Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

M&S have rejected my 5-star review as unpublishable

63 replies

LarkDescending · 25/02/2019 08:26

Before anyone points it out, I am aware this is by no means an end of the world issue, but I confess I am scratching my head here.

I bought some jeans from M&S - my first new jeans in a while, as I have very painful abdominal scarring from recent surgery, which makes it difficult to wear anything with a waistband.

They needed to be comfortable. They are. I was pleased - so much so that I submitted a 5-star online review, as follows:

Brilliant jeans

Really pleased with these - they live up to their billing of softness, stretch and fabulous fit & comfort. Outstanding value for money. Unfortunately I have been too slow off the blocks to get a second pair in a different colour, as they are so popular and currently sold out. Will keep checking back though.

I subsequently got an email saying, to my surprise, this had been rejected as unpublishable by reference to the relevant guidelines. An inquiry to customer services has not yielded enlightenment - the emailed response says “Please be reassured that we don’t reject negative reviews but we do have some rules about writing them...we may refuse to publish any reviews that contain any wording that could be viewed as offensive”.

AIBU to be baffled? What am I missing?

OP posts:

LovingLola · 25/02/2019 08:29

Could the person who reviewed it possible have mistaken ‘blocks’ for ‘bollox’??? That is the only thing I can think of ....

GoldenSyrupLion · 25/02/2019 08:29

Did your phone autocorrect 'blocks' to 'bollocks'?

VictoriaBun · 25/02/2019 08:29

Could they weed out certain words. I'm wondering if ' unfortunately ' could have been seen as negative.

KnockMeDown · 25/02/2019 08:29

The review either above or below yours was unpublishable, and some one inadvertently clicked on yours instead. An administrative error, in other words.

sandgrown · 25/02/2019 08:31

Have they taken "slow off the blocks " as a negative reference ?

Butchyrestingface · 25/02/2019 08:32

I agree with PP that 'blocks' may have been transformed into 'bollocks' by a naughty phone. Rather like the idea of saying 'I have been too slow to get off the bollocks'.

There's certainly nothing offensive there but I wonder if they don't like the fact you've said their product has sold out? **

NicoAndTheNiners · 25/02/2019 08:32

Not sure why they've rejected yours but they rejected a perfectly polite but negative review I tried to leave once. I said the material was thin and overall quality was shoddy. They said that was subjective! Odd as I've seen similar reviews.

thecatsthecats · 25/02/2019 08:34

The fact is says they are sold out is - sort of - negative? I guess their argument is that they could think it was confusing if someone saw it when they weren't sold out.

Original poster

LarkDescending · 25/02/2019 08:35

Thanks for your thoughts. There was no autocorrect issue - the review is reproduced exactly as above in the rejection email.

OP posts:

WontYouDance · 25/02/2019 08:35

Out of interest, can you link to the jeans? I have trouble with waistbands due to surgery too so am intrigued!

Whisky2014 · 25/02/2019 08:35

Just submit it again. Maybe someone clicked the wrong box to say if it was publishable or not..?

LadyOfTheCanyon · 25/02/2019 08:36

Well assuming they will come back into stock at some point, that part of the review is irrelevant to what you thought of the jeans.
Perhaps resubmit a review focusing solely on the positive?

Original poster

LarkDescending · 25/02/2019 08:39

@WontYouDance they are the Sienna Straight Leg Jeans.

OP posts:

Gunpowder · 25/02/2019 08:39

That’s ridiculous. Even if the review was in any way negative they should still publish it, but it isn’t! I think the most likely explanation is KnockMeDown’s (that the review above or below was dodgy.)

WindsfromtheNE · 25/02/2019 08:41

Nothing in your review which should stop it being published. Mind you I never trust M &
S reviews. They once refused to publish one of mine when I pointed out that 3 pairs of opaque tights described as 'navy mix' were actually one pair each of brown, black and navy. No mention of the other two colours in the description. That would surely be useful info for someone buying them

SoupDragon · 25/02/2019 08:41

I think its just because the bit about them begin out of stock etc is not about the product as per their guidelines and irrelevant. Remove that and it would be fine.

Original poster

LarkDescending · 25/02/2019 08:41

I did wonder whether the rejection was an admin error but, since customer services responded to my follow-up query with an email about negative reviews and offensive wording, I am guessing not.

OP posts:

DecumusScotti · 25/02/2019 08:41

Could it be the reference to items being out of stock?

The guidelines state:

In addition, if you wish to share feedback with us about product selection, pricing, ordering, delivery or other customer service issues, please do not submit this feedback through a product review. Instead, contact us directly.

Comments on stocking issues might come under that, even though it was innocently meant.

JenniferJareau · 25/02/2019 08:47

It’ll be the issue of stock levels that will have made the review rejected. It will be seen as not relevant to the purpose of the review which is to critique the item.

missbattenburg · 25/02/2019 08:55

I once had a hilarious conversation with M&S in which I explained that I had nor received a parcel and they tried to argue it had been signed for by "porch"

When I explained I wasn't called porch and didn't have one they tried to say one of my neighbours must have it.

When I further explained my immediate neighbours were not called Porch they told me to ask everyone in the street!

I said I would if they could show me the signature "porch" to prove it had been a person who had signed the name. They couldn't. I tried suggesting it had been delivered to the wrong address and left in someone else's "porch" but they weren't having it. The women on the end of the phone literally said "It's been signed for "porch" so there is nothing M&S can do. You will have to find out who Porch is".

So, OP. I am guessing some people can be a bit too literal about some things...

Piffle11 · 25/02/2019 08:55

I had a review rejected by Very once: I reviewed a Radley bag and said that although it was a gorgeous bag, the colour was in fact fuschia pink and not red, as it appeared and stated in the description … I was advised that commenting on the specifics was not allowed!

BrokenWing · 25/02/2019 08:56

Even if the review was in any way negative they should still publish it

Lots of shops block negative reviews. I have sent polite and factual negative reviews about products before (not to M&S) and they either get rejected or just don't get published. Take all reviews with a huge pinch of salt.

BarbaraofSevillle · 25/02/2019 09:00

It's probably due to the comment about stock levels, which they seem to be absolutely hopeless about, epsecially for average sizes.

It's like they are completely oblivious to the fact that most women are probably somewhere between a 10 and a 16.

I'm a size 14 and like to get jeans from M&S and am constantly frustrated about the lack of jeans in my size. I stand there open mouthed in astonishment if they are actually in stock, and there are actually some sizes available between 8 and 18.

I'd love to know why they are so bad at this. Do they just get (for example) 100 of each size and stand back in astonishment when the common sizes last about 2 minutes and the size 22s languish for ever and a day?

BarbaraofSevillle · 25/02/2019 09:01

Well if shops block negative reviews, that renders the whole reviewing process somewhat pointless.

CottonBlanket · 25/02/2019 09:04

I spent 50 quid buying two pairs of cotton rich joggers. After two washes one pair had seams unravelling and the both had actually shrunk after washing.
I left a poor but honest review, with one star rating.
The bastards wouldn't publish it. I was so and I've refused to buy anything from them since.

Flip

1 2 3