THEY were some of the biggest fast fashion brands a few years ago.
But could ASOS, Boohoo and PLT be headed towards their downfall, with loyal customers turning their backs on them?
Despite being the go-to place for thousands of fashionistas looking for affordable last-minute outfits, the popular brands have now come under fire on social media.
Disgruntled shoppers have voiced their fury and have even threated to boycott against Boohoo and its rivals after controversial changes to their return policy.
One Boohoo customer, Emma-Jean (@emmajeanugc_), was so appalled by the latest change she vowed to “never” shop with the giant again.
Sharing her frustration online, the TikToker explained that she had ordered an item for New Year’s celebrations – but as her plans changed and the £40 “skirt was too short”, she decided to get her money back.
Boohoo offers customers 28 days to return their items as long as they’re not damaged and shoppers have to fork out £1.99 for the return, which is deducted from the refund amount.
But what Emma-Jean wasn’t aware of is that customers have to manually choose a cash refund instead of a Boohoo gift card.
As stated by the retailer, “any customers who opt for gift card return will receive 10% extra on their refund price”.
Additionally, bargain hunters will only have 90 days from the date they receive the gift card to use it.
Furious at the change that was made quietly, Emma-Jean said in the video: “Obviously, for some people this is ideal and that’s fair enough. But I didn’t realise that this was an option.
“I haven’t shopped with Boohoo for quite a while and I am definitely not shopping with them never again either.”
According to Emma-Jean, who blamed herself for not reading the form properly and simply clicking ‘Next’, the refund option is automatically set on gift card.
“Can you imagine the amount of people they have caught out with this? Who have done the exact same as me?”
The outraged shopper, who was stunned to receive a notification about a gift card and not a cash return, also slammed the retailer’s customer service.
“I literally explained everything, I explained it was a human error,” said Emma-Jean, claiming “they took days” to get back to her.
“When they did, they said, ‘Sorry, this can’t be changed’. I didn’t feel like the customer service was very good.”
She continued: “They’re not doing anything illegal technically […] but it just doesn’t sit right with me.”
A spokesperson for Boohoo claimed this “is not a new policy”.
They told Fabulous: “Boohoo offers customers a range of refund options, including a return to a gift card or a refund to the original payment method.
“These options are clearly displayed throughout the refund process, allowing customers to choose the method that works best for them.”
Sneaky charges and return slashed in half
Similarly, PrettyLittleThing, a subsidiary of the Boohoo Group, has also faced criticism from loyal fans, especially after the brand blocked some shoppers’ accounts.
Up until the rebrand last year, the fast fashion brand was affordable for most hard-up Brits – however, PLT soon gained notoriety for its inconsistent sizing across different garments, categories, and even colours.
This meant that some customers were requesting refunds “100% of the time, or most of the time”, as per Daily Mail, and the brand was losing money.
To tackle this, PLT blocked some shoppers’ accounts – and unsurprisingly, the news prompted a raft of negative comments.
Although some praised the brand for taking action, other disgruntled shoppers suggested there were other reasons behind the high return rate, such as inconsistent sizing.
In 2024, PLT introduced a £1.99 return fee for all customers, including ‘Royalty’ members who pay a £9.99 annual subscription for unlimited deliveries – however, they then backtracked, and said returns would now be free for Royalty members.
As of now, PLT Royalty members have to pay a £5.99 annual fee, which gives them “unlimited next day delivery” and “free returns for a year”.
Those who haven’t subscribed to the site, have to fork out £1.99 to return their purchases.
The brand has also introduced the option to choose store credit instead of cash for your returns – and any customers who opt for credit return will receive 10% extra on their refund price.
Last May, the fast fashion retailer slashed its returns policy in half, from 28 days to 14.
While many other major retailers like ASOS, H&M, and Zara offer return windows of 28 or 30 days, PrettyLittleThing’s move is believed to be a cost-saving measure to combat “serial refunding” and “wardrobing” – the practice of buying and returning clothes after wearing them once or simply trying them on.
Who is PrettyLittleThing founder Umar Kamani?
CLOTHING brand PrettyLittleThing is fully owned by the British online-fashion retailer Boohoo Group plc – but was founded by English businessman Umar Kamani.
Umar was born on March 21, 1988 in Manchester and from 2007-2010 Umar studied International Business at Manchester Metropolitan University.
His father is British billionaire and businessman Mahmud Abdullah Kamani.
Mahmud is a co-founder and executive chairman of the Boohoo Group.
In 2006, Umar started working at Boohoo as a manager to learn more about the family business.
In 2012, at the age of 24 Umar and his brother Adam co-founded fashion brand PrettyLittleThing.
By the middle of 2013, celebrities including Miley Cyrus, Michelle Keegan, Rita Ora, Jessie J, Ryan Thomas and Nicki Minaj had been seen wearing the brand.
