To expect M&S to deliver something it has said is on its way?

A couple of years ago, we pre-ordered our Christmas turkey from M&S. We went to the collection point on Christmas Eve to be told that there wasn't a turkey for us because their suppliers hadn't produced as many as expected. We got our deposit back but no apology and certainly no goodwill gesture such as a bottle of wine!

Same experience here last week, apparently dispatched then mysteriously wasn't in stock. Getting less and less enamoured of M&S services.... Also seem to be requiring a signature on delivery so several times no one in and had to request re delivery by their courier. Wasn't as if I'd bought an expensive item either.

Same experience here. A onesie for DGD1 I was very disappointed as she really liked it.

M&S have form on this - happened to me last year.

The most annoying bit was to be told it was despatched then that it was out of stock!

Poor show to see that one year on they haven't improved the system.

So I'm not alone then... I'm really disappointed in them I have never had it happen to me before and I do practically all of my xmas shopping online. However although I do buy M&S things online, I rarely do at Xmas, so this came as quite a shock. I was at a drinks party earlier this evening and mentioned it, and three of the people in my vicinity have had it happen to them! That's just appalling.

This year apparently they have had 'distribution problems with a new distributor', according to lady whose daughter works for them. So because they were behind, they simply wiped a day's orders from the system. So my scarf went to someone else. NOT impressed. I would have been livid if I had lost my turkey though!

Their click and collect here is dire. (Well compared to others, house of Fraser C.C is fantastic) Although I don't blame their shop assistants who are still brilliant. There just isn't enough of them.

Trades descriptions? If they say it has been dispatched and then announce that it is out of stock, clearly it hasn't been dispatched and they are lying.

Hit the M & S website and post about how they are lying – which they clearly are. That will not be good PR.

A couple of years ago my turkey was not there when I went to.pick up from M & S. They gave me a substitute top of the range turkey with extra stuffing and when I got home and realised it was smaller than the original they asked if I could wait until they got the orders out then I could behave a ham or another turkey. Excellent service

Behave?? Should be have!

Same problems as other GNers, ordered items which later proved to be out of stock.

M&S are not 'lying'. I have it on good authority that there is a problem with since they have taken on a new distributer whose computer system needs updating. This is in hand.

But surely M & S is ultimately responsible for what they say and do – not the sub-contractor.

I ordered an item from Bon Marche but forgot to change my address before placing the order. I e mailed them straight away at two different e mail addresses, phoned the day after to two different places and got an answer back on my answerphone that the order had been placed and nothing they could do about it. I would have expected that they could have cancelled it as it had not been dispatched at this point but they wouldn't. I have been a customer for some time now, in the shop but will word a strong letter to head office after the Christmas holiday. It's not the money, it's the principal of bad customer service to loyal customers.

absent it's a case of different computer systems and having to bring them into compatibility. As I said M&S are tackling this issues. They have brought in one of the best computer firms in the business to try and sort out the problem between their system and that of their new partners.

I wonder why they decided to change distributer's at the busiest time of year common sense would tell them there may be teething problems.

This has been ongoing for a couple of months Glamma and they thought they had the expertise to fix it 'in house'. By calling in an internationally renowned firm they hope to have the problem identified and sorted in the lead up to Christmas.

Ruby I had a similar problem with The Range when I wanted to add to an existing order I had just put in a minute previously. So I simply cancelled the original order and started a new one. Often the a Customer Service agents don't have the means to alter your order (it's again all to do with computer systems) but you should have been advised that you could cancel.

Anya it's more than a couple of months - it happened to me last Xmas!

It's one thing for an order to be accepted and you're later told it's out of stock, fair enough - but to be informed that it's been dispatched then the next day it's 'out of stock' is infuriating.

I have just had an e-mail from M&S with profuse apologies for the cancelled order with an explanation of the problem and promises to try harder so that it doesn't happen again. I won't hold my breath and GD still won't have her present.

It's also when you nominate named day delivery- I ordered several items for much needed holidays to arrive a week before I flew
I was far from happy when got email on day of 'delivery' to say wouldn't arrive for another 10 days, and when I phoned they couldn't see why I was upset and said I couldn't cancel the order but the postage would be refunded.......

Now that is really unfair!

The only reason I'd ordered on line was because was recovering from badly smashed ankle and couldn't get to a store on bus with crutches.
They just didn't get it!