Very upset with Marks & Spencer....

hollydays

.In your situation,I would a) find out the store managers name
b) ring up and ask for her by name.
c)not be fobbed off by being asked to speak to a duty manager/department manager(which is probably what happened to you)

and clarify their policy.

THe Manager is the person with the discretion

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/jan/03/returns-policies-consumer-affairs-retail

I would have thought a bank statement is adequate proof of purchase for this additional customer return policy m and s offer.

The only thing that confuses me is you say the gift receipt showed 19.50.
I understood the whole point of gift receipts was they didn't show the price to the receiver of the gift-but that the staff could scan the code and identify the selling price.

There is something here about proof of purchase/bank statements,although you are not dealing with statutory rights here,but additional rights,so it's up to you to appeal to the Manager-I can't believe she wont see this as reasonable.

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/after_you_buy/know-your-rights/clothes/

Curlywurli

I understand what you're saying, but can you imagine how much money they would lose if we all bought sale products and then returned them and wanted the full amount back (I know that's not the case here). Unfortunately there are some people who would try doing that and can you imagine how much money they would lose. Businesses have to safeguard themselves in some way.

cruella_de_vile

gail5863 wrote: »

Thanks all for your replies.... I did expect them to have some kind of discretion in clearly genuine cases, but sadly I am wrong. How British retailing has changed. If these had been bought from a small independent shop, I'm sure I might have had a different response to the one M&S seem to work to in their 'big corporate bible'. They DID have different sizes in the store, and they would NOT let me exchange the PJ's for a size that would fit. Yes it was up to me to keep hold of a miniscule piece of paper, but the labels were all on the goods, there was no dispute they were from M&S and the labels had not had any reduction labels stuck onto them. To this end, I think I will just give them back to my sister in law and see if she wants them, as they might just fit her. I am just dismayed that there is no discretion at M&S these days and they do not appear to be reasonable in letting me change the PJ's for a size they have in stock, that will fit.

Can I ask how you are 'clearly a genuine case'? Do you have a special badge or something?

carolineb23

it is strange they wouldn't let you exchange them They aren't losing anything by letting you do an exchange, to be honest, most shops would exchange without a receipt and you have a gift receipt. I really think you've been told the wrong thing here.

lottiegirl

jenniewb wrote: »

do you have a bank statement (ask your sister) with the amount on? can sometimes be used as a reciept.

I bought a sleeveless waistcoat from M&S for my dad for Christmas, it didn't quite fit and he wanted a bigger size.

I could not find the receipt or the gift receipt anywhere.I bought it as a single item from M&S, so printed out my credit card statement. They didn't have any bigger sizes, so I asked for a refund, but they refused stating although they could say it was the same original cost-the statement didn't prove it was this item that was purchased.They would only give current sale price back. Two stores I tried before a SA told me they could do an EJ(electronic journal ) search.

To do this you have to write in to the finance department at the store it was purchased at, asking for a EJ, with your card number, approximate time and date of purchase, the description of goods, the garment id number found on the label, the size purchased. I also enclosed a copy of the credit card statement highlighting the purchase.

I did this, and a manager phoned me a week later, as I did not put my full details of my card number in the letter (security ) he said they tracked purchases by card details and within 5 minutes phoned me back to say the purchase had been verified and I could get a full refund .

All this your sister may have the original receipt .

beth464

gail5863 wrote: »

My sister in law bought me a pair of pyjamas for xmas for £19.50. They were too small tho and so I took them back to change them. I was told they had been reduced to £12 and they could only give me credit voucher for £12 unless I got the receipt. I contacted my sister in law and she gave me the gift receipt which showed £19.50, but then I put this in my purse and have since been on holiday and when I took the pj's back today, I couldn't find the gift receipt in my purse. They offered me £5.00 in vouchers as the pj's had been reduced again. I am very upset that it is very clear that there were no other labels attached or stuck onto the existing label which shows £19.50 they are unworn, obviously brand new, and they would not even entertain changing them for a larger size. I asked to speak to the Manager of the Kidderminster branch, who was equally unhelpful as the desk staff there. I am now left with a useless product that cost £19.50 that I can't wear. Don't they have some 'discretion' these days, in clearly genuine cases or should I just find a fault with these pj's ? It's a case of principle here, why should we pay £19.50 for a product then be bullied into accepting £5 when it is a genuine case. I have always supported M&S, but I now feel I don't want to shop in there ever again. I asked if I could change them for a larger size / answer NO! I asked if I could bring in bank statement from my sister in law showing M&S purchase for £19.50 - answer NO! I almost left the PJ's there on the desk and walked out. VERY VERY FED UP WITH M&S NOW. I realise people do con them, but what about the genuine people like me who are now losing out. Any suggestions/thoughts or any M&S senior people out there wish to comment? I feel very let down by this shop - they wonder why they are losing customers, maybe this is the kind of policy that is the reason. I buy things from Tesco and whenever I've needed to take anything back - no problem, with or without the receipt. M&S attitude is disgusting.

