Has Marks and Spencer refused you a refund? Post details here.

jicms

You've misread my post. I returned the goods immediately.

Bronnie

My next step, if I were you, would be to write a polite, clear, calm, factual letter to their Head Office, explaining what has happened.

jicms

I have already followed up my call to Customer Services with a letter. Their reply used similar wording to other posters, saying there was nothing they could do as the expiry date is included in their t&cs. It was signed Retail Customer Services, Your M&S so I probably should have sent it to the head of department.

I suppose I have to put it down to experience. I can't say I won't shop there anymore but it has certainly changed my opinion of them. They will lose a lot more than £50 by me avoiding them in future.

jicms

Somewhere in the forums there's mention of a senior M&S staff member to write to. Can anyone let me know who this is please?

Berwynview

Hi
I've sent an email to the following address when I was having problems with a refund and getting nowhere with customer services - I got a personal reply promptly and they sorted everything out for me:

chairman@marks-and-spencer.com

JC9297

jicms wrote: »

I was forced to accept a £50 credit voucher for goods bought and returned to an M&S outlet store a long way from home. It was in the form of a faded receipt which I put to one side until such time I was somewhere near an outlet store.

I've now discovered it was only valid for a year and recently expired. Customer Services didn't want to know and referred me to their terms and conditions. They also said it could have been used in any store which they later said was a misunderstanding and it did have to be spent in an outlet.

I'm pretty upset as I've effectively made a donation to M&S. I was very surprised and disappointed at their attitide and have had much better customer service in less highly respected stores. It's not as if they were giving me anything for nothing. With hindsight if only I'd kept the item, at least I could have sold it on Ebay!

Any views on whether I can challenge this and can retailers write anything they like into their terms and conditions?

I don't think it is unreasonable for them to say that a credit voucher expires after a year, as far as I know all retailers set time limits for thinngs like credit notes and giftcards.It's not M&S's fault if you don't live near an outlet store and have not been able to spend it within a year.

I think the mistake is yours for not checking the expiry date when you were given the voucher. Presumably you were given a credit voucher in the first place because you did not have the receipt? Legally they don't even have to give you a refund unless the item is faulty, so M&S go over and above their legal obligations.

jicms

Berwynview wrote: »

Hi
I've sent an email to the following address when I was having problems with a refund and getting nowhere with customer services - I got a personal reply promptly and they sorted everything out for me:

chairman@marks-and-spencer.com

Thanks very much for this. I'll try this and post the result.

jicms

JC9297 wrote: »

Presumably you were given a credit voucher in the first place because you did not have the receipt? Legally they don't even have to give you a refund unless the item is faulty, so M&S go over and above their legal obligations.

I did have a receipt, I was not offered a refund. I have never known a high street shop not to give refunds for promptly returned, unused items. If they didn't I think customers would soon shop elsewhere.

Babiesmummy_2

You can use a credit voucher at ANY M&S, be it a high street m&s, simply food or an outlet.

I used to work in an outlet. The only reason i can think of that you were given a credit voucher whilst having your receipt was that it was out of date.

I now work at a simply food and have not been advised about not accepting credit vouchers from outlets.

Personally i think you shoul have contacted customer services when you were forced to accept a credit note.

djdave

I notice a trend that most (not all, admittedly!) of the people saying "They've lost a customer" or "I'll never shop there again" are either gift recipients who didn't shop there in the first place, or customers trying to get refunds for non-faulty goods just because they changed their mind. I don't think any retailer will be losing too much sleep about losing such customers!