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AIBU?

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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:
HennyPennyHorror · 25/02/2019 09:04

Why do you care so much? I work as a community social media manager. Basically I skim read and sometimes delete negative comments on the social media accounts of various brands. Now and then I make a mistake.

This is what's happened here.

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 25/02/2019 09:04

'Unfortunately' is an auto-block word on quite a few review sites, sadly.

But in this case, your review breaches M&S' guidelines as they see stock issues as being a customer service matter. If you republish without mentioning that they are out of stock, it will go through. Bit bizarre.

ScotchBonny · 25/02/2019 09:07

M&S once blocked a review of mine as it mentioned the word “crotch”. I was referring to the measurement from the waist to the crotch seam (which was about 14 inches! hence the mention as the sizing was mental). Once I made the word into crotchseam with no gap it was allowed.

As for their stocks of sizes - they’ve been marketing those new jeans with all their might so I went into the nearest large branch. Not one size 10 or 12 and hardly any in a 14. Millions of 20s and 22s, loads of 8s and 6s. Shocker on average size selling quicker than the smaller and bigger ends of the scale.

KindleAndCake · 25/02/2019 09:07

I've just ordered 2 pairs OP, thanks to your great review Smile

CottonBlanket · 25/02/2019 09:11

I subscribed to Curlee Box and the first box was really late in arriving. Waiting over a week, almost two weeks.
Posted on their Instagram requesting for them to chase up my box, and saw a couple of similar posts with perfectly polite posts wondering where their boxes where as well. Logged back onto IG and all posts were deleted! I wrote a message saying poor form, it's better to address complaints than sweep tuem from view..that was deleted as well.
I cancelled the subscription. I find it really in bad taste that no time is spent to reassure customers in regards to their belated orders, but instead just lazily delete from view so only gushing comments from weeks ago remain.

BejamNostalgia · 25/02/2019 09:12

I think it’s because you have put the word ‘billing’ in there.

People sometimes use the review system to review the company, rather than the product. You might have seen examples of this on Amazon, someone will review, say a steam mop, complaining that their card was charged wrong, or slating a book they haven’t read because the courier company lost it.

They’ll have words which are filtered out to avoid that like ‘billing’ or delivery.

I bet if you take the word billing out, they’ll accept it

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 25/02/2019 09:13

I've had this before on Check a Trade - I was leaving a completely positive review, and got a terse rejection message suggesting it had been rude or defamatory in some way! I presume it's just "computer says no".

Original poster
LarkDescending · 25/02/2019 09:13

@KindleAndCake I am not a stealth marketer, I promise Grin. I hope you like the jeans.

If they really are rejecting glowing reviews on the basis that they don’t like customers saying “unfortunately they are sooooo popular that I can’t buy as many pairs as I want” then there it is!

OP posts:
Original poster
LarkDescending · 25/02/2019 09:16

@BejamNostalgia - ah - “billing”. Hadn’t thought of that possibility.

OP posts:
HappyLife21 · 25/02/2019 09:16

It's probably due to the comment about stock levels, which they seem to be absolutely hopeless about

My god this is so true, spent an hour wantering around a large M&S looking for a 34C bra. Clearly I am too much of an outlier to cater for!!!

Kneehigim · 25/02/2019 09:20

MN is a bit like this. You said they were out of stock. Ban.

bsc · 25/02/2019 09:20

Why are you surprised that companies lie in the social media? That's what it's for... Hmm

LuckyLou7 · 25/02/2019 09:26

Take out the line about the jeans being out of stock and your review will pass the test.

You sure you're not on commission for these jeans? Wink

Hoppinggreen · 25/02/2019 09:27

I got an Amazon review rejected because I said that the item arrived damaged but that the company had reacted quickly and efficiently to get me a replacement. I also said that the product was lovely and a good price
I can’t remember the wording but it was something to do with the fact that I was supposed to review the product not the customer service .
It was odd because it was a really positive review

BlueMerchant · 25/02/2019 09:36

Definitely the reference to stock! I'd bet my M&S jeans on it!

SchadenfreudePersonified · 25/02/2019 09:36

Maybe some officious little jobsworth of a computer saw the word "unfortunately" and went no further?

Poodloo · 25/02/2019 09:38

I've followed the link to the jeans.... read the reviews. There are other reviews on there which mention stock levels and other negative reviews. No idea why yours is deleted!

thecutecouple · 25/02/2019 09:41

If it is not an adminerror, is it because you are saying they are sold out-out of stock and they don't want customers getting the impression the shop is badly stocked.

Frangipane · 25/02/2019 09:41

Amazon once rejected my review of a company which was effusive in praise but stated something along the lines of 'they delivered so much more quickly than any previous supplier I have used, and were cheaper too!' I can only assume they didn't like me casting aspersions on any other supplier even though I didn't name them. It's daft, imo. As a customer I want to read that other customers have shopped around and found this supplier to be the best.

Fwiw, I can't see anything wrong with your review and have read far more damning ones on the M&S site.

Frangipane · 25/02/2019 09:44

@Hoppinggreen crossed posts with you. That explains why my review was rejected, thanks. It is ridiculous though. The product I was buying was water softener salt. There isn't much to differentiate between one bag of salt and another. For me, the quality of the experience rests on the customer service.

Ingesw · 25/02/2019 10:01

It’s been said already up thread, but my first thought was that you’d used ‘unfortunately’. People scan read and may see that but not bother reading the rest of the sentence I guess.

I worked for years in sales and certain phrases and words were just banned as too negativeto use even if you were saying something positive. Stringing sentences together that consisted completely of ‘positive’ words became second nature after a while.

Ingesw · 25/02/2019 10:03

negativeto? I’m not sure where that came from! Thanks iPad.

Original poster
LarkDescending · 25/02/2019 10:05

@Poodloo yes, there is a 22 Feb review from someone saying “I like them so much that I decided to order another colour (12L) but there are none in stock which is a shame”.

Anyway, I will obviously get over the rejection. Some day. Grin

OP posts:
ppeatfruit · 25/02/2019 10:36

Lark YANBU

WHY CAN'T M&S STOCK MORE OF THE AVERAGE SIZES???? It's not rocket science is it???????

BarbaraofSevillle · 25/02/2019 10:42

OP, were they the 'best ever fit jeans' for £19.50?

They came in last Monday and already the skinnies are completely sold out on the website and the other two styles low stock in most sizes and colours Confused. I wonder if they will be getting more in? I bet they won't because they never seem to do so.

I know they came in last Monday because the Sunday before I went to the local (huge, out of town) M&S and managed to find some other jeans (mid rise skinny, also £19.50 and pretty nice) in my size and I bought a pair, but I wanted them in another colour too, so I looked on the website to find they had none.

So I went back on Monday, only to find that the jeans section had been completely rearranged, with the new jeans in stock. Happily for me, the jeans I wanted had appeared in the colour and size I wanted (miracles do happen) but I never even looked at these magic, bargainous new jeans on the one day of the year where I could have had my pick of colours, styles and sizes. Sad.

And now it seems, just one week later, that my chance for 'best ever jeans' has gone forever.