to be angry that M&S is fleecing its loyal international customers by raising prices 40%+

[Lunde]

I have had an international M&S account for many years and spent a lot of money on clothing and presents that I had shipped using the more expensive international shipping rate. I usually spend a considerable sum on Christmas shopping.

However M&S have decided to introduce "dedicated country" shopping sites so that from many countries customers can no longer use the normal website. But M&S have decided to fleece their international customers by charging huge marks-ups for the same item to be shipped from the UK.

I tried to buy an item on the normal page for £30 today - but could no longer use my account. The same item costs £42.81 on my "dedicated country" M&S - almost 43% more!

Maybe they've subsidied this service for brand awareness and can no longer afford it?

The only cost that could be different is the shipping costs as the items are shipped from the same UK distribution centre as UK orders - M&S already charge more for shipping than John Lewis and Debenhams etc.

They will price to be competitive in each country. I assume the price was quoted in local currency and you have translated to GBP.

M&S gate, sorry, couldn't resist, seriously though, it doesn't seem fair, though there is probably a good reason for it.

Hmm, it doesn't seem to be so extreme in all countries. I've just looked at the German site, which of course is priced in euros. Taking an example at random, a red short dress, it's 19.50 in sterling and 24.95 in euros - but crucially, there's free postage for orders over 30 euros. If you were doing a direct currency comparison, the 19.50 would currently get you 21.95 euros, so the 24.95 is certainly a little more. But surely this is equalled out by the free postage, and in all fairness, I bet the euro prices were set many months ago, when the exchange rate was very different to now. Have you checked whether your country-specific website also offers free postage? And which currency are you talking about anyway?

I think the M+S deal is pretty good, all things considered. The other day I was thinking of buying an item which is only available from the British IKEA, because the sizing is different in Germany. IKEA don't ship abroad, so I'd have to send it via a separate shipping agent which would charge an amount almost as much as the value of the item itself.

I would say they set the prices a while ago but they aren't set to fluctuate with the £ and so now when you do the conversion it comes out more expensive.

Eg. same as how apple sets their price annually no matter what the currency of each country does.

I feel your pain. I'm in France, we've had a dedicated country site for years with more expensive prices. It's a complete rip off.

Mind you not as big a rip off as the actual m&s shop that was in Geneva for a while where everything was 3 times the price of the U.K. shops. And they didn't even sell food! But at least they had the excuse of more expensive overheads!

I remember being so excited years ago when the big stores started doing international delivery (ok so my life is a bit dull). Never minded paying the extra postage. I do mind prices in euros with huge mark ups

No YANBU. It's been like this for years and seems nothing to do with the weak pound. I just order everything from UK site and get it delivered to our house there. Some retailers (mamas and papas, Mothercare and M&S judging by your post) redirect customers to the local site which is annoying as hell.

I used to live in a place with no VAT and it was still 20% more expensive than the UK.

Where are you? Free delivery to Germany and prices not loads more at all.

It's nice to see it happen that way round for a change. It's usually is that pays the premium.

I spent Christmas in Hong Kong last year. I looked up the nearest M&S so that I could go get some mince pies and Christmas food for Christmas morning before heading off to Disneyland for the day. It was £8 for a box of six mince pies- turned out I didn't need them that badly after all. It's annoying but I suppose they are a business. They will charge what people will pay.