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By Megan Harwood-Baynes, cost of living specialist

ASOS is facing a backlash for closing the accounts of customers making high returns, with one woman telling the brand: "Sorry I had a child and my postpartum body doesn't fit your inconsistent sizes."

Last year, ASOS announced a new 'fair use policy' in a bid to cut down on the number of items being returned.

Frankie has been an ASOS customer for over two decades, first registering with the website back in the early 2000s.

"I鈥檓 ten months postpartum now, so you can imagine that I鈥檝e had to order multiple sizes to see what fits me," the 33-year-old from London told Money.

And while she has kept just under 拢700 of products so far this year, she has had to return items that don't fit - and some that were faulty.

"I'd hardly call that [being] an unloyal customer," she said.

Faulty jeans and body image fears

Despite reaching out directly to the fast fashion giant and telling them she felt she was being "penalised for having a changing body shape", she was told she had violated the brand's fair use terms on returns, and so her account had been permanently closed.

"If I ordered a size 12 from ASOS, one would fit, one would be like a size 8, and another would be like a size 14," she said.

"I just ordered a skirt and some shorts, and a pair of tights varying from L to XL, and I鈥檝e only been able to keep the tights.

"The shorts are either stuck to my thighs or fall from my waist
Other times I鈥檒l keep the whole haul."

She said she has been left feeling insecure, like she is "a nuisance for not knowing my size, even though their sizes aren't consistent across clothing".

"I worry that for more impressionable people, they鈥檒l think something is wrong with their body and it鈥檚 their fault for making returns."

She also said ASOS needs to have better quality controls, adding: "I was just as dissatisfied receiving faulty jeans as they were having to refund me."

'Clearly loyalty isn't recognised'

Frankie isn't the only mother affected.

One X user wrote on the social media site:  "Had this account for years and always order from ASOS but clearly loyalty isn鈥檛 recognised since I had my chat closed when I enquired about it鈥� 

"I do most of my shopping on ASOS and can鈥檛 see how my returns are a lot. 

"God forbid a gal doesn't know her size/style postpartum."

Why is ASOS closing accounts?

ASOS first announced the policy last year, saying it was reducing its free returns policy due to the rising costs associated with handling returns. 

"Serial returners" were told they would be charged 拢3.95 to send items back, unless they kept 拢40 worth of their order (for those with a Premier subscription, it was 拢15). 

But those who consistently returned items have started being told their accounts are being permanently banned.

An email, seen by Money, shows even Premier customers risk being banned. 

It's not a new policy, but in the last 24 hours, there has been a noticeable uptick in the number of people posting on X to complain about the closures.

"My account is being closed due to high returns, yet my last two orders were sun tan lotion and eyelashes, both of which I kept.  Apart from that, I鈥檝e barely used my ASOS account. 

"What a way to treat loyal customers since the days of As Seen on Screen!" (As Seen on Screen was the original name of the brand, before it became ASOS in 2002). 

Another added: "At least you've been given 30 days. Mine was closed with immediate effect. Last thing I ordered was a pair of trainers in two different sizes. 

"Returned the size I didn't need = account closed."

ASOS says 'small group' of customers affected

It's understood that ASOS maintains its free returns policy is still enjoyed by the vast majority of its customers, and that the online retailer has sought to help shoppers find the correct size with its Fit Assistant tool. 

In a statement to Money, ASOS said: "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."

Octopus Energy has launched its first home EV charger, and it could mean refilling your car for as little as 2p per mile.

It is plugged into the company's popular EV tariff, Intelligent Octopus Go, which, when combined with its Drive Pack tariff, means potentially unlimited charging for just 拢30 a month.

And if you fancy a freebie, the first 100 customers will get 5,000 free miles - enough to get from Land's End to John O'Groats (or just to and from work a fair few times). 

Drivers can sign up . 

Aldi could be forced to "rethink its business model" in the wake of its trademark defeat to Thatchers cider, a lawyer for the drinks brand has said. 

It's a legal case that has been brewing for some months, but last week the family-run cider brewer from Somerset won an appeal against the discount supermarket for trademark infringement over its cloudy lemon cider.

The Court of Appeal said Aldi had used the branding for its own cider to "convey the message that the Aldi product was like the Thatchers product, only cheaper", and had piggybacked on the reputation of the Thatchers brand.

