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AIBU?

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Marks and Bastard Spencer have RUINED ds2's birthday

425 replies

Greensleeves · 18/08/2011 15:24

ds2's birthday tomorrow, he's 7

it will be the first birthday dh has ever been away, so I have busted a gut to make it special for him

I ordered something off M&S online which he really, really wants and opted for the extra charge to have it delivered today, in time to be wrapped etc

They said the payment wouldn't go through, there was a problem with the card etc, I put it through over and over again

eventually dh phoned them, from Brazil, and gave all the details over the phone and double-checked with the woman that it had gone through and would still be delivered today, 18th August

so I rang up customer services today to ask if they had an approximate time as I have to take ds1 out to a party later

they said it hadn't gone through and was marked as not paid for

eventually after more schenanigans it turned out that it was because our visa debit card is a co-op bank card - they accept visa debit cards but not visa electron (which ours isn't) - apparently, this woman laughingly told me, the first four digits of the co-op cards are the same as electron cards, so they don't work! nobody asked dh whether it was a co-op card ffs

so the present isn't paid for and won't be arriving after all

I know it sounds trivial but I am SO upset, it has been a tough two weeks without dh here anyway and I really thought I had done a good job of making his birthday lovely Sad

BASTARDS

OP posts:
Topcat11 · 18/08/2011 20:42

Can't believe this is still going - I started reading it in my lunch hour, just come back and it's STILL HERE! Brilliant!

rhondajean · 18/08/2011 20:48

This has reminded me, in between much stifled giggling and cats bum faces, why I buy presents months in advance. I like to keep my blood pressure at a reasonable level.

And just as a general comment, taking it back to birthdays, we have a party every year which means that the presents are still important but the actual event of the party takes over the day, therefore if it all did go T.O.A. regarding the presents (surely she had more than one in!! or am I horribly indulgent?) the event would mean the day was still brilliant.

Actually, am supposed to be writing invites right now...... :-S

SpringHeeledJack · 18/08/2011 20:51

aah, so what's been going on here while I've been away?

anything?

...oooh, fuckinghell

Taxi! TAXI??

SuePurblybilt · 18/08/2011 20:52

Sometimes you can't get everything in advance - if you're buying a bike or a playhouse, you need to time the deliveries. Or you do if, like me, you have a teeny house and no garage.

Hello SHJ, where have you been? We missed PA at Crealy Sad.

SpringHeeledJack · 18/08/2011 20:53

ps I've said it on here before, and I'll say it agin

M&S are cunts

(they might think I've forgotten all about the previously coeliac friendly rice salads that are now no longer feasible for me, cos they've decided to use tiny smidgeons of fucking WHEAT in them. Well, I haven't. And what's more I won't)

SpringHeeledJack · 18/08/2011 20:55

awwwwwww, Sue

Sad

have I missed the call of the PA klaxon??

rhondajean · 18/08/2011 20:56

I still did it in advance when we had a teeny flat, roped in MIL and friends to hide bikes. The playhouse was difficult as it took two men to build in the garden - it just had to be put up when we got it, taking the surprise element away and I cant remember now but I probably ended up with another surprise (cos Im a sap and I love watching them on birthdays and Christmas).

I PANIC at the thought of things going wrong. I also like a calm and orderly life. This is my way of dealing

SuePurblybilt · 18/08/2011 20:57

No, we all missed it. He performed unmolested Sad. I haven't broken the news to GetOrf yet.

emmanumber3 · 18/08/2011 20:57

What does M&S sell that is so exciting for a 7 year old boy? Enquiring minds need to know! Grin.

SuePurblybilt · 18/08/2011 20:59

I am right with you rhonda, I have presents stashed all over the house. But i was just making the point that you shouldn't have to see it as taking a risk - if they say they will deliver on a certain day, they should. I couldn't risk it myself, it would be like Margot getting Christmas delivered in one van and it not coming back Grin.

emmanumber3 · 18/08/2011 20:59

SuePurblybilt - ooo - Devon Crealy or Cornwall Crealy? Grin

MadameCastafiore · 18/08/2011 21:01

Don't tell him he was getting it and give it to him a day when he is not expecting a present - will be really happy and surprised.

