As consumers become savvier and more careful with dollars amid economic shifts,
retailers must strike a balance to combat policy abuse
NEW YORK, April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Forter, the Trust Platform for digital commerce, today published its report Flexible Policies, Risky Business, which explores consumer sentiment around online shopping and return habits amid growing economic pressure. The report, based on a survey of over 4,000 respondents across the U.S. and the U.K. conducted online by The Harris Poll, found that 68% of U.S. and U.K. consumers believe retailers make it easy to abuse flexible return policies. In fact, nearly half (49%) admit to abusing retailers’ policies in the last 12 months.
The New Abuse Paradigm
Some U.S. and U.K. shoppers who have taken advantage of companies’ policies when shopping online in the last 12 months (29%) are turning to policy abuse to avoid paying full price. Thirty-percent of U.S. & U.K. consumers say they exploit flexible return policies to wardrobe – use and then return – expensive items they couldn’t otherwise afford. This number spikes to nearly half (46%) when looking at younger U.S. consumers and 48% of younger U.K. consumers aged 18-34.
But traditional returns abuse isn’t the only troubling behavior. Nearly two-thirds (58%) of U.S. and U.K. consumers say that it’s easy to open multiple online accounts with the same retailer to take advantage of promotions. Some U.S. and U.K. consumers are also exploiting free shipping perks: 21% admit to deliberately over-purchasing to qualify for free shipping, with the intent to return the extra items.
The Economic Impact
While retailers grapple with this policy abuse, they must also navigate consumers who are becoming more selective in how and where they shop due to financial concerns. Nearly half (48%) of U.S. and U.K. consumers are buying more from retailers with lenient return policies due to financial concerns. What’s more, 63% of U.S. and U.K. consumers say they rely on retailers’ promotions and free perks more now than in the past. However, 16% of U.S. and U.K. consumers report that they have stopped shopping with a retailer altogether because they made their return policy stricter.
The data reveal that combating growing abuse by creating rigid policies for all shoppers could ultimately cost the business at a time when every dollar counts – leading to a loss in revenue.
“Policy abuse is costing retailers billions of dollars. While consumers react to economic shifts, becoming more intentional and savvier with their spending, retailers must adjust, too,” said Ozge Ozcan, chief customer officer, Forter. “Our report found that a one-size-fits-all approach to any policy – whether it’s returns, promotions or loyalty programs – will leave today’s retailers exposed. Instead, by knowing who they’re doing business with, retailers can strike the crucial balance between customer-friendly policies and protection against serial abuse.”
To read the report, visit the Forter Resource Center.
Methodology
This survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of Forter between March 20 – 24, 2025, among adults ages 18+ in the UK (n=2026) and US (n=2010). The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within + 2.4 percentage points for UK and + 2.5 percentage points for US, using a 95% confidence level.
For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected].
About Forter
Forter is the Trust Platform for digital commerce. We make accurate, instant assessments of trustworthiness across every step of the buying journey. Our ability to isolate fraud and protect consumers is why Adobe, ASOS, eBay, Instacart, Priceline, Nordstrom, and many more leaders across industries have trusted us to process more than $2 trillion in transactions. Our deep understanding of identity and use of automation helps businesses prevent fraud, maximize revenue and deliver superior experiences for their consumers.
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SOURCE Forter