I am a Marks & Spencer employee and I am puzzled as to why you think our attitude is "disgusting".
I'm not sure how you expect us to know that your case is genuine. We deal with many people every day who go all out to get as much money out of us as possible.
Firstly, you say the gift receipt showed £19.50 but gift receipts do not have a price on - that's the whole point. It is nobody's fault but your own for losing this. M&S are doing you a favour by providing you with a gift receipt in the first place - if they didn't, nobody would get full price back for their presents after Christmas. You are not being "bullied" into accepting £5. If you genuinely want the pyjamas in another size, there is nothing stopping you from taking the £5 credit note, walking over to the pyjamas which you say they had in other sizes, and taking them to the till.
A bank statement shows us nothing, we have many products priced at £19.50 and it could have been anything.

At the end of the day we have to draw the line somewhere, these pyjamas were bought before Christmas, it is now nearly February and we have new stock in. Just take the £5 voucher and accept that you were wrong for losing the receipt. Company policy is company policy, if you do not wish to follow it then shop elsewhere. M&S offers a very decent 90 days for a refund. It angers me that people think they can kick up such a fuss when they are in the wrong. My other colleagues and I work very hard to provide good customer service and I think you are very wrong to call our attitude disgusting when you are the one at fault.

hollydays

..good point about taking the gift vouchers and getting another one...:rotfl:

But that still begs the question of common sense.
If the customer is able to do this,why didn't they just exchange it in the first place!!Then they would have maintained her goodwill.

Then why didn't the member of staff just point out to the customer she could get her size that way-unless the staff were more interested in being right than giving good service.Markies staff aren't what they used to be.

u01jet4

beth464 wrote: »

I am a Marks & Spencer employee and I am puzzled as to why you think our attitude is "disgusting".
I'm not sure how you expect us to know that your case is genuine. We deal with many people every day who go all out to get as much money out of us as possible.
Firstly, you say the gift receipt showed £19.50 but gift receipts do not have a price on - that's the whole point. It is nobody's fault but your own for losing this. M&S are doing you a favour by providing you with a gift receipt in the first place - if they didn't, nobody would get full price back for their presents after Christmas. You are not being "bullied" into accepting £5. If you genuinely want the pyjamas in another size, there is nothing stopping you from taking the £5 credit note, walking over to the pyjamas which you say they had in other sizes, and taking them to the till.
A bank statement shows us nothing, we have many products priced at £19.50 and it could have been anything.

At the end of the day we have to draw the line somewhere, these pyjamas were bought before Christmas, it is now nearly February and we have new stock in. Just take the £5 voucher and accept that you were wrong for losing the receipt. Company policy is company policy, if you do not wish to follow it then shop elsewhere. M&S offers a very decent 90 days for a refund. It angers me that people think they can kick up such a fuss when they are in the wrong. My other colleagues and I work very hard to provide good customer service and I think you are very wrong to call our attitude disgusting when you are the one at fault.

I am also an M&S employee and fully support and agree with what you are saying. it's annoying losing receipts, but hey policy is policy, doesn't mean our attitude is disgusting!

bottomsup

hollydays wrote: »

..good point about taking the gift vouchers and getting another one...:rotfl:

But that still begs the question of common sense.
If the customer is able to do this,why didn't they just exchange it in the first place!!Then they would have maintained her goodwill.

I wonder if the op was wanting to change them for a different style of pyjama that wasn't in the sale - it is a bit ambigiously written as to whether she was exchanging then for exactly the same pair in a different size or not

beth464

hollydays wrote: »

..good point about taking the gift vouchers and getting another one...:rotfl:

But that still begs the question of common sense.
If the customer is able to do this,why didn't they just exchange it in the first place!!Then they would have maintained her goodwill.

Then why didn't the member of staff just point out to the customer she could get her size that way-unless the staff were more interested in being right than giving good service.Markies staff aren't what they used to be.

That's fair enough, if it was me I would've said she could. Perhaps someone has got the wrong end of the stick. I can't see any reason why they would refuse unless they thought there were no more in stock.