Zalando blocks customer accounts due to too many returns – without warning

Zalando is taking action against customers who frequently return goods and blocking their accounts. Many Swiss customers are also affected, but there is a way to reactivate the account.

In March, Zalando began taking action against customers who regularly return large numbers of orders. The online fashion retailer blocked the first 10,500 accounts in March without informing the customers concerned in advance. This measure also affects numerous customers in Switzerland. In this country, goods are returned particularly frequently.

According to Zalando, 0.02 percent of a total of 51.8 million customers are affected by the blocking. This is according to “Blick“.

A spokeswoman for the company explained that the affected customers have placed a large number of orders in the last twelve months and returned the majority of the items. However, existing orders are not affected by the blocking, and the exact number of returns leading to an account block remains unclear, as does the number of Swiss accounts affected.

“Abuse of the free right of return”

One customer reported that she had received an email from Zalando informing her that she had been blocked due to “abuse of the free return policy”. She initially thought the message was spam, but realized that she had actually been blocked due to her 57 orders in the year, many of which were returned.

The customer used Zalando for “selection shopping”, ordering different sizes and styles to return the unsuitable items. She criticized the blocking without warning and the lack of communication on the part of customer service, who were unaware of the blocking.

Several affected customers commented on Trustpilot about the sudden blocking of their accounts and the poor customer service. One customer, who had spent over 9300 euros, was particularly disappointed by the lack of warning and the unclear changes to the terms and conditions.

A simple trick can help

Zalando had advertised free returns in the past, which may have contributed to the current situation. The former slogan “Scream with happiness or send it back” was replaced by “Free to be” in 2019, but remained present in the minds of customers.

However, affected customers can use a simple trick to order from Zalando again: A new account can be opened with a new email address and the same delivery address.

The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.