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River Island Reviews

3.2 Rating 438 Reviews
55 %
of reviewers recommend River Island
3.2
Based on 438 reviews
Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods
Courier, Postal Service
Average Delivery Time
Within 5 Days
On-time Delivery
Greater than 32%
Accurate And Undamaged Orders
Greater than 86%
Customer Service
Communication Channels
Telephone, Email, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In
Over A Week
Customer Service
1.6 out of 5
Returns & Refunds
Refunds Process
Difficult
Returns Process
Could Be Better

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River Island 2 star review on 8th January 2025
Godsent
River Island 1 star review on 19th November 2024
Patrice
River Island 1 star review on 15th April 2024
Skylar
River Island 1 star review on 2nd February 2024
Anonymous
River Island 1 star review on 1st November 2023
Anonymous
River Island 1 star review on 1st November 2023
Anonymous
River Island 1 star review on 21st May 2023
Eleonora Morariu
18
Anonymous
Anonymous  // 01/01/2019
Good afternoon I am not someone who usually writes to complain but I feel I need to share my disappointment in your services. I totally understand your returns policy but feel that you have taken nothing into consideration about COVID. At the end of September I ordered a gift for a friend who I was hoping to see at the start of October. Unfortunately her father died of covid so we rearranged to meet during the October half term. Again, due to northern lockdowns I was unable to visit so posted her present mid October with the return label incase the present wasn’t suitable (please check records and you can see we requested a return label on the 6th October). The parcel then went missing for a couple of weeks so she didn’t receive her gift on time. Not your fault but another issue that wasn’t our fault. It has then taken us over a week to get a response from yourselves. Unfortunately we have a gift that is unsuitable and although I understand there is normally a 28 day return policy, I also understand most companies have added an extra two week return notice. We have received an email saying nothing can be done as it is not covid related so a covid death, a covid local lockdown and a national covid lockdown is not related? Under these circumstances I felt that we would be offered a credit note and feel that as a service provider you have given poor service. Really disappointing in these times when consumers are trying to support companies and people are being asked to be kind to others.
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Posted 4 years ago
Absolutely disgusted.. I went into a local lockdown in September 2020. My receipt for an exchange/refund was in October. I have now been told I can not exchange or have a refund as I have passed my valid date for return, bearing in mind I am still in a lockdown. This is totally outrageous. We are in a Pandemic..I was actually told to drive to the shop.. My nearest River Island sits in a different county which is also in its own local lockdown.. I do not want a fine of £200.
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Posted 4 years ago
Absolute shambles with receiving a order. I was promised delivery within 5 days when I purchased some shoes for an event. I did not receive them and in spite of 17 emails back and forth still not arrived. Customer service were unresponsive to my emails, I had to phone twice to the head office still no delivery. I have asked for a refund today as the whole fiasco is laughable. Would definitely think twice before ordering again.
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Posted 4 years ago
Shocking'returns policy'.I purchased a pair of blue jeans just before Covid19 lockdown.I realised quickly that I had already an identical pair and planned to return them.(I am continuing to shield due to an underlying health condition.)On a rare visit out to R I in Huddersfield and Halifax town centres' recently, I was categorically told that I couldn't exchange them for a black pair..(I had lost the receipt and I do realise that RI didnt have to do anything.However, I did think that in these unusual times , and under the circs that they would extend some goodwill.No!!! .At both stores the staff were abrupt and unbending, patronising and mildly arrogant....I literally cannot believe that a company as big as R I couldn't do a like-for-like swap for me.Im shocked and disappointed.Ive shopped at RI for years, but probably never again...
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Posted 4 years ago
Very good. Price/quality
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Posted 4 years ago
River Island Widnes you’re a disgrace! Very smug and abrupt staff who take great satisfaction out of refusing an exchange, items I had bought prior to lockdown for a holiday abroad, I spent over £400, I wanted to return 3 items because my son won’t wear them in the uk now our holiday has been cancelled. All items still full price and have tags on. Genuine return, store assistant with huge lips said no, nothing I can do it’s outside the 28 days, I explained I had just had my holiday cancelled and I understood outside 28 days but only by around 10 days and items are still full price in the store, she smugly smiled at me and said no nothing we can do. Customer services and goodwill go a long way and I can see many people going elsewhere now due to this ridiculous policy brought in post lockdown, she handed me a card to call customer services and said call them! What makes you look worse is Next, Monsoon, and new look where very empathetic and offered me an exchange no problem, it’s not that you can’t do it, it’s that you won’t and the state the economy is in, especially retail, tread easy River island Because soon enough loyal customers won’t return and you won’t have a business!
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Posted 4 years ago
The description was white shoes, they’re cream not white at all !!!
