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M&s!

gwen80
Posts: 2,252 Forumite

Right, I'm going to have a bit of a rant. I lurve M&S. All my underwear comes from there, I love the food (esp. Percy Pigs and the cupcakes they've started doing), I refuse to buy cheese from anywhere else. The vast majority of my crockery/cutlery/towels/bedding/home accessories comes from there. It has even reached the dizzy heights of my top 5 shops for clothes. I love Limited Collection, the little jumpers, big cardi's, work trousers, casual combats...anyway, I've made my point - I love M&S. And now I'm disappointed, very disappointed.
A couple of weeks ago, I received a 5 pound voucher to celebrate their 125 year anniversary. I headed off to my local M&S store to make use of the voucher. Now, the big decision - should I buy something practical for the house or treat myself to the underwear I'd had my eye on? Hmm...I decided to get some information from a helpful member of staff prior to making my decision. If I returned an item bought using the voucher, would the voucher be refunded? I honestly expected the answer to be no. To my surprise, I was confidently informed that the voucher would be. I would receive a receipt with 5 pounds on it as a replacement voucher. This made my decision easier. I could take the underwear, try it on at home (I was tired and had worked late) and return if necessary and use the voucher on something else. So I left the store with the underwear.
Roll on a couple of weeks...the underwear doesn't fit and I visited the store yesterday to return it. The voucher is not refundable....I queried this...after all, I'd been told it was. No, it is not refundable. I was told by the member of staff on the refund desk, that I should have read the back of the voucher. I pointed out that, perhaps foolishly, I'd decided to trust the advice of a member of staff and had asked them. It was soon clear that I was fighting a losing battle and the assistant was totally dismissive. To be honest, I left in a bit of a huff.
Today, I call up the 'Customer Service' department of the M&S store in question. Fairly soon, I can see where the assistant I dealt with yesterday, got her excellent service skills from. This woman wasn't directly rude, but came as close to. Unhelpful and even more dismissive. The voucher wasn't refunded because it was apparently one-use only, therefore I'd 'never had it in the first place'. Bizarre, as when I entered the store, I could have sworn I had a 5 pound voucher in my hand that I'd made a journey for that day, specifically to go and spend it. If only I'd known it was imaginary.... The fact that I'd been given incorrect information by one of their assistants and the impact this had on my purchasing decision, was irrelevant it seems. As I couldn't remember the name of the member of staff who'd 'helped' me, nothing could be done.
I'd suggest as a starting point, that CORRECT information regarding all offers and promotions reaches ALL staff. And perhaps more importantly, some extra training for certain members of the 'Customer Service' department...or maybe start off with manners and take it from there... Refusing to deal with a customer complaint because the customer could not remember the name of a staff member is shocking for one of the largest (if not 'the' largest) chain of stores in the UK.
Now as I said, I love M&S. Or should I say loved. I know it's only a 5 pound voucher, but to be honest, I'm furious at the way I've been spoken to, and feel misled. It's not just M&S...it isn't the M&S I know and I'll be seriously rethinking my shopping habits. Happy Anniversary indeed.
A couple of weeks ago, I received a 5 pound voucher to celebrate their 125 year anniversary. I headed off to my local M&S store to make use of the voucher. Now, the big decision - should I buy something practical for the house or treat myself to the underwear I'd had my eye on? Hmm...I decided to get some information from a helpful member of staff prior to making my decision. If I returned an item bought using the voucher, would the voucher be refunded? I honestly expected the answer to be no. To my surprise, I was confidently informed that the voucher would be. I would receive a receipt with 5 pounds on it as a replacement voucher. This made my decision easier. I could take the underwear, try it on at home (I was tired and had worked late) and return if necessary and use the voucher on something else. So I left the store with the underwear.
Roll on a couple of weeks...the underwear doesn't fit and I visited the store yesterday to return it. The voucher is not refundable....I queried this...after all, I'd been told it was. No, it is not refundable. I was told by the member of staff on the refund desk, that I should have read the back of the voucher. I pointed out that, perhaps foolishly, I'd decided to trust the advice of a member of staff and had asked them. It was soon clear that I was fighting a losing battle and the assistant was totally dismissive. To be honest, I left in a bit of a huff.
