May 15, 2025, 9:25 am | Read time: 2 minutes
Each of us has shopped online and sometimes returned part or all of an order. It might not seem like a big deal. However, Zalando is now taking action against customers who frequently do this.
Zalando offered its customers a very generous return period of 100 days for a long time. At the beginning of 2025, the online shop shortened the return period for orders from 100 to 30 days, explaining the decision as a way to improve the availability of popular items. Nevertheless, many customers continue to use this service, some to such an extent that Zalando is now taking action.
Overview
Zalando Adjusts Return Policy in Terms and Conditions
At Zalando, you can usually find what you’re looking for and sometimes end up ordering more than originally planned. Or you might order multiple sizes of an item out of uncertainty. Who hasn’t done that?
Returns at Zalando are easy and free. Many customers “take advantage” of this by ordering significantly more with the intention of returning part of the order anyway. Zalando is now taking action against frequent returners and is highlighting this in the updated terms and conditions.
10,000 Zalando Customers Banned Due to Returns
The “Wirtschaftswoche” quotes a company spokesperson: “We have identified a small group of customers—about 0.02 percent of our total customer base of more than 50 million—who have excessively exploited our policies and exhibited an unusually high return behavior.”
With around 50 million customers, this corresponds to about 10,000 affected accounts, which are now suspended for 12 months. “During this time, they cannot place new orders but can still access their account and view all past orders and returns,” the spokesperson further states.
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What These Customers Need to Know Now
Affected customers receive prior notification. Access to past orders and the processing of still open returns remains possible, but new orders cannot be placed during this time. It is not publicly known whether and how Zalando detects possible attempts to circumvent the ban through new accounts or the same delivery addresses. It also remains unclear how many returns, compared to the orders placed, result in falling into this customer group.