Consumers Frustrated with Paying for Return Shipping: Study

A new survey from Locus points to returns as one of several areas where consumer expectations are tightening.

In fact, 25% of survey respondents said paying for return shipping is the most frustrating part of the process.

"For years, the industry has focused on speed as the ultimate goal," says Nishith Rastogi, founder and CEO of Locus. "While our data shows speed remains important to consumers, the real challenge is reliability at scale. When deliveries fail, the cost isn't just customer frustration; it's reattempts, extra miles and avoidable waste across the network. Brands that set realistic expectations and keep customers informed will earn more trust than those that simply promise faster delivery, while running more efficient delivery operations overall."

Key takeaways:

·        Other cited pain points in the United States included finding time to drop off items and waiting for refunds. Similar results were observed in the UK, where return shipping fees also ranked as the top source of frustration, followed by refund delays and process-related challenges.

• 65% of U.S. consumers say 2-3 days should be the standard for online orders, while more than 80% of UK consumers expect delivery within four days.
• 93% of U.S. consumers say a company's delivery performance directly impacts their overall view of a brand.
• More than nine in 10 (93%) U.S. consumers say proactive updates help offset the negative experience of late deliveries.
• Nearly all (94%) UK consumers ranked false "delivered" notifications as the most frustrating delivery experience, while in the United States, missed delivery windows (21%) ranked as the top last-mile complaint.