Marks and Spencer - it's just not the same anymore

[MycatsaPirate]

I used to buy clothing staples from there all the time as well as school uniform for DD's but they just don't seem to have anything in there I like anymore.

However, I went and got fitted for bras a couple of months ago and came away with three at £16 each. Fitted really well (no side boobage) and really comfortable.

Within three weeks the underwiring came through on one and so I took it back. Was told they thought there was a faulty batch as had had a few returns. They got a replacement while I waited at the till, did the exchange and all was well.

Then the next one came through (the third is in a different colour so fingers crossed ok) and I finally got round to taking it back today. Went to the place I went to last time and queued only to be told to go to the till. Went to the till and queued there to be told I had to go and find a new one and bring both back to the till but if I couldn't find it to ask a member of staff on the shop floor it or in the fitting room.

Spent 10 mins looking but couldn't find mine and went to the fitting room. The woman came out and just said 'I'm too busy to help you' and walked off before I'd said a word. I couldn't find a member of staff on the shop floor and now there were huge queues at both the first place and the till.

I ended up going down to the food hall and asking for a manager. He found a member of staff to sort it out for me and I eventually got it exchanged. Then she said 'Oh you've only had this a couple of months, we only expect them to last 6 months anyway'. WTF? Six months wearing it possibly once or twice a week?

Quite honestly between them being short staffed, unhelpful and the crappy products I'm not sure I'll go back. Where do I get my bras now?

I've pulled out my summer clothes (I live on the wild side) and have some old m&s staples that I've had for years - good quality, wash/wear well, well cut, good fabric and patterns that doesn't scare the horses. The clothes they have now are none of the above.

Even their pants are, well, pants.

I buy all my work dresses from there and in the past year every single one has frayed on the hem and then fallen down

Similarly, every single pair of thick black tights I’ve bought for from there in the past year has got huge holes in the toes. I don’t even have long or sharp toenails!!

Most disappointing cos I want M&S to be good, it has some great work stuff but the quality is shit

Yep, they even messed up their pants which I thought was impossible.

I think they just went cheaper and cheaper with suppliers until they reached a tipping point into crap.

Ooh that's bad service for m and s, my local is still really good. I like their Rosie for autograph underwear, pretty silk based, not stupidly padded and not too expensive. I don't really buy other clothing from there other than an occasional swimming cossie or tights.

I've just been ironing a pair of M&S linen trousers I've worn quite a bit every summer since 2002 and there's still life in them.

I'm lucky if I get one summer out the current ones - they all wear thin at the crotch within one season.

The quality has definitely gone down. I bought my sofa from them three years ago and the cushions already have tears in them. I’ve put on a few pout but not enough to bust a sofa (I hope!)

Their opaque tights go 'liney' and bobbley faster than sains's tesc's or JLs's.

The few things I’ve seen on Instagram and thought “oooh!” And subsequently gone over to the website to maybe buy, the reviews have been dreadful.

I've always bought their pants in there, bog standard 5 packs or whatever, basic style. Normally M&S size 8 falls off me as all their stuff is so boxy and square, so I bought a 10-12.

I swear they are stretched to the limit over my arse. They've clearly tried to make them with the minimum amount of fabric they possibly could. After only a short while the elastic started fraying, legs going baggy etc.

I bought some primark pants for half the price and they are better quality!

The trouble is there have been so many threads like this. We could sort M&S out. But no one listens.

I could cry. The first bra I took back and exchanged a month ago ... the wires have come through.

I have now emailed their customer service to ask what I do now. Because I just want my money back, not another exchange. This will be my fourth visit to their store and I am just fed up.

Yanbu. DH and I are baby boomers so we are probably the target market for M&S. These days we both walk straight past the clothes to get to the food section as we have given up looking for anything to wear. I can recommend their chocolate covered cashew nuts as a treat!

So... where is the place to buy bras/pants of the old M&S quality?

I bought an OK-but-not-amazing bra in Sainsburys last week but no matching pants. Even the sales assistant said she couldn't understand why they hadn't been sent; head office apparently didn't send matching knickers, 'because ours isn't a big enough store'. It's massive, the only one in the county.

Chocolate covered cashews sound amazing!

I am now going to parcel up my bra and send them a letter (they have asked for one with feedback - the fools!!) and send it to be examined.

Honestly, I am sick of the whole thing.

I asked on my fb for recommendations from friends for the best place to buy bras and without doubt Bravissimo came out top.