Lately, I’ve observed a significant decline in the return experience with a number of my favorite online retailers. The main causes are:

• Multiple packages for one order
• No return shipping labels
• Extra paperwork to fill out manually

As a frequent online clothing shopper, free returns used to be the most important thing for me, after free shipping of course. But lately, I’ve found that the free returns are so painful that I’m wanting something else — EASY returns.

Best practices for “easy returns” include:

1. A prepaid shipping label should be included in every package, rather than requiring the customer to go online to request and print one. Always include one in each package sent, not just one per order if you’re sending multiple packages.
2. A simple return form for the consumer to tick off. All the customer + item detail information should already be there. Customer should only need to annotate a return reason.
3. A resealable bag — works best for soft goods.

Read on for more detail on how the returns process feels for a consumer buying from some of these recognized “best in class” online retailers.

Nordstrom.com:

• Greater reliance on dropshippers and shipping from stores means that inventory is coming from a wide range of places. When ordering 5-6 items to try on at home, I often end up with 4 different boxes all coming at different times.
• Prepaid shipping labels are included in the box, which is a plus.
• But each box requires it’s own return form. Nordstrom forces you to manually fill out item #, vendor, description, size, color, and return code.
• And for some shipments, the prepaid return label is missing a return address or order #, so you have to fill those in as well. (I believe these are shipments coming from a dropshipper or retail store, where they likely do not have the capability to print custom labels for each order).
• Multiply this experience across 4 boxes and it’s quite annoying.

Target.com:

• Returns are such a headache, I refuse to shop there any more.
• Their ecommerce platform is such a mess that the returns self-service function has NEVER worked for me. The form has errors. Or doesn’t generate a return shipping label.
• To resolve the issue you have to get on the phone with customer service. AHH THE HORROR. And then they route you to a call center based in India where the contractors are poorly trained on Target’s failing ecommerce infrastructure. It’s embarrassing to say the least.

Asos.com:

• Asos is an online only retailer based in the UK. Several years ago I found them to have one of the best online buying (and return) experiences: free express 2-day shipping (orders over $250), free returns, prepaid labels included, resealable bags. Best across the board.
• I ordered from them last week after a year and a half hiatus and found that things had changed. Just like Nordstrom, they sent me 3 different packages for one order of 6 items. Only one of the packages came with a prepaid return label. So how am I supposed to return the other packages, which unfortunately need to go back as well?
• Went online to Asos.com to try to find a shipping label to print and was directed to a help page and form that wouldn’t load. Only other option was calling them. When I’m forced to make a phone call to customer service to complete a basic task, you’ve lost me as a customer.

Zappos.com

• I ordered 4 pairs of boots to try on at home and was happy when they came in only two packages — one large box with 3 pairs and another small box for the remaining pair.
• Similar to Amazon (their parent company) they offer free shipping & returns on most items. But they require the customer to go back to Zappos.com to request a return and print a shipping label.