The end of the "fitting room" era: marketplaces are radically changing the rules of the game for buyers.

      The main innovation is the abandonment of the usual model of "everything for free, all at once." Platforms are tired of incurring losses due to multimillion-dollar expenses on reverse logistics from endless returns. Now the service will become personalized: the higher your discipline and redemption rate, the more privileges you will have. Everything else will be for a separate fee, reports karelinform.ru.

      Post-payment becomes a privilege

      The ability to pay for an order upon receipt is now not available to everyone. It will only remain for buyers with a redemption rate of no less than 50-70%. If a user frequently refuses purchases, post-payment may be disabled, switching them to full prepayment.

      Additionally, for certain categories of goods, prepayment will become mandatory for everyone without exception. The list includes large household appliances (refrigerators, washing machines, etc.), smartphones, laptops, and other expensive electronics, as well as jewelry. The logic of marketplaces is simple: returning a refrigerator or a gold ring is too costly, and they no longer plan to shift this risk onto sellers.

      Try it on at your own expense: new return fee

      One of the most sensitive changes will affect the return of goods of proper quality (if the item simply does not fit in size, style, or color). Now, for each such return, the buyer may be charged from 50 to 200 rubles. Only the return of defective products will remain free, but there is a nuance: to confirm the defect, photo or video evidence will be required. Moreover, items with signs of use, damaged packaging, or broken labels will not be eligible for return at all.

      Market experts note that this is not the first experience of marketplaces with paid returns, but now they feel confident, claiming that these trading platforms have won the competitive battle against offline retail, allegedly occupying a dominant position and can now dictate their terms.

      Pick it up faster: reduced storage times

      If previously parcels could sit in pickup points for weeks, and extending storage was free, the situation is now changing drastically. The period of free storage for an order is reduced to 2-3 days.

      If not picked up on time, the order will automatically be sent back to the seller, and in some cases, the platform may impose a fine for non-purchase.

      Delivery: free is not for everyone

      The conditions for free delivery are also being revised. The minimum threshold for receiving it will no longer be fixed.

      It will depend on the region of residence, the workload of a specific pickup point, and even the user's purchase history.

      In some cases, especially for buyers with a low redemption rate, courier delivery may become completely paid.

      What do people say?

      Discussions have already begun online, with many trying to find violations of the "Consumer Rights Protection Law" in the new rules. However, experts doubt the success: "Online retailers know exactly the line they should not cross, so it will not be possible to catch them violating the law. Marketplaces have always been able to charge for returns, but they did not do so before to lure customers away from offline stores."

      Essentially, the platforms offer a simple choice: approach purchases consciously, study descriptions and size charts — and nothing will change for you. If you are used to ordering ten sizes of jeans to keep just one, be prepared to pay for this service.