Zara Israel no longer allows shoppers to exchange items at its stores. According to the new regulations, items can be returned, and customers can then expect to be reimbursed after 14 days even if they want to change their purchase for the same item but in a different size or color.
Shoppers were surprised to learn that they were being charged for buying the same item again, rather than the more common practice of simply exchanging it at the till, increasing their credit card expenditure.
Other retailers allow customers to exchange items and reimburse them if they chose a less expensive one.
The new policy which only exists in Zara shops in India and Italy while most markets allow the exchange of items at no cost, in shops and online.
Zara Israel has opted to take advantage of a loophole in Israeli law that does not address the exchange of purchases. The law only refers to the right to return items and allows retailers to charge 5% of the purchase price if the item is returned.
According to sources in the retail industry Zara Israel which owns other brands including Masimo Dotti, Bershka, Pule and Bear and others, changed their cashier systems to the Spanish Inditex system that was accompanied by the surprising policy change. Zara extended the period that allowed for items to be returned from 14 to 30 days.
In March a new faster and more efficient cashier system was installed in the group's stores for the benefit of customers, that includes a full refund for items returned within 30 days of purchase, according to the form of payment at the time of purchase," Zara said in a statement.