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Original poster

Can someone explain this M&S situation to me like I’m concussed please?

117 replies

BottleBlondeMachiavelli · 02/05/2025 15:30

Is it safe to order if I can get an order to go through?

Am I “just” looking at a long indeterminate delay? Or could I lose money and have to chase for a refund?

Is it safe to order with my credit card? Should I use PayPal? Credit card via PayPal?

Should I be deleting all my saved payment details from the site/app?

OP posts:
HermioneWeasley · 03/05/2025 08:21

mummytoonetryingfortwo · 02/05/2025 17:03

Very frustrating.

popped into M&S on my lunch break, as I wanted some summer bits for me and my daughter. I also wanted some little picky bits for a cheap dinner and some items to announce my pregnancy. The store was bare and most smaller sizes out of stock. They need to sort it out, ASAP.

Brilliant advice, I’ll bet they haven’t thought of that. I’ll bet they don’t have people working around the clock on it for 2 weeks since it happened.

lifeonmars100 · 03/05/2025 00:34

Nutmuncher · 02/05/2025 23:25

Manchester City centre a flagship store has barely any fresh produce, a handful of sandwiches, lots of gaps and lots of shelves with the same thing on them. The staff have had a nightmare with it all.

I feel sorry for the staff, I hope shoppers aren't giving them a hard time

Nutmuncher · 02/05/2025 23:25

Manchester City centre a flagship store has barely any fresh produce, a handful of sandwiches, lots of gaps and lots of shelves with the same thing on them. The staff have had a nightmare with it all.

CleaningSilverCandlesticks · 02/05/2025 23:09

Apreslapluielesoleil · 02/05/2025 17:58

I saw an Ocado van delivering down the lane here a couple of hours ago so 🤞 for your shop.

Show quote history

Ocado may deliver on behalf of M&S but are a separate organisation with a separate IT system

Ginmonkeyagain · 02/05/2025 18:35

London Bridge M&S food was looking a bit tragically denuded when I went in hoping for some Friday night Gins in Tins just now.

IDontHateRainbows · 02/05/2025 18:33

Kathbrownlow · 02/05/2025 15:59

You can still go in a M&S and buy clothing, can't you?

Yes, I bought some trousers in store yesterday

Petuniaspetal · 02/05/2025 18:29

I was in M&s foodhall earlier today, some gaps on shelves. Didn't bother to ask if it was due to the hack or just pre bank holiday madness.

Jeezitneverends · 02/05/2025 18:16

Kathbrownlow · 02/05/2025 15:59

You can still go in a M&S and buy clothing, can't you?

Well you could if they had anything like decent stock levels…but they don’t, and never do

Changeyourlifes · 02/05/2025 17:59

A lot of M&S’s stock is sold through Ocado so you might have some luck there. Also M&S might be on uber and deliveroo etc in your area.

Apreslapluielesoleil · 02/05/2025 17:58

Doggymummar · 02/05/2025 15:53

I wonder if my Ocado shop will arrive. They have not sent anything to say there are any issues. This post is the first I knew if any issues

I saw an Ocado van delivering down the lane here a couple of hours ago so 🤞 for your shop.

Pedallleur · 02/05/2025 17:46

FlowerUser · 02/05/2025 17:42

The difficulty with honouring orders is that once the online ordering is restored, thousands of people will start ordering because it's been down. The warehouse staff (who have been told to stay at home - I do hope they will be paid) would have a heck of a job filling the back orders and staying on top of the new orders.

M&S takes £3.5m a day online so it makes more sense to refund everyone and begin again.

What shocks me is that they were vulnerable in the first place. It has always been the first item on IT risk registers wherever I've worked.

Edited

You know then that what IT security want is often dismissed as scaremongering to get more money that could go to shareholders etc.

Pedallleur · 02/05/2025 17:44

These sites are virtual. They reside in a cloud. M&S want a website. They commission someone to build it. That company will use another company to provide parts of the site. There are hosts and servers passing the data back and forth. There isn't a M&S data centre. So any part of the chain that isn't secure is vulnerable. Security comes at a cost and no one wants to pay the cost. What's the least we can pay? Is everyones thought

FlowerUser · 02/05/2025 17:42

The difficulty with honouring orders is that once the online ordering is restored, thousands of people will start ordering because it's been down. The warehouse staff (who have been told to stay at home - I do hope they will be paid) would have a heck of a job filling the back orders and staying on top of the new orders.

M&S takes £3.5m a day online so it makes more sense to refund everyone and begin again.

What shocks me is that they were vulnerable in the first place. It has always been the first item on IT risk registers wherever I've worked.

FlowerUser · 02/05/2025 17:36

Marianwallace · 02/05/2025 15:49

I’m thoroughly peed off. They can’t do a refund, apparently because I got a sparks discount when purchasing. Now I’m out of the refund period. Which they say they will honour. But in the meantime, I now I have my M&S credit card bill so I have to pay for an item that should’ve been refunded. Apologies I know it misses the point of the thread.

Edited

I got a refund even though I'd had a discount. I then visited my local store and they gave me the same discount from the item that had been cancelled.

CleaningSilverCandlesticks · 02/05/2025 17:36

Frustratingly I am wanting to buy something that is only available online.

SnoozingFox · 02/05/2025 17:34

sesquipedalian · 02/05/2025 15:35

At the moment, they have still paused online orders, so nothing will go through, and if it does, you are highly unlikely to receive your order. I’d wait until they say it’s OK to order online again.

Or go to a bricks and mortar M&S shop which is functioning normally.

Sesma · 02/05/2025 17:12

The food hall in my local M&S was fairly full of stock, didn't really see any more empty than usual

Viviennemary · 02/05/2025 17:12

Just wait till they say they are taking orders again. I expect there will be delays though. I want a few things but I am waiting for the all clear.

Sidebeforeself · 02/05/2025 17:11

Well it depends which store you go into. They will prioritise stock so some places will see a shortage . I went in yesterday are there were definitely some gaps in the food section.

Blingismything · 02/05/2025 17:10

There is food stock in my Simply Food but there are a few gaps on the shelves.

zingally · 02/05/2025 17:06

Does anyone know if the M&S Food shops are affected as well? I'd quite like to pop in there tomorrow and get some tasty treat bits for the bank holiday. But if it's all empty shelves, I'll save myself the trip.

mummytoonetryingfortwo · 02/05/2025 17:03

Very frustrating.

popped into M&S on my lunch break, as I wanted some summer bits for me and my daughter. I also wanted some little picky bits for a cheap dinner and some items to announce my pregnancy. The store was bare and most smaller sizes out of stock. They need to sort it out, ASAP.

CraftyNavySeal · 02/05/2025 17:01

Snorlaxo · 02/05/2025 16:28

When TalkTalk was hacked 10 years ago, the hackers discovered that they stored customer financial data without encryption and that info was sold onto other criminals.

Show quote history

Yes that’s why no one’s allowed to do that anymore, security has got much tighter.

CleaningSilverCandlesticks · 02/05/2025 16:57

Is the Harrods attack the same group?

Snorlaxo · 02/05/2025 16:56

Co-op and Harrods were also targetted but it sounds like they thwarted the hackers

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