M&S Returns Without Receipt - Anyone Else in the Same Boat?

eleanorwhitby

Hi all,

I've had two items sitting in a carrier bag for months now, going in and out of the house with me, as I’ve been trying to return them to M&S. Since the data breach a few months ago, they haven’t been accepting returns without a receipt, and it's been a bit of a nightmare.

I've had conflicting advice, different stores have said different things, and even different staff members in the same store (in Scotland, my nearest one) have given me mixed messages. So I finally decided to call M&S customer services.

The first person I spoke to didn’t really grasp what I was asking, so I was passed on to someone else who understood a bit more, but still couldn’t give me a clear answer, especially on whether there's a timeline for when things will return to normal. I did hear on the radio that M&S were hoping to have everything back up and running by the end of July 2025 (presumably that was a slip of the tongue?).

What I really want to know is: Will M&S eventually relax the return policy for items bought without a receipt, especially those outside the usual 35-day window, due to all this? I’m well past that timeframe now, through no fault of my own, and I’m guessing at least one of the items has since gone into the sale. To make matters worse, SPARKS wasn’t working at the time I bought them, so I have no proof of purchase at all.

I do appreciate it’s a difficult situation for M&S, none of this was planned, and the hackers clearly knew what they were doing. But surely I'm not the only one caught out by this?

Would love to hear if anyone else is in the same position, or if you've had any success returning items recently.

Thanks!

Emmia

I'm not sure why you've posted this on the mortgages board, I've asked for it to be moved.

If these items were bought in store, you have no legal right of return unless the items are faulty - and then there are various time limits.

M&S and many other retailers offer goodwill returns with proof of purchase e.g. a receipt, but this is goodwill not a legal requirement.

Given the time that has elapsed I don't think you're getting a refund. In fact I noticed that a M&S store I visited recently had a prominent sign on the till advising of no refunds (even with a receipt) for items that had gone into the sale.

eleanorwhitby

No problem Emma, I  didn't know I had posted this on the mortgage board

eleanorwhitby

I have now posted on the Consumer Rights board.  I assume that is more appropriate

soolin

Closed as a duplicate thread on the wrong board.