ASOS are deactivating customers' accounts and people are livid
15 April 2019, 12:11
People are threatening to boycott ASOS after they begun closing the accounts and some customers are now too afraid to return items that don't fit them.
ASOS have started shutting down accounts and their customers are pissed. Earlier this month, the fashion website explained it would be cracking down on serial returners following a massive shake-up of the ASOS returns policy.
ASOS are pulling 280 brands from their website
ASOS revealed that they would be extending the initial returns period from 28 days to 45 days and, to stop shoppers taking advantage of the new policy, it would be deactivating accounts that had an unusual number of returns.
Last week, ASOS began the purge and now they've been hit with loads of complaints from ex-customers, who claim to have had their accounts closed for no reason. Some have said they haven't even returned an item this year, while others have only made two or three orders with the company.
People are now threatening to boycott ASOS over the deactivation of their accounts.
@ASOS_HeretoHelp WOW. Just had an email to say my account has been deactivated due to 'suspicious activity'. I've been an ASOS customer for YEARS and hv spent hundreds if not thousands of £ (also had lots of A-list vouchers in past) Cant even log in now. What on earth!?
— Lucinder (@lucinderch) April 10, 2019
@ASOS_HeretoHelp got an email informing me my account has been deactivated due to “on going pattern of refund behaviour”. Spoke to a member of customer support and they said it would be due to “suspicious activity”. The implication is offensive. I’ve been a loyal customer.
— kate (@dreambiting) April 10, 2019
I’ve placed only 3 orders in 6 months on @ASOS @ASOS_HeretoHelp and have had my account deactivated due returns activity. It’s not my fault I have to return stuff ordered in different sizes because your sizes are all over the shop! No wonder your sales have plummeted 90%
— Spex & Lipstick (@amiisteward) April 10, 2019
.....@ASOS_HeretoHelp, you are laughable. the correspondence since I requested more information about my account being deactivated due to “suspicious returns” is the worst “customer service” ive ever encountered. pic.twitter.com/dpKO5I6pUS
— Allison Schwartz (@Schnitzeltown) April 11, 2019
Pls tell me how Asos have deactivated my account because I’ve returned to much???
— Cez (@_CerysWatkins) April 10, 2019
@ASOS deactivated my account! Loyal customer who has lost a load of weight and doesn’t know what size she is! And, haven’t delivered when I have paid for next day, on several occasions. Don’t return more than a normal person would. What a way to treat your customers 👍🏻
— Rachel Smith (@rubys440) April 10, 2019
@ASOS_HeretoHelp I got an email saying my account has been permanently deactivated and when I speak to your customer service team they copy and paste an email that they’ve sent to everyone else who has contacted them!!! Fuming as I’ve just paid for unlimited delivery for a year pic.twitter.com/KRoiI20JUJ
— mimi (@mimicovielloxo) April 10, 2019
@ASOS_HeretoHelp since you deactivated my account with no prior warning or for any legit apparent reason, I'd like confirmation that you've deleted all my personal data please. And I'd like this asap
— Kayleigh (@kayleigh_032) April 11, 2019
In a statement to Metro, ASOS explained that they would be implementing an appeals process for people who feel like they had had their account wrongly closed.
"With almost 20 million customers around the world, the business reached a size where we had to make a decision about our free returns offer," the statement read.
"We could either begin to limit the offer in some way, or we could start to investigate the very small number of customers, a fraction of 1% in fact, who seem to be taking extreme advantage of our free returns service.
"We chose to protect this amazing proposition, as well as increase the time to return unwanted items to us to 45 days, but we do understand that for the very, very small number of people impacted, there are some who are going to be upset.
"We apologise for any confusion that our new policy has caused and want to assure the vast majority of our customers that they have nothing to worry about.
"We will also be introducing an appeals process as well as a warning email to make sure that the few people impacted are not caught by surprise or feel they have been unfairly treated."
ASOS' popularity was partly due to their quick, easy and free (for some countries) return service. Customers want to try things on in the comfort of their own homes and with the differences in sizing, they never quite look like they do on the model, so they send them back. Is that wrong?