Today, I call up the 'Customer Service' department of the M&S store in question. Fairly soon, I can see where the assistant I dealt with yesterday, got her excellent service skills from. This woman wasn't directly rude, but came as close to. Unhelpful and even more dismissive. The voucher wasn't refunded because it was apparently one-use only, therefore I'd 'never had it in the first place'. Bizarre, as when I entered the store, I could have sworn I had a 5 pound voucher in my hand that I'd made a journey for that day, specifically to go and spend it. If only I'd known it was imaginary.... The fact that I'd been given incorrect information by one of their assistants and the impact this had on my purchasing decision, was irrelevant it seems. As I couldn't remember the name of the member of staff who'd 'helped' me, nothing could be done.
I'd suggest as a starting point, that CORRECT information regarding all offers and promotions reaches ALL staff. And perhaps more importantly, some extra training for certain members of the 'Customer Service' department...or maybe start off with manners and take it from there... Refusing to deal with a customer complaint because the customer could not remember the name of a staff member is shocking for one of the largest (if not 'the' largest) chain of stores in the UK.
Now as I said, I love M&S. Or should I say loved. I know it's only a 5 pound voucher, but to be honest, I'm furious at the way I've been spoken to, and feel misled. It's not just M&S...it isn't the M&S I know and I'll be seriously rethinking my shopping habits. Happy Anniversary indeed.
Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending
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Comments
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`Its noy just a voucher...its an M&S voucher0
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Just out of interest how the hell can they give refunds on underwear when you've tried it on?0
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Erm, bra's??Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending0
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Could you not exchange the item for the correct size?
~Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone.~:)
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erm hygiene
?
Lol, I'm going to assume you're a troll. How unhygienic do you think trying a bra on is? Do you not try on clothes when you buy them? Anyway, regardless of your opinion, every high street shop I use regularly, operates a returns policy for items tried on at home as long as they are returned within 28 days with a valid receipt and that includes bra's. If you're not informed about the topic, it's maybe best not to offer 'advice'? Like the assistant at M&S lol.Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending0 -
Could you not exchange the item for the correct size?
Sorry, I thanked you by mistake. This board is helpful, isn't it?
Actually I took a size 36A and 36B, neither fitted. One too small, the other too big. It was a different style of bra to the one I usually wear (a balcony style), but I fancied a change. However not all styles of bra suit everybody and it seems for me, I couldn't get a good fit.Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending0 -
I could take the underwear, try it on at home (I was tired and had worked late) and return if necessary and use the voucher on something else. So I left the store with the underwear.
Roll on a couple of weeks...the underwear doesn't fit and I visited the store yesterday to return it.
Sorry but it is a very feeble excuse that you were too tired to try on the bra at the M&S store.Even worse is you kept it a few weeks before returning it.Do you read those things on the back of vouchers called terms and conditions ?0 -
They've recently clamped down their returns policy. They eventually went along with it but what happened with me was I bought a bra and knickers set online. The knickers were on a hanger for my size but the label of the actual garment was 2 sizes bigger. I went in store with the receipt just to EXCHANGE it for my actual size, having explained what happened and they were having none of it; clearly I'd somehow magicked the knickers into 2 sizes bigger (clearly too big for me) and managed to make an identical hanger to the ones they use with the size on. 1 manager later and the exchange was grudgingly given. M&S isn't what it used to be.
PS the reason I bought online was to get cashback via Quidco and use a couple of discount codes as I bought a few other items.0 -
Edited to say: This is a reply to nexuss.
Another troll I assume? Do you read posts before you reply???
Lol, feeble excuse... Do you work? If you do, I assume you don't have a very demanding job.
I think your opinions are ill informed, however, I stated that I'd kept it for a couple of weeks before I returned it, not a few weeks. Well within the 28 day of the returns policy. I didn't read the back of the voucher, no. Instead, I asked a member of their staff for the information and trusted them that it would be correct. How stupid/feeble of me?
Who is the moderator of this board?Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending0
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