Tskenya-Sarah Frazer used to be an avid Asos shopper, having started buying clothes on the online retailer's website 14 years ago while still at school.

Fast-forward to 2025 and Tskenya-Sarah is now banned from shopping on the website. 

The 31-year-old, who lives in East London and works in broadcasting, has become one of a string of shoppers to allegedly fall foul of Asos' 'fair use' returns policy. 

Tskenya-Sarah used to shop online at Asos at least once a month, buying clothes, beauty products and gifts from the site. 

'I was a loyal customer who used the platform as a go-to for essentials, self-care and gifting', she says. 

She told This is Money she spent 'hundreds of pounds' with Asos every year, having been drawn to a retailer offering both tall and plus-size ranges in one place. 

The demise of high-street shops over the years has reduced the number of shops Tskenya-Sarah feels suit her needs. 

She said: 'With the closures of high-street stores, people with specific needs and non-standard sizing are left with very few options. For me and many others, online shopping is not just a convenience, it is a necessity.' 

Earlier this month Tskenya-Sarah was informed by Asos that her account with the retailer had been suspended. 

She told This is Money: 'I went to make a return and realised I could not access my account properly. 

'I received no warning, no explanation and there was no option to appeal. 

'I contacted customer service repeatedly and was sent in circles. I spoke to online chat agents 11 times and was refused escalation every single time. 

'Even after explaining the impact it was having on my mental health, I was dismissed. I felt shocked, humiliated and betrayed. As far as I know, I am still banned.' 

Before being banned, Tskenya-Sarah said she had been returning 'around 50 per cent' of her Asos orders, but 'sometimes more.' 

She added: 'This was never because I wanted to. It was because of inconsistent sizing. I often had to order multiple sizes of the same item to find something that fit. 

'I have ordered a size 16 and a size 18 in the same item and the size 16 turned out to be bigger. These returns were necessary, not excessive.' 

Tskenya-Sarah does not believe Asos' fair use returns policy is fair, and last week set up a petition 'calling for transparency, a clear and fair returns policy, and proper accessibility protocols so that people can raise concerns without being ignored or shut out.' 

She said: 'I started it because I quickly realised this was not just about me. So many people have been affected by this. So far, over 1,200 people have signed the petition and it continues to grow.' 

Tskenya-Sarah said her concerns about the 'fair use' returns policy and the impact the ban had on her had not been adequately addressed by the retailer. 

A spokesperson for Asos told This is Money: 'We recently closed the accounts of a small group of customers whose shopping activity has consistently fallen outside our fair use policy. 

'This helps us maintain our commitment to offering free returns to all customers across all core markets.' 

What is Asos' 'fair use' returns policy?

Last year, Asos began charging a £3.95 fee if customers made too many returns and kept less than £40 of their order.

On its website, Asos states: 'Our Fair Use Policy exists to ensure we can continue offering free returns to the vast majority of our customers.'

'For the small group of customers who consistently take actions that make providing them with free returns unsustainable, we deduct and retain £3.95 per returned parcel from their refund to help cover the cost of getting the goods back to us.' 

Asos' fair use policy states that it may shut down accounts that have 'unusual or suspicious activity', which it says includes 'unusual patterns of returns activity' and items being returned that look worn. 

The retailer first warned customers in 2019 that it might ban accounts displaying such patterns, but some customers have claimed a tougher crackdown started this month.