A woman has been permanently banned from shopping with ASOS after spending more than £10,000 on the site, all because of how often she returned items which broke its return policy.
Tskenya-Sarah Frazer, 31, from Hackney in east London, was shocked to receive an email from the fashion retailer on June 19 telling her that her account had been blocked for life. ASOS said her shopping behaviour had breached its “Fair Use Policy”.
Tskenya-Sarah Frazer via SWNS
Tskenya, a broadcaster and inclusion consultant, had been a loyal customer since her teenage years. She said she relied on ASOS for its tall and plus-sized ranges, as she wears a size 18 and is five feet nine inches tall.
Tskenya explained that her returns were always related to sizing. She said she often buys multiple sizes of the same item to see what fits. This is something she said is necessary due to inconsistent sizing in plus and tall ranges.
“It became my safe haven and my go-to because they had such a range of sizes,” she said. “So when I woke up and got this cold email that my account had been permanently blocked, I couldn’t believe it.”
She said her high return rate led to the ban under ASOS’s Fair Use Policy
Tskenya-Sarah Frazer via SWNS
In the email, ASOS told her that she was part of a small group of customers whose shopping patterns, including high return rates, breached the Fair Use Policy. And that her account would be closed with immediate effect. Any attempts to open a new one would also be blocked.
ASOS’s Fair Use Policy includes flagging behaviour like repeated complaints about orders, unusual return activity, or consistently ordering and returning large quantities.
Tskenya said she typically placed four large orders a year. So, she spent around £2,000 each time and returning roughly half of the items. And she also paid for ASOS Premier, which gives unlimited free next-day delivery.
Tskenya believes the policy unfairly targets shoppers who fall outside of standard sizes or who can’t try on clothes in stores. That also includes disabled customers and people who live in remote areas.
“The retailers need to take some responsibility. If clothing sizes were standardised, we wouldn’t need to order two sizes or lengths,” she said. “I think this is bigger than ASOS, it’s an endemic issue with online retailers punching down on people.”
She said she tried to contact ASOS through its online chat and by calling head office, but hasn’t had any luck. Even if her account were restored, she’s not sure she’d return.
“They were a brand that spoke on diversity. And had these great campaigns and activations for LGBT+ folk and black history month,” she said. “I thought we shared the same values, but clearly we don’t.”
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