The 'Free Returns' Con: Nine UK Retailers Ranked on What Sending a £60 Order Back Actually Costs

There's a particular kind of optimism baked into the phrase 'free returns'. It reads like a promise. What it usually means is 'free returns, subject to a policy page nobody reads, a printer you probably don't own, and fourteen days of watching your banking app'.

So we did the boring bit. We took one imaginary order — a £60 pair of trainers, smallish box, about 1.2kg — and ran it through the published returns policies of nine of the UK's biggest retailers as they stand in November 2026. Then we scored them on three things shoppers actually feel: cash out of pocket, effort involved, and how long the refund takes to land.

One caveat before the torches come out: returns policies move around a lot, and marketplace sellers make their own rules. Treat this as a starting map, not gospel — check the policy on the day you buy.

How we scored it

• Cost — what you pay to get the parcel from your hallway back to the warehouse.
• Effort — printer or no printer, drop-off or collection, packaging rules, whether a shop counter is an option.
• Speed — days from handing over the parcel to money back in your account.

A genuinely free, printer-less, five-day return is the gold standard. Everything below is measured against it.

The rankings, best to worst

1. John Lewis — the benchmark

Free returns via Royal Mail or Collect+, QR code on your phone, no printer needed, and refunds typically land three to five working days after drop-off. Take it into a branch and the refund starts before you've left the car park. Nothing here to snark about.

2. Amazon UK — fast, with an asterisk

Prime items generally go back free via Evri or the Post Office, QR code, and refunds often clear within a couple of days of scanning — sometimes near-instantly to a gift-card balance. The asterisk is marketplace sellers, who set their own terms and can charge postage both ways. Check who's actually selling before you assume.

3. Marks & Spencer — the in-store shortcut wins

Free by post or Collect+, and free over the counter in-store with an immediate refund. Post it instead and you're looking at roughly five to seven days. The gap between the two routes is the whole story here.

4. Next — great if you can be bothered to leave the house

Free courier collection from your door is genuinely convenient, but the refund takes around three to seven days. Walk it into a store and it's closer to instant. Account customers occasionally see collection charges on certain furniture and larger items, so read the small print.

5. Argos — fine, until it's marketplace

Most Argos orders come back free through Evri or Royal Mail with a QR code. The trouble starts with Tu clothing and marketplace sellers, where a fee can appear out of nowhere. Refunds sit around five to seven days.

6. Currys — small items sting

Large-item collection is free, which is fair enough when you're sending back a fridge. Small items are a different mood: expect a few pounds in postage unless the thing is faulty, and refunds can stretch towards the statutory 14 days. Faulty goods should always be free — push back if you're told otherwise.

7. ASOS — free, but slow

Returns are free via a drop-off point, so the cash cost is nil. The cost is time: refunds routinely take up to 14 days to process once the parcel is scanned in, which is a long fortnight when you're waiting on £60. Keep the proof of postage.

8. Very — the fee you forgot about

Very charges a per-parcel return fee on many orders, deducted from your refund, with some collection options adding more on top. Refunds are on the slower side of the 14-day window. Budget £3–£5 per return and you won't be shocked.

9. Sports Direct — the booby prize

Postal returns can carry a fee of a few pounds, refunds are not known for their pace, and the whole experience nudges you towards a store trip. It's not a scam — it's just the least generous policy of the nine once you add up cash and faff.

The costs nobody puts in the headline

The printer tax. 'Free' returns that demand a printed label aren't free if you're paying 15p a page at the library plus a bus fare. QR codes solved this for most retailers — check before you buy.

Packaging rules. Some retailers insist the item goes back in original packaging with tags attached. Rip the box open like a toddler at Christmas and you may be charged for diminished value, which is legal under distance-selling rules. It is not legal to charge a blanket 'restocking fee' just for changing your mind.

Excluded categories. Earrings, opened mattresses, personalised items, perishables, underwear and anything cut to size are commonly non-returnable unless faulty. That £60 order can become non-refundable in a single click.

The 14-day clock. You have 14 days from delivery to tell them you're returning it, then normally 14 days to send it back, then up to 14 days for the refund. That's a potential six-week round trip. Retailers who refund in three days are doing you a favour, not a legal obligation.

The two-minute checklist before you click buy

1. Assume the return costs £3–£5 unless proven otherwise. Add it mentally to the price. A £60 trainers-and-postage decision is really a £65 decision.
2. Search the policy page for 'return fee' and 'collection charge'. If you can't find the answer in 60 seconds, that's the answer.
3. Check for a printer-less option. No QR code, no purchase — unless you're certain it'll fit.
4. Ask if a store return is possible. It's usually the fastest refund route by a mile.
5. Check the excluded categories list for whatever you're buying. Especially anything worn close to the skin or made to order.
6. Screenshot the policy at checkout. Retailers change terms mid-season, and a dated screenshot has settled more arguments than any customer service script.

The honest summary: free returns do exist and they're worth seeking out, but they're a feature you should shop for as deliberately as the price. The retailer that charges £4 to take something back is effectively £4 more expensive than the one that doesn't — and in a cost-of-living squeeze, that's the whole ball game.