M&S 'use by' dates

AlwaysWorking

I just wanted to warn other M&S food shoppers to check the use by dates of products before purchase!

I've just returned from my local M&S in Northern Ireland. Whilst unpacking the groceries I discovered some of the dairy items state the 1st of July as the 'use by date' (it's now after 8pm). I phoned the store to ask if I could return the items tomorrow and exchange them for items with some self life. To be honest I thought the person checking the dates had just missed these. The person who answered the phone just said no, so I asked to be transferred to her line manager. After being on hold for a while I spoke to someone who told me it is M&S policy not to remove items with that day as the use by date until close of business and that my items weren't actually out of date until midnight. I replied that I would have expected an M&S product to have a shelf life of more than four hours. :mad: Had I bought the items in Tescos, they would have been in the half price section and I wouldn't have bought them...to which she quite snootily told me that M&S is 'far superior' to Tescos.

I'm afraid I no longer agree. I didn't even think to check the dates as I knew I wanted to use the food tomorrow. So just check your dates - I'm told that once you leave the store you can't return anything.

I would have thought M&S customer service would be better and I'm disappointed.

Ivory_Tinkler

Annoying yes, but surely the onus is on the customer to check the dates before purchasing. Now had these been items purchased for home delivery then I think you would have had a much stronger case but I don't think you have grounds for complaint as you purchased the items and didn't check them and they couldn't be deemed as out of date at time of purchase.

As for M&S being superior than Tesco, I actually agree with this statement although you do pay more for that!

I think you'll have to chalk this up to experience and dig nearer the back of the M&S displays next time to get the better dated produce.

DrScotsman

http://notalwaysright.com/honesty-against-the-best-policies/2107

Me: “Excuse me, it’s only 5 items in the changing rooms.”

Customer: “Well, it’s never been that before.”

Me: “Actually, we’ve been enforcing it for the last 18 months. See, there’s a sign.” *points at sign on wall*

Customer: “I don’t actually read signs.”

Me: “Well, at least you’ll know for next time.”

Customer: “Oh, I won’t read it next time, either.”

:rolleyes:

jenhug

I have found this to be a problem at our store too, whats the point of buying half a dozen yoghurts if you have to eat them all that day?

Meepster

jenhug wrote: »

I have found this to be a problem at our store too, whats the point of buying half a dozen yoghurts if you have to eat them all that day?

Don't buy them in the first place then, buy the ones that have a better use by date...

beth464

I worked at M&S for a few months and when we did "waste" (taking food off the shelves) we looked for today's date. This was always done a few hours before closing and then the staff had a chance to buy the stuff cheap when the shop actually closed. So to go in at 8pm and find 1st July must be a one off (or that store has a different policy, but the two I've worked in were both the same). The one night our store was open til 8pm we still took the food off the shelves about 5/6pm.
I'm surprised at the customer service you received really.

Milesy

M&S is not the type of place where you buy a fortnights worth of groceries in one go. It is more of a place for buying as and when required. M&S use by dates are generally less than other places because as far as I know they tend to use less preservatives and additives in their food.

bluecandy5

I know dairy items you have to be a bit more stringent with but if its eaten a day after its "use by" date it wont harm you.

Most use by dates are a guideline now-a-days rather then strict "eat by".

bcl999

My local M&S stores reduce the price and put a yellow sticker on refrigerated stuff at it's sell-by date. Don't they do it all stores?

LeeSouthEast

I don't pay the slightest bit of attention to use by dates. I'm still alive. If it looks ok, smells ok and tastes ok, just bloody eat it/drink it. We've survived for generations without these little arbitrary dates on packages, I doubt we'll die if we eat something beyond its date.

Case in point, my 4-pint of milk in the fridge (admittedly it's organic) is now 6 days overdue for 'using by', and it's still perfectly fresh and fine. In the winter that may extend to 14 days or more.

dawnybabes

I bought 2 packs of fresh raw chicken 3 weeks ago on the Saturday @ 5pm (not looking at dates so didn;t spot they went out of date on that day - so my own fault) I opened them Monday night to cook them and they stunk, they had gone off. Like you I called customer service to be told that they where still within date on the Saturday, so they had done nothing wrong. I was annoyed by this so wrote to M&S and got a blanket reply that they where in date. As you said if I was in Tesco etc they would have been reduced so would have froze them or not bought them.

I do ignore "use by" dates, if it looks ok, smells ok then we eat it but these really where rank !