Thomas Chartres-Moore, head of intellectual property at law firm Stephens Scown, told  the ruling will make it harder for Aldi to produce own-label items that closely resemble leading brands.

Aldi had argued that shoppers would be able to tell the difference between the two products.

"This changes the landscape because it gives brands a piece of domestic law to hang their hat on," said Chartres-Moore.

"If market leaders double down on their brand protection and take the same route as Thatchers, then it is going to close a door for Aldi, and they will have to rethink their business model."

Chartres-Moore added the ruling could also weaken Aldi's long-running 'like brands only cheaper' slogan, which was referenced by the Court of Appeal judge.

An Aldi spokesperson said it goes to "great lengths" to adhere to copyright guidelines.

"We think the Court of Appeal was wrong in its interpretation of the facts of this particular case," they added. 

"Aldi will continue to champion consumers by offering low-price, affordable alternatives to more expensive branded products. The courts were clear that Aldi customers know what they are buying when they shop with us."

By James Sillars, business and economics reporter

There's a tentative relief rally across stock markets this morning.

Donald Trump's decision - to not make a decision on US involvement in Israel's air attacks against Iran for two weeks - has also helped oil prices step back.

The FTSE 100 is 0.5% up at 8,835.

Financial, mining and real estate stocks are leading the charge - with energy proving the main drag.

That can be explained by the decline of more than 2% for Brent crude today.

It's trading at $77 a barrel.

Despite that fall, the oil price remains around 20% up on where it stood at the start of the month.

UK day-ahead natural gas prices are more than 25% higher over the same period.

A sustained rally for both would not bode well for the months ahead in terms of inflation.

By James Sillars, business and economics reporter

Retail sales volumes suffered their largest monthly fall since December 2023 last month, according to official figures, which suggest a link to rising bills.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported a 2.7% decline in the quantity of goods bought in May compared to the previous month.

The body said its interaction with retailers suggested "inflation and customer cutbacks" accounted for the fall, which was across all categories, but led by food.

Ahead of what's expected to be a scorcher of a weekend across the country, it's a good time to restock on sunscreen.

Before heading to the chemist, however, you may want to be aware of new findings that show two brands may not do as they say on the bottle.

Lab tests carried out by the consumer group Which? show a family sunblock costing 拢28 fails to provide the protection it promises.

The group found Ultrasun Family SPF30, which comes in a 150ml size and sells itself as "perfect for the whole family" (and "especially suitable for children and those with sensitive skin"), did not meet minimum UVA protection levels.

If you want to know the specifics, it scored a 9.1 and then a 9.5 in a retest, when it should be 10 or more.

Of the 15 brands tested by Which?, Ultrasun was joined by one other in earning its "Don't Buy" label - Morrisons Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30.

This is sold for 拢3.75, which gets you 200ml.

It scored 25.7 and 20.7 in UVB/SPF tests - short of the 30 needed to pass.

Cheap solutions

Natalie Hitchins, head of home products and services at Which?, said it was "really concerning" that "widely available sunscreens could be putting families at risk".

But the tests did also show, she added, that there were plenty of cheap alternatives meeting their standards.

"While shoppers should avoid buying our Don't Buys, our results prove that there's no need to splash out to keep you and your loved ones safe in the sun as we've found cheap, reliable options", she said.

These include Lidl's Cien Sun Protect Spray SPF30 High - costing 拢3.79 for 200ml - and Aldi's Lacura Sensitive Sun Lotion SPF50+, priced at 拢2.99 for 200ml.

How the testing is done

Which? says it uses industry-recognised test methods, which meet British and international standards.

These are carried out at independent labs.

If a product fails on its first test, Which? repeats the test. If it passes on the second attempt, a third test is done. 

If it fails SPF or UVA twice overall, it becomes a Don't Buy. 

What Ultrasun and Morrisons say

A spokesperson for Ultrasun said it was fully confident in its testing protocols and that its detailed testing processes continued to not only meet, but also surpass, industry standards.

It also said its chosen testing protocol was one of the strictest available.

Morrisons said it was looking closely at the data and working with its supplier to carry out additional independent testing.

Every Friday, we take an overview of the mortgage market before rounding up the best rates with independent experts from . This week, we are honing in on remortgage deals... 