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Posted 4 years ago
Disgusted that I have just been refused an exchange in one of their stores!  l bought my daughter a dress for her birthday in March, which she was also bought off another relative (we know her taste well)!  We then went into lockdown so couldn't return the dress l got for her, complete with receipt.  Yesterday was our first opportunity to return the item, so went to the Burnley store, chose new items for a swap, only to be told that we couldn't do this, apparently because it is 'out of date'.  The dress in question is still for sale in the shop at the full price so I don't get why we can't exchange, especially given the current Covid19/lockdown circumstances that l don't need to go into detail about.  We were not asking for a refund, just an exchange!  We have been able to swap or return other items recently that we couldn't do before now no problem and think this is pretty disgusting that we couldn't do it in River Island!  Not only this but I now have a disappointed child to contend with who doesn't really understand why we couldn't swap the items.  To make matters worse, the shop assistant gave us the customer service number, which is an automated message and therefore a complete waste of time! Terrible policies and I would avoid at all costs!
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Posted 4 years ago
Love these ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️😘
River Island 5 star review on 6th August 2020
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Posted 4 years ago
Very easy shopping online with them. One word there brilliant
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Posted 4 years ago
Their tracking for returns are very good.. Much better than so many rival companies
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Posted 4 years ago
Went to river island Brent cross on 5th July , My first experience out in the shops due to Pandemic, the young boy was lovely who served me BUTTTT the manager Liz was awful She was rude to me and even walked away from me as I was speaking to her. I brought sandals in Feb to keep going on holiday in May as we all know we had covid and everything was cancelled, I decide to take my sandals back even to get an exchange Liz said I was out by 3 days from there policy .OMG are you joking River island considering we spend a fortune and have on line account with you there should be exceptions due to conditions we have all faced regardless, the manager walked away as I was trying to explain my story , I am a professional my self and I have never wrote a bad review ever until now , the manager was awful absolutely awful character the young Sunday staff deserve a medal
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Posted 4 years ago
Excellent quality
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Posted 4 years ago
I was in River Island in the Metro Centre and the customer service was overall outstanding! From the moment I walked through the door to when I left the staff made me feel very welcome.
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Posted 4 years ago
Have ordered for a treat for my granddaughters during lockdown keeping them happy and entertained.
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Posted 4 years ago
I was realy happy that I could shop online Now I'm really desappointed I had done an order, but the sizes had to change I had to pay the whole order again (4 clothes) Then the code to return the order didn't work and now I had to pay the international shipping cost my self because River Island doesn't pay this If I order something online I have try it on at home and there can be a chance that it would't fit Then it's a shame that it takes so much money to return the items I don't think that I will order again ☹
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Posted 4 years ago
My 1st and last order made with RI website. The courier company used (GLS and co-share via PostNL?) were absolute rubbish. Total disaster. I regretted not choosing the traceable package deal and therefore my purchases went "untraceable" and MIA. Tried contacting all parties concerned but no one can do anything just because I did not pay extra for traceable delivery. What a daylight robbery!
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Posted 4 years ago
I brought a top for a freind within the Christmas extended returns period, it didn’t fit and I went in to exchange it (st Helens store) to be told by a very rude member of the team that I needed to have asked for a gift receipt to be within policy, there was no management in (eg manager or assistant manager) just an equally as rude team leader or whatever they are named. I asked to speak to her and she said there’s no point as she would say the same, my normal receipt isn’t enough. There was a board that confirmed their policy and this was incorrect! Then emailed the complaints team who said that they would refund the money if I took it into store, this was in black and white. The really nice store assistant (wish I remembered her name!) said this would be fine but she needed to check with her assistant manager, the assistant manager refused, read the email and said he doesn’t care what it says it’s his policy and it will flag back end, I asked when his store manager would be back and he would not give me her first name or when she would be back. Just that she wouldn’t be back for a while. He was EXTREMELY rude!! How he is a manager I do not know. I then continued with my complaint on email, they asked me to return the item by post and keep proof. I lost the purse with the proof which is fair enough for a few months as it was in a purse that I miss laid, I then found it and sent it off to be told I could only have a gift card of the amount, I have sent numerous pictures of a refund being promised and the company are out right refusing to do anything but a gift card! It’s appalling!! It’s £21 which is no biggy it’s just the pure principle that such A big company are atrocious!!!
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Posted 4 years ago
I ordered my daughter some clothes to play in the garden which should have come to £89. I did not know that the company is struggling due to the economic crisis because they are misleading on there website. I have tried to cancel the order which I cannot do because they don’t have the staff. I have now waited 7 days and I have been charged another £89 for what I do not know. I can not contact anybody, I have sent numerous emails to cancel the order which I have not even received an automated email reply. I have had to inform my bank what has happened and that I require my £178 refund I am so disappointed and think it’s disgusting how no one is available to contact but you are available to take two amounts of money which is not yours to take.
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Posted 4 years ago
Why are there only skinny fit mens trousers to view online? Some of us still want trousers that aren't skin tight. I weep for the future of men's fashion.
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Posted 4 years ago
River Island is rated 3.2 based on 438 reviews