Half of UK online shoppers shun retailers with slow refunds

New research indicates that half of online shoppers in the UK would refrain from making future purchases with retailers that are slow to provide refunds after returned purchases.

A recent survey conducted by YouGov, commissioned by Advanced Supply Chain, found that 53% of UK online shoppers would not buy again from a retailer if their refund is delayed when returning products.

The data highlights a clear expectation among customers: most expect to receive their refund within two to three days of sending an item back. A quarter of respondents—25%—said that waiting up to a week for a refund is too long. For 27% of shoppers, a 10-day wait is excessive, and 23% expressed that a two-week delay is unacceptable.

The study also shows that dissatisfied customers are likely to share their experiences. Nearly a third—32%—reported that they would tell their family and friends not to shop with the retailer due to refund delays. In addition, 27% would post a negative review online, while 20% would go as far as lodging an official complaint.

Returns have become an integral part of online shopping, with consumers often ordering multiple variations of the same product to try at home before making a decision. Data from ReBound Returns, a company processing millions of customer returns worldwide, reveals that nearly half of shoppers now use this approach. These shoppers then return the items they do not keep. According to the company, 43% of shoppers post returned items within three days and half expect a notification from the retailer as soon as the refund has been processed.

There may be an upside for retailers who act swiftly: the survey suggests that quick refunds can encourage repeat purchases. Sixty-seven percent of shoppers would likely consider spending their refund with the same retailer, provided the money is returned within two to three days.

Stuart Greenfield, Sales Director at Advanced Supply Chain, commented on these findings: "An item being sent back isn't the end of a shopper's spending, it's simply another part of the online shopping journey. Retailers can embrace this and influence reshopping by making returns fast and painless for consumers."

Advanced Supply Chain pointed to one of the persistent challenges in the returns process: returns fraud and false returns. Stuart Greenfield elaborated: "Disingenuous shoppers and criminals attempt to exploit returns processes by sending back counterfeit products, substituting items for lower value goods and switching price tags on products. Extra inspections are put in place to verify genuine returns and to avoid refunds being wrongly paid. This is important, and refunds should only be paid after a return is verified, but there are ways to avoid extra quality control leading to lengthy refund delays. Investing in tech, data and processes can speed up inspections and keep shoppers updated about when they'll get their money back."

The importance of communication is also stressed by consumers. ReBound Returns' data shows that shoppers want to receive updates about the status of returns and refunds using email, text messages, or WhatsApp. Moreover, the majority—57%—would prefer to resolve return-related issues via live online chats with customer service agents.

Mike Viscione, Sales and Partnerships Lead at ReBound Returns, discussed the impact of refund processes on consumer satisfaction: "Shoppers are keen for their returns to be dealt with quickly and to be kept updated throughout the process. Delays are often caused by retailers wanting to handle customer returns in one, centralised distribution centre, which can add transportation mileage and time to processing. It's much more effective to deal with returns locally, as close as possible to where shoppers have sent items back from, to enable returns to be quickly checked, verified and customers refunded within 3 days.

"Early refunds not only boost customer satisfaction but can also strengthen loyalty and retention. They open the door for exchanges or follow up purchases, turning a return into a new sale."

The YouGov survey was conducted among 2,009 UK consumers aged 18 and above in May 2025.