NA-KD Fashion

Since the pandemic, more and more consumers are turning to online retailers to shop from the comfort of their home. And while this is a convenient way to browse, online shopping can be costly once consumers factor in shipping.

Enter NA-KD, a Swedish fashion company who claims to help you avoid these pesky fees by offering free shipping:

Individual product pages note that shipping to the U.S. in 3 to 5 days is free and language at the top of the website boasts “Free climate compensated shipping.” And with no fine print or asterisks alongside the “free” claim, what could go wrong? Well, unfortunately the “free”  part.

After receiving a consumer tip, TINA.org went on a shopping spree and discovered that shipping with this retailer is only free for orders above $100, a fact that is not clearly disclosed. In order to get this information, consumers would have to click on the “Delivery and returns” section of the website where the shipping minimum is noted:

So what is the price of shipping? Unfortunately, consumers have to wait until the checkout page to find out:

Interestingly, in addition to “free climate compensation shipping,” consumers are asked at checkout for an additional climate contribution that goes towards the company’s environmental offsetting projects.

These projects, which often come in the form of carbon offsets, are efforts by a company to compensate for the environmental impact of its production, processing and/or shipping. NA-KD states that it offsets through investments “in our production countries that aim to help the transition toward a fossil free society” including wind farms and a solar power project. Though this sounds very green, many offset projects have been found to be “worthless.” And a study that specifically examined the fashion industry suggested that offsets are largely a distraction from meaningful change.

TINA.org contacted the company asking why it does not clearly and conspicuously disclose in its product listings that free shipping is only available for orders that are above $100. In response, an NA-KD spokesperson stated that shipping “is displayed at checkout” and depends on the country.

The Bottom Line

Unfortunately, this fashion company’s offer for free shipping falls apart at the seams for consumers who don’t have purchases totaling more than $100. Consumers should always look for the fine print for offers of free shipping as these deals often come with caveats.

Read more of our coverage on free claims here.