Beware M&S Meal Deals

billiebess

I am fast doubting the integrity of M&S. Firstly I apologise, it was Epsom branch and not Croydon! An update on my original post from yesterday This morning my son went in again and purchased 2 bananas and a pain au chocolat for his breakfast. He was stopped by Security on the basis of 'that self service till is not weighing properly could I just check your bag' The bananas had cost 16p, they were weighed again on a different till by an assistant and came up at 12p.
They were then weighed a third time on yet another till and came up at 21p so he was asked to pay the difference of 6p which he duly did.
Now where do we go from here! (Waiting until tomorrow when he goes in again, for the next instalment)

irishjohn

If I were your son I would be there tomorrow asking to speak to the manager and asking why he was not refunded when the assistant came up with 12p on weighing them - I would also be informing the manager that it is his intention to write a formal complaint and copy it to Trading Standards - he has directly experienced M&S evidently not ensuring scales are correctly calibrated - same banana - 12p 16p 21p on 3 different sets of scales - customer required to pay highest charge.

Costs minor but a big issue for Trading Standards and M&S

Bananabrain

irishjohn wrote: »

If I were your son I would be there tomorrow asking to speak to the manager and asking why he was not refunded when the assistant came up with 12p on weighing them - I would also be informing the manager that it is his intention to write a formal complaint and copy it to Trading Standards - he has directly experienced M&S evidently not ensuring scales are correctly calibrated - same banana - 12p 16p 21p on 3 different sets of scales - customer required to pay highest charge.

Costs minor but a big issue for Trading Standards and M&S

I'd go along with what Irishjohn said. My understanding is that having scales that aren't correct is a big no-no.

billiebess

Thank you to all for your replies. My son has been going into M&S for the last 2 years or so to pick up his breakfast, on the way to the office, everything fine. As soon as he draws their attention to something that has gone through the till incorrectly - the meal deal - he's suddenly given harassment!

offshore1

Mention of M&S self checkout reminds me of a recent experience at the hands of their staff. I live in Wales where we have a mandatory 5p charge for a carrier bag. I was shopping with my small son who had picked up a flimsy plastic bag from the floor in the fruit and veg area. I used the self checkout and paid placing my purchases in my own long life bag. As we were leaving a staff member stepped forward and asked if we were going to pay for the (empty) bag which my son was still holding announcing in an officious manner “it's a plastic bag and the law requires you to pay 5p”. I'd like to think she was joking but she wasn't. I took the flimsy bag from my son and gave it to her. I later wrote complaining about her attitude but received no response. M&S are still living in the days when they had no real competition, customers now have have plenty of other options and M&S will go the same way as Woolworths unless they get their act together.

ashleypride

billiebess wrote: »

He was stopped by Security on the basis of 'that self service till is not weighing properly could I just check your bag'

He should of said no, and walked out.

billiebess wrote: »

The bananas had cost 16p, they were weighed again on a different till by an assistant and came up at 12p.
They were then weighed a third time on yet another till and came up at 21p so he was asked to pay the difference of 6p which he duly did.
Now where do we go from here! (Waiting until tomorrow when he goes in again, for the next instalment)

M&S sold the bananas to your son for 16p, the deal is done, M&S owe you back the difference.

totallybored

offshore1 wrote: »

M&S have a piece of very suspect marketing this weekend. They are advertising and displaying three courses and a free bottle of wine in exactly the same format as their Dine in for £10 promotion. The display does not make it clear that the the individual items are all their usual - or inflated prices - £2.99 for two tiny chocolate brownie type things etc etc so if you buy three items from the display and pick up your "free" wine it costs at least £12.50. Not a scam in itself but sure to p*** off their diminishing band of customers. They caught me but only because I had just picked up what I thought was the usual £10 deal and nothing else. I queried at the till and the cashier wearily explained so I thanked her kindly and said I would not be making the purchase and walked away.

I got caught out by this deal at the end of last year. I've been buying the dine in £10 deal since it started and didn't spot it was different. I left my stuff at the till when I realised it wasn't £10. It was pretty much the same items as the dine in and the same rubbish quality wine (they were decent when the offer first started).

They also did this with the takeaway £10 deal which was 2 mains, 2 sides and a bottle of wine. I bought it a few times then all of a sudden it was a 'free bottle of wine' when buying the same stuff which came to more than £10.

I find both of these offers very sneaky and as someone who buys a lot of food at M and S has made me start buying more from Waitrose instead.

Pollycat

billiebess wrote: »

The bananas had cost 16p, they were weighed again on a different till by an assistant and came up at 12p.
They were then weighed a third time on yet another till and came up at 21p so he was asked to pay the difference of 6p which he duly did.

Why on earth did he pay the 6p difference when he'd had evidence that another till had weighed them at 12p?

I make the difference 5p!
21 - 16 = 5

Did he actually pay 6p or was it 5p? If he paid 6p, that's another area for complaint.

Unless your son is going into M&S for the sheer entertainment, I'd suggest he finds somewhere else to buy his breakfast.

On this specific issue, I would do exactly as Irishjohn suggests and ask to speak to the manager.

biscit

Generally, I think accusations and negativity aside, being careful over meal deals is a good advice.

Read the what is included carefully and check you haven't in a rush picked up a size of item that's not included. Fairly sensible stuff. I find the same with meal deals in other stores, sometimes things that are in the same area are not included.

Pollycat

biscit wrote: »

Generally, I think accusations and negativity aside, being careful over meal deals is a good advice.

Read the what is included carefully and check you haven't in a rush picked up a size of item that's not included. Fairly sensible stuff. I find the same with meal deals in other stores, sometimes things that are in the same area are not included.

I think this good advice generally.

I know not everybody has the time to spend in the supermarket but I always double check that the item above the SEL is the right one - especially if it's on offer.
Shelf-stackers can make mistakes and customers can plonk an item that they've picked up elsewhere down 'cos they've changed their mind or found a better deal.