Borrowers might have been disappointed to see the Bank of England hold the base rate at 4.25% yesterday. 

But while the rate does influence what lenders charge you, so do swap rates. These are used to determine how much banks are charged to borrow in order to lend. 

"Those weighing up future rate expectations traditionally follow the swap rate market, and as it stands, swaps are hovering between their 30-day highs and 30-day lows," Moneyfacts finance expert Rachel Springall says. 

Sticky inflation and rising tensions in the Middle East have caused the Bank to opt for a "gradual" approach to rate cuts, but analysts are still expecting two more by the end of the year. 

'Mortgage borrowers can now break free'

"These developments could spell disappointment for borrowers, but it is worth noting that the market is in a much better shape than seen over previous years, and lenders have been reviewing their stress testing in response to the government's plans to boost UK growth," Springall adds. 

"Mortgage prisoners who have not been able to borrow more could now break free of their costly variable rate mortgage and secure a lower fixed rate deal." 

While this week has been a bit subdued for mortgage activity, a handful of lenders have cut rates rather than hike them. 

Gen H cut rates by as much as 0.5%, Santander made reductions of up to 0.22%, and Halifax by up to 0.1%. 

Week on week, the overall average two-year fixed rate fell to 5.11% and the average five-year fixed rate remained at 5.1%.

Here's a look at the lowest rates on the market... 

As a remortgage customer, it's possible you're looking to save on the upfront cost of any deal. You might also want a deal to cover a valuation or legal fees.

A Best Buy mortgage could be the most cost-effective choice in this instance - here's a round up of the top ones available... 

Two retail giants are ordering some of their staff back to the office.

Primark has told employees that its product teams will be brought back to in-person work for four days a week from September.

But they will still be able to finish at 2pm on Friday.

John Lewis, meanwhile, is asking staff to spend at least three days in the office each week.

A Primark spokesperson told Money: "After experiencing remote, hybrid, and full-time models in recent years, we will be reintroducing a four-day in-office work week for our product teams.

"We know that when our product teams are together in-person, it strengthens productivity, creativity and development, ultimately delivering the best offering for our customers.

"We know how important balance is and we will continue to offer flexible working hours, and remote working on Fridays with a 2pm finish."

In a statement to us, a John Lewis spokesperson maintained flexible working is "an important part of our offer", with everyone able to request working from home.

But they added: "A collaborative culture is critical to help create the best product ranges and store environment for our customers and we're taking steps to encourage team members to spend time together in our offices, our stores, meeting brands and suppliers and balancing this with working remotely."

They're the latest firms to take steps away from remote working.

In September, Amazon told its office workers they may no longer work from home except in extenuating circumstances.

More recently, the world's biggest advertising company WPP faced backlash from employees after making a new rule forcing employees to attend the office four days a week.

However, a survey published today suggests few employers have made changes to their flexible working policies, despite reports of firms rowing back on hybrid arrangements.

A survey of 70 employers covering 380,000 workers by researchers at IDS found few have made changes to reduce employees' existing flexibility, and there is little evidence hybrid working has any bearing on pay.

Chefs may have been glad to see the back of 2024 - a year that wasn't kind to high-end hospitality - hoping for better luck in 2025.

Top-name chefs were not spared from the widespread closures, triggered in part by rising costs, with the likes of Marcus Wareing, Michel Roux Jr and Monica Galetti forced to close their restaurants.

Bucking that trend is celebrity chef Angela Hartnett, who is opening a new restaurant in one of London's most famous haunts.

The new space will open its doors in September at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.

Sharing the news on her Instagram page to more than 223,000 followers, Hartnett said it will be inspired by "the timeless bars of Turin" and will bring "Italian-inspired cooking to our Covent Garden home".

"Opening at the Royal Opera House - such an iconic London institution - is a real privilege," she added.

"We're creating something entirely new for the space: relaxed, with food that celebrates exceptional produce and simplicity.

"Most of all we want the restaurant and bar to be for everyone, not just for those attending a performance."

The restaurant will serve lunch and dinner on the fifth floor, while the rooftop terrace bar will be open every day.鈥�

The Royal Ballet and Opera's chief commercial officer, Sophie Wybrew-Bond, promised "breath-taking new spaces" with "exceptional art".

We've covered the struggles - and success stories - among big-name chefs in Money before. Click on the link below to look back...