Vent - M&S Customer Services

Swattie

Falling far short of their usual good service!
Have had a technical issue with an item under their warranty.
Trying to get the cost of the 15 calls (between 12 and 20 minutes each) I have had to make to resolve it due to their poor processes and procedures (delays, lack of action after 6 weeks, and when they did contact me leaving messages for me to call them back).

All their contact numbers resulted in me having to pay for the call.:mad:as they are 0333 numbers.

The smug person at the end of the phone refused to even consider covering the cost of my calls despite all the issues and delays being at their end.

His reasons were that their 0333 numbers are included in mobile contracts minutes (not in mine and I only have limited minutes anyway). If I use my land line (which I have been doing) the calls are between £1.20 and £1.50 per call. Again I was advised this was my fault I should have a cheaper supplier. (I have pretty standard suppliers!)


Very annoyed that I am saddled with around £20 of phone costs to resolve a technical issue of an item under warranty!

VERY poor customer service by M&S.

Inner_Zone

Swattie wrote: »

Falling far short of their usual good service!
Have had a technical issue with an item under their warranty.
Trying to get the cost of the 15 calls (between 12 and 20 minutes each) I have had to make to resolve it due to their poor processes and procedures (delays, lack of action after 6 weeks, and when they did contact me leaving messages for me to call them back).

All their contact numbers resulted in me having to pay for the call.:mad:as they are 0333 numbers.

The smug person at the end of the phone refused to even consider covering the cost of my calls despite all the issues and delays being at their end.

His reasons were that their 0333 numbers are included in mobile contracts minutes (not in mine and I only have limited minutes anyway). If I use my land line (which I have been doing) the calls are between £1.20 and £1.50 per call. Again I was advised this was my fault I should have a cheaper supplier. (I have pretty standard suppliers!)


Very annoyed that I am saddled with around £20 of phone costs to resolve a technical issue of an item under warranty!

VERY poor customer service by M&S.

Think you are confused:

http://www.area-codes.org.uk/0333-numbers.php

"0333 numbers, and all other numbers that start with 03, cost the same to call as a normal local or national landline.

The 03 numbering range was introduced during 2007, as a caller-friendly alternative to much-criticised and potentially expensive business rate numbers such as 0845 and 0870.
All 03 numbers, including 0333 numbers, work in the same way. Although they differ from normal landlines by not being linked to any specific location, they cost the same to call - this is a legal requirement put in place by the UK telephone regulator, Ofcom.
Numbers starting with 03 should not be confused with special- or premium-rate numbers starting with 08 or 09.


Information about 0333 numbers applies to all UK numbers starting with 0333, including those that begin 03330, 03331, 03332, 03333, 03334, 03335, 03336, 03337, 03338 and 03339."

Swattie

Inner_Zone wrote: »

Think you are confused:

http://www.area-codes.org.uk/0333-numbers.php

"0333 numbers, and all other numbers that start with 03, cost the same to call as a normal local or national landline.

The 03 numbering range was introduced during 2007, as a caller-friendly alternative to much-criticised and potentially expensive business rate numbers such as 0845 and 0870.
All 03 numbers, including 0333 numbers, work in the same way. Although they differ from normal landlines by not being linked to any specific location, they cost the same to call - this is a legal requirement put in place by the UK telephone regulator, Ofcom.
Numbers starting with 03 should not be confused with special- or premium-rate numbers starting with 08 or 09.


Information about 0333 numbers applies to all UK numbers starting with 0333, including those that begin 03330, 03331, 03332, 03333, 03334, 03335, 03336, 03337, 03338 and 03339."

I am not confused - I checked my itemised bill before talking to M&S.

Regardless - there is a principal here.. why should customers be out of pocket for having to make multiple calls when the fault is with the supplier.

Inner_Zone

Swattie wrote: »

I am not confused - I checked my itemised bill before talking to M&S.

Regardless - there is a principal here.. why should customers be out of pocket for having to make multiple calls when the fault is with the supplier.

As above 03 numbers are national rate as 01 and 02, if you are being charged more for them, then that is an issue with your telecoms provider not M&S.

As you have an itemised bill, write to M&S with the relevant calls highlighted and ask for a refund of these calls.

Not really difficult is it?

bod1467

Inner_Zone wrote: »

write to M&S

That is the important bit. Get a paper trail in place.

redmalc

M&S customer services has been a shambles for some time now,i had a big issue with them last Xmas which was well documented on here regarding a credit note which was issued for a substantial amount of money,after two weeks we went to redeem it and the ink had smudged in my wallet and they would not take it.
I openly advised on here i would never step in the shop again,and i have not to this day.
Last year we spent in excess of 7K on our M&S card in store,which as now been cut up and i am better off

tomtontom

OP is correct about 0333 calls - they are the same cost as local rate numbers, but they don't have to be included in inclusive tariffs - 10p a minute could well be the correct charge. However OP, I'm not sure why you didn't call the 0208 number published on their website?

wealdroam

tomtontom wrote: »

OP is correct about 0333 calls - they are the same cost as local rate numbers, but they don't have to be included in inclusive tariffs - 10p a minute could well be the correct charge.

You may well be right.

I wonder which mobile service providers actually do not include them in their 'free minutes' bundles.

Obviously there is at least one tariff like that. Perhaps the OP can tell us which one it is.

skintpaul

send them an invoice for time / call costs, post pic on twitter etc.. public scorn is your best weapon!

Kaye1

I had an very minor issue yesterday- ordered a 5 pack of school socks, one had a hole in.
Rang customer services, they said take it back to store. Nope- 30 minutes drive away. Could they just send me a replacement? No.
Could I take them to the Post Office? No, another 15 minute drive.


They wanted the whole 10 socks back, even though some had been worn. I said this was wasteful as they couldn't sell the socks, so likely would just get thrown away. Could they just refund me the cost of 1 pair of socks? (£1.20)


I stressed I wasn't after a freebie, just a replacement sock or refund for 1 pair. I asked them repeatedly what would happen to the other 9 perfectly good socks. No real answer.


So my point to them was this- are you going to thrown away 9 good socks just because 1 had a hole in? Yes, as far as I could see.


They say they are trying to be environmentally friendly but this isn't.


It's not so much the lack of help it is the wastefulness of throwing away 9 good socks because 1 has a hole. Not the end of the world but irksome nevertheless.


We are regular customers but for the sake of £1.20 they are prepared to see us go elsewhere.

George_Michael

wealdroam wrote: »

You may well be right.

I wonder which mobile service providers actually do not include them in their 'free minutes' bundles.

Obviously there is at least one tariff like that. Perhaps the OP can tell us which one it is.

Well, according to Ofcom, if any contract has inclusive minutes, 03 numbers must be included in those minutes.

http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/phone/numbering/what-are-03-numbers/

Calls to 03 numbers cost no more than a national rate call to an 01 or 02 number and must count towards any inclusive minutes in the same way as 01 and 02 calls.

These rules apply to calls from any type of line including mobile, BT, other fixed line or payphone.