PLT collaborated with celebrities on clothing collections including reality TV star Kylie Jenner in 2015, TV and radio presenter Maya James in 2018, girl band Little Mix in 2019 and model Naomi Campbell in 2023.
In January 2017, Boohoo acquired a 66 per cent stake in PrettyLittleThing, and in May 2020, Boohoo completed the acquisition of the remaining shares, thereby owning 100 per cent of the brand.
‘Now I’m stuck with two sizes of every item I ordered’
Following the discovery, shopper Eilidh Wells (@eilidhwells) said she’d be ending her relationship with PLT and will downloading Vinted instead.
“If you’re thinking of ordering from PLT, I’m gonna say don’t do it, especially if you struggle to return things on time,” she warned in the video.
According to the shopper, she had ordered double sizes of everything “because you never really know with the sizing.
“I waited 18 days to send it back and guess what – their return policy is 14 days.
“Who does that and not make it a big deal?” said Eilidh, who urged the retailer to put ”flashing lights that you only get 14 days to return it”.
“Now I’m stuck with two sizes of every item I ordered and I don’t like any of them.”
However, this is not the only change shoppers should be aware of – as customers were left fuming after discovering £1.99 added to the total of their basket.
The opt-in Delivery Protection service, PLT explained, service provides coverage for your order in case it is lost, stolen, or damaged during transit.
One furious shopper, Millie Jarvis (@millieejarvis), shared: “So, I’ve got a bit of a bone to pick with Pretty Little Thing.
“So, for one, I’m ordering things and it’s next day delivery, which I paid for – like, I paid the bulk – and it’s not coming next day.
“It’s coming like in two days’ time. And that’s with every order.
“And then I’ve gone on and now I’m seeing ‘Delivery Protection,’ and it’s £1.99.
“It’s £1.99, but that’s not the point.
“I’ve paid unlimited delivery for the whole year, and I’m also paying on next day delivery for my parcel to come in two days.
“And now you want me to pay Delivery Protection, for what?
“For my parcel to come the next day? What’s the deal?”
‘I’m gonna delete the app and never use it again’
Another major fast fashion retailer that’s come under fire is ASOS.
The fashion giant introduced a new returns rate rule this month, which is designed to tackle “serial returners” – shoppers who order huge hauls only to send almost everything back.
The golden rule is a return rate of less than 70% to avoid the charge.
ASOS had previously offered UK shoppers free returns of unused items within 14 days, but wrote to some shoppers saying it had updated its “fair use” policy to clamp down on frequent returners.
A £3.95 fee was introduced for people who had high return rates and kept less than £40 worth of their order.
If your return rate stays below this threshold over the last 12 months, you will continue to enjoy free returns exactly as you do now.
However, if your return rate hits 70% or higher across three or more orders, you fall into a new category where you will face an existing £3.95 deduction from your refund if you don’t keep at least £40 worth of items from your order.
Customers will now be able to clearly see on the ASOS app their own return rates – which will let shoppers know whether they are in the safe zone or dangerously close to being charged.
Your return rate is the value of items you return compared with what you spend overall. For example, if you order £100 worth of items and return £50 worth, your return rate will be 50%.
The new change hasn’t gone down too well amongst customers, with one of them, Stephanie (@stephanie.riou), saying she was tempted to delete her ASOS app.
“Have ASOS genuinely lost their minds? Like, seriously,” she slammed the retailer in a recent video.
According to the furious shopper, who had forked out £1,000 on ASOS last year, she was amongst the first ones to receive the warning email.
“The threshold is actually insane – you only have to have returned 70% or above across three or more orders.
“I placed so many orders in 2025 – three orders is absolutely nothing.
“Maybe is your sizing was more accurate we wouldn’t have this issue.
“I have been a longtime customer for ASOS for so many years, like more years than I can remember […].
“But what do they think is gonna come off this? Because obviously now I’m gonna delete the app and never use it again and spend my £1,000 elsewhere.”
A spokesperson for ASOS told us: “We’re updating our returns approach to give UK customers more visibility and control, showing their personal return rate in the app and offering tips to help them shop with confidence.
“Customers who improve their return rate will no longer face deductions, reinforcing our commitment to free returns in a sustainable way.
“ASOS also provides tools like clearer sizing details, videos, 360° imagery and personalised guidance through Fit Assistant to help customers choose the right size and minimise returns.”
Ben Blake, EVP Customer and Commercial at ASOS, said: “We’re committed to keeping free returns available for all customers in all core markets, while ensuring we do so sustainably.
“To support this, we’re helping customers make informed choices by showing their return rate.
“For the small group with the highest return rates, we provide helpful hints and tips for shopping with confidence, and we’ve already seen this approach help customers make more informed choices.”
