Marks and Spencer- credit vouchers- sharp practice?

Maskells

As a regular shopper in both M & S stores and online, I was very disappointed at my treatment in their Hedge End store today. Briefly, I had previously accepted a credit voucher for goods that I had returned and had not realised that these were time dated. Previously, M & S used to give gift vouchers for returns without a receipt. I tendered the credit voucher ( which is very easy to mislay as it looks like a till receipt) and was told that as it had gone over 12 months by a few days, I could not use it and they would not renew it. It was for £35.00 which is not a trivial amount of money to lose. Personally, I think this is sharp practice by M & S and designed to catch people out. They have previoulsy had my £35.00 and now I stand to forfeit if altogether. Has anyone else had experience of this?

pamperedprincess

12 months is a more than reasonable amount of time to allow you to redeem the credit voucher. The time limit is printed on the voucher and is normally pointed out by the SA when the voucher is issued. To be honest, I don't see that this is sharp practice - credit vouchers are only issued when you are returning something without a receipt.

Mrs_Thrify

Hiya, please could you tell me what SA stands for? Hopefully not sales assistant! It is just that I have an item credited on my bank statment from SA????

Sssssss

sales assistant

maemaesmummy

sales assistant

Sssssss

or in some shops smart ar5e

Maskells

To answer pampered princess's comment, I think my gripe is about the fact that the time limit wasn't pointed out to me, plus the fact that it is inferior to the old system whereby you were given gift vouchers which did not go out of date. Also, i is very easy to mislay the till generated slip amongst all the other paper. I think the store could have used their discretion, particularly as I was spening about £200.00. Also, I did have a receipt for the goods I originally returned but was unable to use the card that I had used to purchase online as I didn't have a PIN for it.

RadoJo

Unfortunately, unless you are returning goods which are faulty, M and S are effectively doing you a favour by accepting them, so you have to accept the refund in whatever form it takes. You could try writing to them with details of the situation and see if they are prepared to extend the validity of the voucher as a good will gesture.

chocolatechipcookies

Maskells wrote: »

To answer pampered princess's comment, I think my gripe is about the fact that the time limit wasn't pointed out to me, plus the fact that it is inferior to the old system whereby you were given gift vouchers which did not go out of date. Also, i is very easy to mislay the till generated slip amongst all the other paper. I think the store could have used their discretion, particularly as I was spening about £200.00. Also, I did have a receipt for the goods I originally returned but was unable to use the card that I had used to purchase online as I didn't have a PIN for it.

How is it their fault if you lose the slip? It's your responsibility to make sure you keep all important documents. Are you not capable of asking if the voucher has an expiry date?

Maskells

chocolatechipcookies wrote: »

How is it their fault if you lose the slip? It's your responsibility to make sure you keep all important documents. Are you not capable of asking if the voucher has an expiry date?

I think I am just about capable, yes. However, the reason I didn't ask because the assistant told me it was like the old gift voucher scheme and I had no reason to think otherwise and why would it expire, bearing in mind they have had the money? I have written to them today asking them to re-consider.

rogue_element

I could be wrong but I have a feeling it just comes up "credit voucher expired" and the only option is "cancel", so I expect you would have to ask a manager/co-ordinator to manually put it through as credit voucher without barcode. They do have gift vouchers for "good will" so they could have sorted something for you.