Complaints from fashion shoppers surge
Citizens Advice has said it received almost 18,000 complaints about fashion purchases last year.
According to the charity’s Consumer Service, 82% of complaints about clothes, shoes and accessories were related to online orders (14,487), while only 14% were to do with in-store purchases (2,569).
Subscribe to TRBWomen’s clothing caused the most issues, making up almost half (48%) of all complaints (8,508), compared to 20% (3,523) for menswear.
Furthermore, the number of people reporting these issues last year jumped by 21% compared with 2024,
Retail scams
One in 13 complaints last year involved scams, with Citizens Advice supporting shoppers who believed they were buying from UK based companies, only to receive poor quality items and face costly overseas return fees.
Jane Parsons, consumer expert at Citizens Advice, said: “Shopping should be simple and stress-free, but every year we hear from thousands of frustrated people who have a tough time trying to resolve issues with retailers and sellers.
“Consumers face all kinds of problems from receiving faulty items, to waiting weeks for deliveries and poor customer service. Plus, the ever-increasing use of AI makes it easier for scammers to trick people into buying items that look nothing like the images advertised.
“It’s important consumers know what steps to take before they part with their cash or after there’s an issue. It can make all the difference in avoiding a trap or getting a refund.”
According to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service, the top five issues were:
- Faulty goods – 3,222 complaints (18% of all complaints)
- Delivery failure or delay – 2,360 complaints (13%)
- Trouble returning unwanted goods – 2,079 complaints (12%)
- Breach of contract – 1,562 complaints (9%)
- Poor customer service 1,085 complaints (6%)
