipping fees for returns, including H&M, which states that "Shipping and handling costs are not refundable."
H&M told Insider that its US customers would generally incur a $5.99 shipping fee to mail items back through the US Postal Service, though those in its loyalty program would be exempt from that. "Charges for online returns look different from market to market," a company representative added.
J.Crew notes on its website that customers shipping gift returns will see a $7.50 charge in their refund, while JCPenney states that shipping returns cost $8. "This has been significantly discounted and will cover your entire return from a single order," JCPenney states on its website.
Several department stores and brands including Kohl's, Uniqlo, Anthropologie, Neiman Marcus, and others are also charging such fees, as Insider has reported.
The logistics reasons behind this trend include the costs of receiving, repacking and cataloging returned goods, Insider's Avery Hartmans has previously reported.