M&S Grrr

chickaroonee

Marks and Spencer are really annoying me, but maybe it's just the pregnancy hormones!

We were given an early Christmas gift by the PIL, and they also included the receipt as they thought they might not be suitable, which they weren't. I therefore returned the items, with the receipt, and was given a credit note for £110, £10 of which I spent in store that day, leaving me with £100 to spend.

I saw a coffee machine on their website which looked nice, and called three local stores to see if they stocked it. All the staff I spoke to were very unhelpful, until the last one, who told me I could buy it at BHS! She also said that she thought it was only stocked online. I tried to buy online to collect instore, but the site will not accept my credit note and needs to have full payment by card online to collect in store.

I therefore called up and asked to pay when I collected but was told this was not possible as their systems don't allow it. I emailed them to complain, as this seems ridiculous to me, afer all I'll pay when I pick it up, but I have now received quite a rude email telling me that they only give credit notes as a gesture of goodwill when people don't have a receipt (even though I did) and tough basically.

I've emailed them back to request that they refund my PIL card back as I think this is silly, but I'm guessing they'll now say no because I've only got a credit note now, not the receipt (which they kept when I returned the items!).

Any ideas? Not sure why they're being difficult, if I'd have known I'd have just asked the PIL to return the items and get a cash refund and they would have been more than happy to have given us the cash towards the machine which we would (happily) have purchased elsewhere.

GRRR

sweetstudent

With a Gift Receipt, they will only refund to a credit note, all stores will do this. As they have no idea of the original method of payment and also if paid by card they have to refund the original card. I think its for money laundering purposes!

Its NOT M&S fault, you accepted the credit note. They have actually exceeded your consumer rights.

chickaroonee

I'm well aware by law they don't have to provide a refund but I don't think this is good enough in this case. Had I of known that I can't use the credit note to buy an item I wanted, I'd have just got the PILs to refund to their card. I appreciate they wouldn't have given me the money directly, and never asked them to.

I think they're being silly by missing out on a larger sale, because they won't let me pay for a collection item in store. I don't see the logic behind that.

Also had they have refunded me in gift vouchers (which many stores do) I could have used that online.

sagalout1954

Can you buy on-line, pay with your c/card and collect in store. When you get there tell them you've changed your mind, get a refund back onto your c/card then immediately buy it again with your credit note?

pulliptears

Dont M&S Sell Gift Vouchers? Use your credit note to buy £100 in gift vouchers then pay online using those?

chickaroonee

Thanks very much for those two suggestions, they're a really good idea. I'll give them a call and see if either are possible, I don't see why they shouldn't be though.

chickaroonee

Apparently they won't allow me to buy gift vouchers either. Not sure about the refund option, I think technically it should work but they seem to not want to help so who knows...

I could try it and then just insist on a refund if not, I suppose it would be covered by the DSR so they would have to refund me. But I really get the impression they don't want to help!!

pulliptears

chickaroonee wrote: »

Apparently they won't allow me to buy gift vouchers either. Not sure about the refund option, I think technically it should work but they seem to not want to help so who knows...

I could try it and then just insist on a refund if not, I suppose it would be covered by the DSR so they would have to refund me. But I really get the impression they don't want to help!!

Now that does seem incredibly silly! I'd fire off a polite email to head Office and explain your predicament, you never know :cool:

mrcow

Hang on - you used to be able to go to customer services in store and order things to be delivered in store from other shops that may have stock.

Can you not do that anymore?

Have you been into a store to ask or did they tell you outright that it's not possible now?

dmg24

sagalout1954 wrote: »

Can you buy on-line, pay with your c/card and collect in store. When you get there tell them you've changed your mind, get a refund back onto your c/card then immediately buy it again with your credit note?

No, they definitely will not let you do this. Although they will accept online returns online instore, they are on a completely different inventory and therefore cannot be resold by the store.

Whilst I understand the OP's predicament, I fail to see what M&S have done wrong.

chickaroonee

mrcow wrote: »

Hang on - you used to be able to go to customer services in store and order things to be delivered in store from other shops that may have stock.

Can you not do that anymore?

Have you been into a store to ask or did they tell you outright that it's not possible now?

Haven't been in store to ask but I did speak to three local stores originally when trying to buy the product (not realising that they don't stock it instore). I will ask when they call me back, it certainly seems an easy enough thing to do?

I do appreciate M&S don't have to legally do anything here, but I am disappointed by their service, I can't believe there isn't an easy solution to this but no-one I've spoken to is interested. I did think they were the kind of store that would try to assist with something like this.