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Original poster

Upset with M&S new refund policy!

28 replies

triplets · 30/12/2005 22:13

Hi,
Today was the first opportunity Ive had to take some Christmas presents back to M&S.I was furious when they would not take them back as the date on they said they were purchased too far in advance of Christmas! Harry thought he had done really well this year by buying my presents early to make sure he got what he wanted, what he didnt notice and was not pointed out to him was that now they put a return by date on the receipt, which in fact was yesterday! They said he should have asked for a gift receipt, what man would have known that, and in fact I am a regular shopper there and have spent over £200 on gifts and no-one pointed out this fact to me. They said I could write to head office but they have been told to stick to their policy! I have been reading that their sales are down, so isn`t this abit stupid, if not give a refund, then vouchers, you are still going to spend them in store. So I have over £100 worth of goods that are no good to me, its really upsetting, esp for Harry, he feels awful. They say on the receipt, last date for a refund, could there be a loophole there for asking for vouchers, not the money? Help please.

OP posts:

thecattleareALOHing · 30/12/2005 22:14

If you don't have the receipt they refund in vouchers. Why not go back saying you have lost the receipts and see what happens?

fireflyfairy2 · 30/12/2005 22:23

What a load of boll*x!!

I also have spent a lot of money in there this xmas.. I hope none of the people I have bought to have this bother...

FWIW I would def complain, and ask WHY it wasn't made clear (even on the bottom of the receipt) that yesterday was the last date for exchanges..

uwila · 30/12/2005 22:24

I hate M&S. A couple of years ago they closed the dressing rooms for the after Christmas sale. And they reason they did this was because they though people would buy the goods anyway and then some wouldn't bother to return, hence they would sell more. This infuriated me. So I prefer to shop elsewhere now. I still shop there sometimes, but not as much.

Original poster

triplets · 30/12/2005 22:25

I was told today that they will not give vouchers now without receipts!

OP posts:

MerryKidMas · 30/12/2005 22:26

I agree with thecattleareALOHing. Take them back again, to a different store if you can, without the receipt this time. Tell them they are a present in the wrong size or whatever and can you exchange them. Surely they have to do that, the only problem is, if the items have been reduced, you will only get the sale price value. If you produce the reciept, they can tell you about the date thing again.

gomez · 30/12/2005 22:27

Might be reduced thou' Aloha and so you may not get purchase price?

Inn their defence I noticed displays on the counter in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling in the lead up to Christmas so not a totally unexpected change.

MerryKidMas · 30/12/2005 22:27

But how many people give presents with receipts?

If this is their attitude with their customers, they will loose out in the long run. I wouldn't want to buy any presents there.

hunkermunker · 30/12/2005 22:31

They used to have a really, really lax refund policy - you could take things back without the receipt and get cash Nothing to stop you taking something from the shop floor up to the refund desk and getting the cash for it!

So perhaps they've overtightened the rules - sounds like it. Stupid though.

myrrhthamoo · 30/12/2005 22:31

I would write a blistering letter to HQ - pointing out that you were only a day over the money back guarantee, that you were unaware of the new policy, that you are an excellent customer and that surely good customer relations are more important than sticking to the absolute letter of the rules. I've written a letter of complaint to M&S before and come out the other side quids in - I bet you'll find HQ far more sympathetic than the Jobsworths instore.

hunkermunker · 30/12/2005 22:32

You can email them through their website - I've had very lucrative results from complaining to M&S in the past.

gomez · 30/12/2005 22:33

It is a 90-day policy not a fortnight. You can see their point really. Cash flow/stock control etc.

gomez · 30/12/2005 22:33

Not to say I wouldn't try my hand however....

thecattleareALOHing · 30/12/2005 22:33

They do give vouchers without receipts. I got some on the 23rd December. Luckily the item i was returning was still on sale at full price.

MerryKidMas · 30/12/2005 22:35

I agree that the 90 day refund policy is quite fair, you usually oly get 30 days. But still, I can't see the harm in them offering an exchange or gift vouchers. I reckon HQ will side with you.

fireflyfairy2 · 30/12/2005 22:36

PLUS... Xmas day was 5 days ago How many of us with young children/busy lives have the chance to return goods within 5 days.. actually I haven't even tried on some of the stuff DH give me.. so if they need changed I'M in trouble I think this stinks..

ANd as for sales being on and only getting half price refunds on some things..that stinks too.. Us, as consmuers should be boycotting the sales (yea..right ) so this no longer happens... I bought my DH a jacket in Topman the Sunday before xmas..it was £80.. We went in yesterday and it was reduced to £40.. it made me so If it hadn't fitted him, and he wanted the same jacket would he have had to have paid THEM another £40 or would it just be worth £40 if he wanted an exchange for something else or his money back??

LIZS · 30/12/2005 22:44

Sounds like part of the strategy to raise profitability and share price - key goals for Stuart Rose ! It is unfortunate that honest people like you fall foul of it but their policy has been so open to abuse in the past. 90 days doesn't sound unreasonable to me but it should have been made clear at the time especially as the goods were likely to have been intended as presents. How far out was it - I'd suggest that within a month or so the branch could exercise discretion, did you speak to the store manager? Vouchers or refund is irrelevant as you have no legal rights to claim either, I'm afraid, but they might offer vouchers as a compromise if you make enough fuss.

Original poster

triplets · 30/12/2005 22:44

Thanks all. I have just looked at their website and yes it says there is a 90 day policy if it is "own bought". If it is a gift it says that vouchers will be given if retd within 90 days of gift receipt, so seeing as I only recd the gifts on the 25th how can they get out of that one? The only thing is as you say if the goods have been reduced its unfair as I have the recs showing the full price paid. Anyway I have just e-mailed them so will wait and see. It puts you off buying early, I bet alot of people have been caught out.

OP posts:

flutterbeedreaminofawhitexmas · 30/12/2005 22:48

I bought a few things in M and S this year for Xmas and every time I went to the till I was always offered a gift reciept, must have been policy in our local store.

gomez · 30/12/2005 22:51

Did you ask for vouchers triplets?

MerryKidMas · 30/12/2005 23:00

If you have the receipt showing the price that was paid, that is the price they will refund or give gift vouchers in. Its only when an item is returned without a receipt that the latest sale price is given.

Original poster

triplets · 30/12/2005 23:33

Yes I asked for vouchers but they said the goods were non returnable as the 90 day period was up, by 1 day!

OP posts:

starlover · 30/12/2005 23:36

if the receipt has a return by date on it then i don't think there is much you can do.

short of going back without the receipt and taking whatever the latest price is

they don't have to verbally tell everyone how long the time limit is, as long as it is displayed so that you can see it insore/on receipts

DoesntChristmasDragOn · 31/12/2005 08:58

Print off the bit from the website where it says " vouchers will be given if retd within 90 days of gift receipt" and take the original receipt along as proof of purchase price. They can't wriggle out of the "within 90 days of gift receipt" thing and as you have the receipt they should give you the full price too. Although they may mean a gift receipt, not when you received the items.

DoesntChristmasDragOn · 31/12/2005 08:59

You could try "accidentally" washing the receipt so that the date is illegible but the prices are not.

DoesntChristmasDragOn · 31/12/2005 09:00

Or point out that there were 2 bank holidays during the 90 day return period when their store was shut and you were unable to return the items. Claim you originally tried to return them on Boxing Day, the first day you possibly could.

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