Albam's Returns Experience: £10.54 and 2+ Weeks to Try One Garment
I love Albam Clothing - their quality is excellent and their designs are timeless. But their returns experience? That's a different story.
I ordered a pair of Needlecord Ealing Trousers. They didn't fit. Sent them back. Got a refund notification. Simple, right? Let me show you what it really cost me.
Watch my video about this experience
The Financial Breakdown
| Transaction | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Original order | £68.59 | Paid |
| Item refund | -£61.60 | Received |
| Original shipping | £6.99 | NOT refunded |
| Return postage | £3.55 | Paid |
| Net cost | £10.54 | Out of pocket |
Notice what happened here? The retailer refunded the item price, but kept the original shipping fee. Then I paid £3.55 to send it back. That's £10.54 to try on a garment.
The Timeline
But money isn't the whole story. Here's how long this "simple" return actually took:
- 30 Dec 2025: Order shipped
- ~2 Jan 2026: Item arrives (estimated 3 days)
- ~2 Jan 2026: Realize it doesn't fit
- 9 Jan 2026: Return posted (deadline day - had to rush to post office)
- 10 Jan 2026: "Refund notification" email received
- 11 Jan 2026: Still waiting for money to appear in account (they say "up to 10 days")
Total time from order to actual refund: 2+ weeks and counting
So even after they tell you it's "refunded", you still have to wait up to 10 MORE days for the money to actually show up. My money has been tied up for over two weeks for a garment I never got to wear.
The Real Cost
So what did trying on this garment actually cost me?
- £10.54 out of pocket (non-refunded shipping + return postage)
- 2+ weeks of waiting and hassle
- Mental energy dealing with returns, tracking, and refunds
I paid £10.54 and gave up half a month to try on a garment that didn't fit. That's the hidden cost of online shopping that nobody talks about.
The Lesson
To be clear: I still love Albam's products. Their clothing quality is fantastic. But their Shopify-powered returns experience leaves a lot to be desired:
- No free returns
- Original shipping not refunded
- Long wait times for refunds to actually appear
- Unclear returns procedure - I had to contact support to figure out what to do
The returns process shouldn't require contacting customer support. It should be simple and transparent.
Next time someone tells you online shopping is "convenient," remember this. Sometimes the old-fashioned way of going to a shop, trying something on, and walking out with it the same day isn't so inconvenient after all.
And definitely check if the retailer refunds original shipping costs on returns. Some do, most don't.