Marks and Spencer dispute

arsenalboy

I have a frustrating dispute but it is being dealt with in an amicable way. However, it has not been resolved but they have now written to me upholding my complaint and referring me to Fin Ombuds Service if I am not happy with complaint.

The story in short is as follows. For many years I have had a M & S credit card, a year ago I opened an M & S current account attracted by all the benefits. It appears that the computer system did not like the fact that I had opened a bank account. Whilst it has allowed the bank account to operate it has withdrawn the perks I had with the credit card and not given me the perks with the bank account.
I have been dealing with one individual in their "service quality" dept by phone and letter. They have been charming and have told me I am the only customer this has happened to and that the IT experts cannot come up with a solution. Every month or so they send me a gift card to the value of the benefits I have not received, so I am not out of pocket.
Last month I got the letter upholding the complaint and giving me 6 months to contact the FOS if I am not happy.

But they have still not sorted out the problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

I now need to contact them again to let them know it is still ongoing but in theory they will not reply as they have issued the final letter. However, it seems churlish to go the FOS at this stage?

Opinions would be appreciated.

dalesrider

Gotta love HSBC based systems.
Given you seem to be the only one effected. I would not hold out any hope of the IT bods solving anything.

Perhaps suggesting that they close both the accounts you have now and open 2 new one's might solve the issue.

Even if you go to FCA (FOS is dead now) I fail to see what they can do. As M/S have already admitted that there is a issue and they are unable to fix it.

rs65

dalesrider wrote: »

Even if you go to FCA (FOS is dead now).

FOS still exists. FCA replaced FSA.

arsenalboy

So I guess my question is, have M & S issued me with the letter upholding my complaint because they were up against a time constraint? It seems weird to issue a letter when nothing has been resolved, but acknowledging there is a problem, saying if I am not happy then contact FOS.

I do not feel that I should contact FOS because I believe M&S have issued the letter in error (or to comply with a time deadline).
But if I contact M&S can they ignore me because they have issued a final letter?

Valli

If you have been sent a final letter from M&S and you are not happy with the outcome (ie the solution they have offered) then go to the FOS That's what they're for. No point going back to M&S. It's only churlish if you're perfectly satisfied with what they've done. They are supposed to inform you that you can complain if you're not happy, I believe. I very much doubt the letter was sent in error;)

I've got a complaint in with them at the moment. Complained to a bank about a problem; they apologised, agreed we'd been misadvised but offered no recompense despite a (small) finacial loss as a result of their bad advice. Since they wrote that that was their final letter I escalated to the FOS. I know it's now in the process of being dealt with.

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/

agrinnall

I agree that dalesrider's suggested solution may be the only answer. Sometimes computer systems just get their digital knickers in a twist and deleting the old and adding new is the only way to resolve it.