Retailers Tighten Policies Amid AI Use
Riskified’s new global study reveals that nearly half of global consumers are using AI tools to assist with ecommerce return claims, leading to increased return abuse. The study, conducted by eTail Insights, surveyed 2,091 consumers across seven countries and included interviews with senior leaders from major retail companies.
Generative AI tools like Claude are being utilised by 50% of consumers to create convincing return requests. This trend is reshaping how returns are processed and managed. AI-generated return requests are overwhelming retailers, prompting many to tighten their return policies.
In response to these challenges, retailers have narrowed return reason categories, shortened return windows, and offered store credits instead of refunds. These changes aim to better distinguish between legitimate returns and abuse patterns.
Consumer Attitudes and Behaviours
The study highlights that 46% of consumers find it acceptable to return items that look different in person than online. Meanwhile, 42% believe it is fine to buy multiple sizes with the intent to return most, a practice known as ‘bracketing’.
Social media influences these behaviours, as more than half of consumers encounter return-related content online. This includes ‘life hacks’ and informal guidance on returns.
Jeff Otto, Chief Marketing Officer at Riskified, stated, “The democratization of generative AI has fundamentally changed the returns landscape. When half of consumers are using AI to draft highly persuasive refund claims, manual reviews simply cannot keep up.”
Retailers are also using AI to combat return abuse. For instance, a global luxury fashion brand reported a 75% reduction in chargebacks after utilising AI-powered fraud detection systems.
Despite the stricter measures, the study found that 52% of consumers support stricter return policies. More than half would alter their return behaviours if they understood the true cost of returns. Although consumers generally accept strategic return behaviours, 15% prefer to adhere strictly to policies.
Retailers are beginning to introduce tailored approaches based on customer risk and behaviour, though these are not yet consistently applied at scale. These personalized policies aim to balance customer satisfaction with minimizing return abuse.
Interestingly, 24% of consumers think it’s acceptable to wear or use an item before returning it for a refund. More than 60% of consumers indicated they would adjust their behaviour if aware of the real costs associated with returns.
85% of consumers accept at least one type of strategic or borderline return behaviour, while only 15% prefer to stick to the policies.
Last updated: 29 June 2026, 11:47 am
