M&S Returns - Aargh!!

YorkshireGenes

Placed an order with M&S online, several items, one of which was a woman's tshirt. Order delivered, all okay except instead of the tshirt they sent a pair of children's trousers age 11-12!

I wanted to return 2 items, plus of course the trousers I didn't order. Did the process online and for the trousers I chose the reason 'wrong item sent' or whatever the appropriate option was, and similarly with the secondary reason (it asks for one reason, you choose, then it asks for another). Nowhere was I able to tell them what had been sent instead, and the confirmation came up with a photo of each item being returned, which of course was a photo of the tshirt. It did make me wonder, how's this going to work, so in the parcel I put a note with the trousers saying, I ordered a tshirt but you sent these trousers.

Dropped the parcel off at the self-return machine in my local store. M&S then emailed confirming the refund for the 2 items but not the tshirt. When I checked on my account online, it showed as not having been returned. How can I return something you didn't send me in the first place?

I then had to phone customer service, where the automated system does everything it can to not let you speak to a human. The agent I eventually spoke to was fine but had to get a manager to authorise a refund, seemingly as if it was some kind of goodwill gesture rather than it being money they owe me for an item which wasn't sent.

They then said that I shouldn't have done the return online, I should have phoned them. Yet it doesn't say that online, and the dropdown menu has the 'wrong item sent' options so appears to be set up for it. And if I had phoned, the automated system tells me to do it online anyway!

Still, it could be worse. Possibly there's some poor child somewhere this week without trousers to wear for school ……