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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

or are M& chuffing S?

19 replies

Isthiscorrect · 05/12/2013 14:00

I am so furious. I placed a reasonably large order with M&S on 28th November. Order was accepted with a delivery date of 5th Dec. I was happy with this as DH was/is in the UK on business until Sunday. However yesterday they email to tell me one item, plain bras, so not Christmas related (10 plus in stock for a very odd size at the time of ordering) is no longer available. I was a bit grrrr but ok these things happen. Today I get another email, none of my remaining delivery can be sent until 15th December. WTF? They wont allow me to cancel it as it been passed for delivery. So why then can they change the terms and conditions? I have already emailed and the reply did not answer any of my questions, just told that I can return the parcel to the delivery man or return everything by post. And quite how am I able to do that? Yes I know I live abroad but I did my best to organise so there was time for an overlap. But 10 days? And its hardly like Christmas comes as a surprise. I'm so very grrrrr with their whole level of incompetence. Why can John Lewis, Amazon, No ton the high street and all the others do the job properly but not M and frigging S. Gah.

OP posts:

ShatnersBassoon · 05/12/2013 14:06

I'm confused. Is your husband supposed to collect the order from a store whilst he's in the uk?

Original poster

Isthiscorrect · 05/12/2013 14:13

Nope its being delivered to the hotel. I spoke to the hotel they were happy to accept the order but DH leaves on Monday, so they could have delivered up till Sunday 8th. I thought that would leave them some extra time. I didn't realise 10 days was the extra requirement over and above their initial delivery date, to deliver to a city centre, not outer Mongolia or somewhere.

OP posts:

ShatnersBassoon · 05/12/2013 14:16

Ah, that's tricky then. I don't know what to suggest. They can't alter the delivery address even if they can't cancel the order?

Worriedthistimearound · 05/12/2013 14:21

Are they available for collection in store? Can your DH pick them up instore? I know this means paying twice but you can then just arrange for them to go straight back assuming the hotel are happy to do this.

Original poster

Isthiscorrect · 05/12/2013 14:27

Nope when I emailed to query this I was told the order has been passed for delivery and cant be changed. End of! I've written to them again explaining again that if they had given an inkling of changing the date or would allow me to change the order to collect instore then that would be something. I can of course have it sent somewhere else but the cost of sending it on to here would outweigh the savings of buying in the UK. I'm so mad right now.

OP posts:

marriedtoagoodun · 05/12/2013 14:29

This happened to me. We were emigrating to Australia and I made a HUGE order using 20% off coupon for clothes, towels, spare knickers etc. Very pleased with myself. And then came the trickle of emails. Such and such not available and so delayed. 11 weeks later when we left I had received nothing. They had cancelled the towels after 6 weeks as they had now run out of stock, the knickers which were in plentiful supply at the store were still 'not available etc'. We too could not get our money back as they had already despatched and so they had to wait for them to be sent back to warehouse and then the refund processed after that. Ended up buying some of the stuff straight from the store but it cost me 20% more as the voucher had expired. When I complained they said that they will have a new system in place in January which will be 'live' ordering so unless the product is available you cannot place the order. I would never order from them again.

hermioneweasley · 05/12/2013 14:29

I thought you had the right to cancel any online order within 7 days of receipt of goods?

MackerelOfFact · 05/12/2013 14:31

If you paid by credit card, speak to you issuer and try and get the money charged back. They'll have to bloody cancel it then.

Original poster

Isthiscorrect · 05/12/2013 14:38

Oh married what a nightmare and how absolutely infuriating. They are such shysters, in fact they cocked up an order for me in July, totally unrelated product to this time. I don't know why I thought this time it would be different. Stupid me.
Mackerel Hermione I'm ploughing through the small print of the order and checking Martins money saving for any tips about how to cancel but the person who emailed seem very sure of themselves. Chunter chunter mutter mutter.

OP posts:

jeanmiguelfangio · 05/12/2013 14:54

Don't necessarily believe them, yesterday they told her that her card had been declined and they could not deliver her 2 seperate orders. They arrived within about 4 hours of the email. You might get them in time.
Pain in the arse though. Keep complaining

Original poster

Isthiscorrect · 05/12/2013 16:25

Thanks fangio. I have complained yet again because this time its my fault I chose the delivery date according to their last reply. Ok so why offer a choice of dates if you have no intention of delivering that date. To incense me even more, they took my money yesterday and didnt email me til today (my original delivery date) that they wont be delivering until estimated 15th December. FFS. Im so angry and they referred me to the track my order option which says dispatching soon, so could they define soon please? I mean really in what world does dispatching soon mean anything specific? Gosh I so need to vent.

OP posts:

DinahSoar · 05/12/2013 17:36

Go to ceoemail.com, which lists email addresses for Chief Executives of most UK companies (then bookmark the link as it might come in useful again sometime!).

Find the M&S email address, calm down a bit (!) and write clearly, and without emotion, what has happened and what you want them to do about it. Say that you have not been able to get anywhere with their customer service systems, and are emailing the CEO as a last resort, and apologise for having to take up their time with this matter. But also be 'appalled' and 'disappointed' that a trusted brand can behave in such a way, whilst also being 'confident' that the matter will be resolved now that you've brought it to their attention.

It won't be the actual CEO who responds, but the response comes from someone with more knowledge and authority than a customer service rep, and the matter should then be resolved satisfactorily.

Gryffindor · 05/12/2013 17:54

I went apeshit to M&S recently over an order that didn't arrive on the day it was expected, or the next. Citylink totally fucked up, said they had delivered when they hadn't.

It took a lot of arguing but I got the entire order (over £100) for free. I did have to wait in for two whole days (7am-9pm!!) though, and then essentially being accused of fraud as M&s initially sided with Citylink.

Even though my order was free, I will never shop online with them again.

Next time, send your DH into one of the flagship stores with a detailed shopping list.

sherazade · 05/12/2013 18:01

YADNBU ,seems to be a recurring theme at the moment!!. Recently ordered from gap, thrilled they were 40 percent off and one of very few stores that stocks in my size. They emailed me two days later saying I would receive my order in two weeks time when it was state 3-5 days at checkout. It really is unacceptable.

Original poster

Isthiscorrect · 05/12/2013 18:09

Nice result Gryffindor! Thanks Dino. DH is currently in M&S with the list, sadly it does mean no surprises for him or DS. I will wait until tomorrow and email calmly and clearly with no histrionics (quite quite incapable of that at the moment), just a more muted level of disappointment with such a trusted family favourite.

It really is disappointing though given that some companies really can do what they say (although not GAP as per shezerade). It seems ironic that online shopping is promoted and then they fail to deliver (haha) both physically and online.

OP posts:

KingRollo · 05/12/2013 18:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Nanny0gg · 05/12/2013 19:47

just a more muted level of disappointment with such a trusted family favourite

Good luck with that, as these days I actually think they don't care. (and I'm a former employee from many years ago, and I find that really sad)

Have you tried commenting on their FB page?

Lomaamina · 05/12/2013 21:37

They are useless. I truly sympathise. I ordered post-surgery bras to be delivered in time for me to take into hospital. After confirming the date they announced they'd arrive after I'd gone in and breezily told me (when I rang to complain) that I was free to post them back if they arrived too late.

To say I was upset would be something of an understatement. .

Justforlaughs · 05/12/2013 21:43

DS ordered new XBox with Currys, delivery date 10 days ago. Waited in for 3 days, finally got through on phone to be told that they had over stretched themselves and XBox would now be delivered in the New Year! Fortunately, it wasn't a Christmas present and we managed to trace one with another company. Customer Service sucks.

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