Rotten chicken from M&S

MrsE_2

Here is what I have just emailed them

On Friday I popped into M&S XXXXX in my lunch hour & did a fairly big shop. I asked to collect it by car after work at 5.15pm, which I did.
Part of that was an Oakham chicken (a fairly big one).
I collected & drove straight home & put it in the fridge.
I noticed a rancid smell in the freezer over the weekend & threw out ham, sausages, bacon and salad & vegetables.
But the smell remained, confident in the quality of your food I did not check the chicken, but told my husband I wouldn't use the village shops again as the ham was off!!!!
Well tonight at 5 ish, I went to cook the chicken. When I broke the cling film the smell that hit me was awful.
I hadn't defrosted anything else so I had no choice but to return it there & then so we could have dinner.
I rang the XXXXX store, it was about 5.15pm (I've since found out it is not actually the store you speak to). I spoke to a lady & explained the situation to her, she said I didn't have to keep it (as it was rotten) just keep the wrapper. But I explained it was dinner & I had to get a replacement & I asked her what time they closed, she told me 8pm (I've since found out the XXXXXXX branch closes at 7pm). I asked if I could visit another store as ZZZZZZ was 7 miles south & XXXXXX 8 miles north & XXXXXX busy at that time. She said of course. That was the moment I feel she should have warned me ZZZZZZZclosed much earlier, but she didn't so off I went.
They were closed (I arrived at 5.40pm), a girl did come to the door & I explained the problem & she said she wasn't allowed to open the door for security (how do your staff leave?!). She told me to come back tomorrow with it. I was annoyed at this stage I was due to go out at 7pm & this rotten chicken had ruined my dinner & was now going to ruin my night.
I called the first number I had rung, to alert her to the fact that I had driven all the way to ZZZZZZZ & it was closed & to make her aware of this in case it should happen to another customer.
I drove to XXXXX & swapped it for a 2 steaks, I added the extra money.
The chicken smelt so bad the girl filling in the forms had to get a young man to open it & get the bar code details; it was sickening after the sealed cling film was broken.
On the way home, the girl from XXXXXXX rung me on my mobile & said she had spoken to a man at the operator who remember his colleague taking the call & said the operator had offered to connect me to YYYYYYY to check the opening times but I had refused!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why on earth would s/he make this up???? No sane person would refuse the offer; I certainly wouldn't had I been alerted to the prospect of the ZZZZZZ store having a different closing time to XXXXX.
As the girl at XXXXX said, "calls are recorded" so it’s easily proved I was telling the truth.
I was sold a rotten chicken; because I was told at 5.20pm I could return it to XXXXXX or ZZZZZZZ(then & there) it made a bad situation a lot worse.
I told the girl in XXXXXX I expected £5 for my petrol, as I was very very much given the run around it this chicken, I did a good 30 miles in all & was late for my arrangements that evening & that was without dinner, my husband had to cook & have his alone.
I have always been a fan of Oakham chickens & sang the praises of M&S food to all & sundry, I even encouraged people who though M&S food might be "expensive" to give it a whirl & try it!!
I would not have expected petrol money had I not have been misdirected to the ZZZZZZ store.


I don't think petrol money is unreasonable, do you?
Now I think of it the operator mentioned that another person had returned an Oakham chicken, has anyone else?

dacouch

This is not just food it''s M&S food

CHR15

You drove a 14 Mile round trip to ZZZZZZ, then went on a 16 Mile round trip to XXXXXX because you were sold a ropey buzzard ??

I find that staggering anyone would go to such lengths.

Couldn't you have gone to the local KFC and bought rotten chicken in a tasty finger lickin' coating???

welshlil

I think you should write to the managing director and explain same. You will most certainly get a good will gesture. I have recently had a very tedious shop [if you can call it that] in Tesco. The 1st 3 items I wanted were not in stock, doughnuts were sold out by 10-30 am [24hr shop] which didn't make any sense at all. Managed to get a few things, before I found more things out of stock. Cut a long story short, I went home with half a shop, which took twice as long as it should of and a headache. I wrote to Sir Terry to complain at the poor service, etc and received a goodwill gesture of £10-00.

SarahJay2

I found a hair in a fish bake.

I went back to the store & they refunded me, gave me vouchers & sent the hair off..I then recived some more vouchers in the post..really put me of though, not nice at all - wont buy the same fish bake again..

Meepster

Why didn't you just go to the TTTTTT store? It's much closer and I find the assistants much more helpful...

MrsE_2

CHR15 wrote: »

You drove a 14 Mile round trip to ZZZZZZ, then went on a 16 Mile round trip to XXXXXX because you were sold a ropey buzzard ??

I find that staggering anyone would go to such lengths.

Couldn't you have gone to the local KFC and bought rotten chicken in a tasty finger lickin' coating???

My local KFC is at least 7 miles, but I wouldn't eat it anyway.

Thats how far I drive to do my shopping.

Had I been alerted that ZZZ was closed, then it would be 16 miles round trip to XXX

Stephb1986_2

I bought a underwear set from M&S a few months ago its about a 20 mile trip to my nearest one so I don't go there all the time, I didn't try the bra on and just bought it because I was in a hurry when I came to try it on later the was a "bone" missing from one of the cups argh!!!

So I emailed M&S and was told to put the set in the post and they will get someone to look at it! It had obviously been worn and brought back and new tags put on it. Eventually after about a month I got a giftcard with a refund on. Nothing more!

That will be the last time I shop at M&S

I hope you get somewhere with your chicken!

Steph xx

MrsE_2

Stephb1986 wrote: »

I bought a underwear set from M&S a few months ago its about a 20 mile trip to my nearest one so I don't go there all the time, I didn't try the bra on and just bought it because I was in a hurry when I came to try it on later the was a "bone" missing from one of the cups argh!!!

So I emailed M&S and was told to put the set in the post and they will get someone to look at it! It had obviously been worn and brought back and new tags put on it. Eventually after about a month I got a giftcard with a refund on. Nothing more!

That will be the last time I shop at M&S

I hope you get somewhere with your chicken!

Steph xx

They said I could bin the chicken & return them the wrapper, but it was sooooooooooo bad I wanted them to have it & see it.
The girl filling in the form couldn't even open the bag it was making her retch.

hollydays

So,you bought a rotten chicken,who hasn't.
They were prepared to take you word for it,but it looks like there has been some confusion (or lies).
Just find out the Managers name and ask to speak to her,do this by phone to avoid any more time wasting.

myrnahaz

It might not have been rotten - sometimes, chicken that's packed in clingfilm smells really awful when it's first opened, but the smell goes after a few minutes, or if you wash the meat under the tap.