M@S Poor response

hubb

I purchased a product in their store for full price. As the product has to be kept in the fridge I took them home I found they sold me them on the same date they were expiring. I contacted customer services to ask why they hadn't reduced the price as they date had expired and their response was this :


Thanks for contacting us about the product you bought from our store recently. I'm sorry to hear you're unhappy they had a use by date of the same day.

The quality of our food is extremely important to us. We want you to enjoy our food at its very best and we carry out extensive tests to establish the natural life of each of our products.

We label all our food products clearly with dates so our customers can see how long they can expect a product to last for, and whether it’s suitable for their needs.

Most of our stores also reduce any items that are going to expire at the end of the day, although this is done at the manager's discretion and they don't always have time to reduce all items which are going out of date the same day.

As we do feel we make the use by dates on our packaging clear, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to help any further on this occasion.


Surely they are worng not to refund some amount ? This doesn't seem legal.

USM

hubb wrote: »

I purchased a product in their store for full price. As the product has to be kept in the fridge I took them home I found they sold me them on the same date they were expiring. I contacted customer services to ask why they hadn't reduced the price as they date had expired and their response was this :


Thanks for contacting us about the product you bought from our store recently. I'm sorry to hear you're unhappy they had a use by date of the same day.

The quality of our food is extremely important to us. We want you to enjoy our food at its very best and we carry out extensive tests to establish the natural life of each of our products.

We label all our food products clearly with dates so our customers can see how long they can expect a product to last for, and whether it’s suitable for their needs.

Most of our stores also reduce any items that are going to expire at the end of the day, although this is done at the manager's discretion and they don't always have time to reduce all items which are going out of date the same day.

As we do feel we make the use by dates on our packaging clear, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to help any further on this occasion.


Surely they are worng not to refund some amount ? This doesn't seem legal.

What was stopping you using your eyes to check the use by date before you bought the product?

DCFC79

hubb wrote: »

I purchased a product in their store for full price. As the product has to be kept in the fridge I took them home I found they sold me them on the same date they were expiring. I contacted customer services to ask why they hadn't reduced the price as they date had expired and their response was this :


Thanks for contacting us about the product you bought from our store recently. I'm sorry to hear you're unhappy they had a use by date of the same day.

The quality of our food is extremely important to us. We want you to enjoy our food at its very best and we carry out extensive tests to establish the natural life of each of our products.

We label all our food products clearly with dates so our customers can see how long they can expect a product to last for, and whether it’s suitable for their needs.

Most of our stores also reduce any items that are going to expire at the end of the day, although this is done at the manager's discretion and they don't always have time to reduce all items which are going out of date the same day.

As we do feel we make the use by dates on our packaging clear, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to help any further on this occasion.


Surely they are worng not to refund some amount ? This doesn't seem legal.

Other shops are the same and have operated that way for years.

To be honest you should have checked the date, yes ive made the error myself but I just remind myself to check the date.

Item is still in date though.

Why does it not seem legal ?

katejo

DCFC79 wrote: »

Other shops are the same and have operated that way for years.

To be honest you should have checked the date, yes ive made the error myself but I just remind myself to check the date.

Item is still in date though.

Why does it not seem legal ?

It depends I suppose how far ahead the use by date is. If it is something which will always need to be used within about 2 days (sandwich pack), then the lack of reduction seems more reasonable. Personally i spend time reaching to the back of chiller cabinets to find the one with a later use by date!

peachyprice

hubb wrote: »

I p

Surely they are worng not to refund some amount ? This doesn't seem legal.

Of course it's legal, they can sell it at full price up until close of business on the date specified, there's no legal right to whoopsies.

Dogger69

peachyprice wrote: »

Of course it's legal, they can sell it at full price up until close of business on the date specified, there's no legal right to whoopsies.

But wouldn't it make an excellent one ... Petition anyone?

"peachyprice's whoopsy act"

Money-Saving-King

Products will basically be reduced to sell them through to reduce the amount being written off. If they's only a few things going out of date and they know they'll sell them there's no point in reducing, that's just throwing money away.

Why do you think this isn't legal?

fluffnutter

hubb wrote: »

I purchased a product in their store for full price. As the product has to be kept in the fridge I took them home I found they sold me them on the same date they were expiring. I contacted customer services to ask why they hadn't reduced the price as they date had expired and their response was this :

Legally speaking, expiry dates are until midnight, so whatever you bought wasn't out of date.

That aside, I suspect it will have been perfectly safe to eat even if out of date by a day. Something isn't safe at 11.59 then immediately a danger to health at 00.00.

But if you don't feel happy eating stuff so close to its use by date, perhaps pay a little more attention next time.

pollypenny

Presumably you were expected to eat it that day, OP.

Takeaway_Addict

Good on M&S for not giving you a refund! Nothing wrong with the product you purchased.

fozmcfc

I always check food that will have a use by date on it, such as chilled meals. Plus essentials such as bread.

But I must admit I've been caught out a few times on items that would have a few weeks or even months shelf life.

In my experience, it is the medium sized corner type shops, that you need to watch out for. A lot of them, seem to buy food that doesn't have much shelf life left, no doubt because it's cheaper.