Rewriting the rules on returns
How consumer attitudes, AI and abuse are shaping global ecommerce
Introduction: AI-assisted abuse and the new economics of returns
Returns have become the new battleground in ecommerce, where consumer expectations, margin pressure, fraud, and emerging technology converge.
Based on a survey of 2,091 consumers across seven markets, and insights derived from interviews with ten retail leaders, this report reveals a returns ecosystem undergoing rapid disruption.
Nearly half of consumers (49.79%) have already used generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to help with return or refund claims, perhaps with malicious intent, a practice that may increase as AI agent adoption grows.
At the same time, behaviors once considered abusive are becoming normalized: 42.28% see “bracketing” as reasonable, and 24.49% are comfortable returning “wardrobed” items after use. Only 15.02% of the consumers surveyed reject all manipulative return practices presented to them outright.
Nonetheless, shoppers aren’t universally opposed to policy reform, and many consumers would even prefer that merchants adopt stricter return policies.
Almost 28% support tighter return policies, and most say they’d adjust their behavior if they knew the real costs of returns. Retailers are responding by tightening rules, shortening windows, transitioning to store credit, and investing in AI-driven fraud detection.
The path forward lies in turning data and transparency into a dual advantage: protecting margins while improving customer trust.
About this report
Riskified, a leading provider of ecommerce fraud and risk intelligence solutions, commissioned eTail Insights to give ecommerce, customer experience, and fraud leaders a clearer picture of how consumers think about online returns and return policies, as well as how they choose to act based on the social and economic factors that influence them.
The consumer survey reached 2,091 respondents across seven markets, with over half (51.41%) based in the US, followed by the United Kingdom (14.35%) and Japan (11.96%). Respondents were selected to reflect a range of income levels, age groups, and geographies, and all had made at least one online transaction in the three months before completing the survey. Millennials comprise the largest generation represented (37.16%), and all respondents have made online transactions in the past three months.
eTail Insights also conducted merchant interviews, engaging senior leaders with direct visibility into fraud, abuse, and post-fulfillment policy at their organizations. eTail Insights spoke in depth with 10 senior leaders from some of the world’s most well-known brands in the retail and ecommerce space, with annual revenues of $250 million to $10 billion. They occupy roles in customer experience, customer service, and fraud prevention. Each has full visibility into fraud and abuse at their organization, including post-fulfillment abuse.
Distribution of respondents by country
Distribution of respondents by household income
Distribution of respondents by generation
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