Kids have to get used to disappointment in their lives at some point - really not such a big issue!

SuePurblybilt · 18/08/2011 21:01

hmmm, you're a PA fan are you Emma? Not sure I should tell you, we are on a sabotage mission y'see. Grin

rhondajean · 18/08/2011 21:02

Lol Sue! I agree that delivery SHOULD be when its said - but - in the real world....

Also, I obsessively check my Credit card statements online to make sure payments have come out/I am on top of the total balance - so not much gets past me.

Ive always found M and S really good for orders - we get birthday cakes every year and Christmas food - but I always pick up from store

emmanumber3 · 18/08/2011 21:06

Sue - no, lol. Just normally spend the school holidays in Devon but haven't been able to this year due to DD's arrival on 9th August Grin. As lovely as it is to have her here we are missing our holidays too. We have Crealy passes so it usually features quite a lot in our summers Smile.

SuePurblybilt · 18/08/2011 21:08

OK then It was Devon Crealy Rocks Grin. We were going to go on a lovebus and shout rude things at The Oily Orange One. But we missed it Sad

MynameisnotEarl · 18/08/2011 21:12

I really feel for you Greeny (have spoken to you years ago under another name). It's horrible when something you've planned goes wrong through no fault of yours. You must be really disappointed.

I'd like to share my experience with M&S online. I ordered flowers etc for someone who'd just given birth. They were to be delivered on the day mum got home from hospital - but they didn't arrive.

I rang M&S for an explanation and the basically told me they'd fucked up. They offered to taxi a replacement but the item wasn't available instore so couldn't do this.

What they did do was deliver the item the following day.

They then delivered it again. And they didn't charge for it. So my friend got 2 lots of M&S flowers, a teddy and a balloon all for free.

They dealt with the complaint very well - BUT I'd rather not have to complain in the first place - it's such a bloody hassle. Just get it right fgs. What if it had been birthday flowers or funeral flowers - they'd have to be delivered on the right day, wouldnt they?

Hope your DS has a lovely birthday and gets the present he wants.

marfisa · 18/08/2011 23:10

YABU. Your son is only 1 - what will he care? You shouldn't have waited until the last day to order the present! You are a princess for shopping at M&S anyway. Children are dying of famine in Somalia. It's not presents that make birthdays special. Swearing about such a trivial issue is frightfully poor tone. The fact that you haven't said what the present is makes me think it probably doesn't exist. Plenty of DHs never attend their children's birthdays or Christmases or ANYTHING.

... did I mention the dying children in Somalia?

Seriously, I'm glad you got the present in the end. M&S need to get their internet service into the 21st century. Happy birthday to your DS!

Chummybud1 · 18/08/2011 23:53

I thought her son was 7

Couldn't you make a birthday, you could go into town pick up the toy and go for lunch as if that's what you had planned

Danthe4th · 19/08/2011 00:10

I read the first 2 pages and have scanned a couple of others, has the op said what the present is yet??

Mitmoo · 19/08/2011 06:49

Honey posts: My children have received presents after their birthdays before.

Then why stick the boot into Green for leaving it so late even though she didn't?

yoshiLunk · 19/08/2011 08:55

Greensleeves, happy birthday to your DS I hope you all have a great day.

I don't 'know' you other than catching your previous flounce, kind of "oh who was that?" as the door swung behind you. Please don't go again, there are loads of people on this thread who support you and appreciate your wit, me included.

What's more you have very helpfully wormed out a number of posters to add to the shit list.

C'mon, stay a while..

marfisa · 19/08/2011 09:20

Yes, her son is 7. That post was a feeble attempt at satire: a list of all the ridiculous, unkind things people said to the OP. None of it is serious apart from the last bit.

Thumbwitch · 19/08/2011 13:11

Aw feck, Greeny, have you gone again? That's a shame.

Happy Birthday to your DS and I think it's great that you managed to get the present you wanted for him despite M&S fucking it up and being pathetic.

Hope he's not missing his Dad too much - it's rough when they're away for your birthday (my Dad missed my 7th birthday too - away for a month).

porcamiseria · 19/08/2011 13:18

agree with EVERYTHING mightyquim has said

everything

ever

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