Marks and Spencer

I was browsing men's coats in a local MS the other day at a pretty quiet time and an assistant asked me if he could help. I could not resist saying that it would help if the sizes indicated on the hangers matched the actual sizes of the coats on them and that the different styles were not mixed up on the rails. I added that the impression given was that the staff did not care about how the stock was presented.

The actual range and quality of the men's coats was very good.

Oh dear! I go onto the German-(English speaking) website and it works well. I order from a desktop Apple computer. They deliver within 3 days and I pay by invoice which comes from a firm in Switzerland. Obviously they have found someone well organised for the financial side and the web site. I only pay for things I have bought and the rest is returned by post. Sometimes I have no postage to pay. BUT it took them some time to reach this point.They just have to pay for specialist organistion abroad, the competition is too fierce.

Since about 2 years ago I can't stand anything scratchy like wool or cashmere. M&S do some things in Cashmillon, ordinary plain jumpers and cardgans. I've now got a collection of short sleeved ones in various colours for under jackets and I pay about 10 - 20 Euros for them. ( £ 7 - 14 )
I never buy their jeans as jeans are such a minefield.
When in the UK I visit their stores but it is often such a mess of different clothes bundled up together, I rarely buy anything.

Thank you Elegran if I can find my receipt I might try that, hope there is room for a little rant.

I think she got it wrong. If you search for yourmandsviews.com you get to a site where you can do a customer satisfaction survey and possibly win £250 (or it may be £1000). You have to provide the number on your till receipt.

I thought the same Eloethan but the shop assistant not only told me about it she wrote it down so there must be some connection.

alternativegran I've just clicked on it. I know the shop assistant told you about it but it doesn't look like it's anything to do with M&S. Isn't it just some sort of marketing/reviewing/feedback site independent from M&S? Odd.

Eloethan if you mean trying to make a comment on www.mandsviews.com do try clicking on it, its really odd, it just leads onto different sites and at the bottom says that the domain might be for sale.

I have all but given up M & S except for underwear and that's gone downhill. I cant get pretty white underwear there and I doo not want to wear spots or garish patters. I shall probably migrate to Fig Leaves. M & S website is appalling. I visited a large store recently and found it very difficult to buy anything - the colour combinations are awful- the whole place is dreary and they don't seem to care.

I don't mean to lower the tone, but Bon Marche jeans are pretty good these days and the website works well with little videos for a lot of stuff. New Look is very good for making it easy to choose the style you want too. My Mum has also given up on M&S for trousers and jeans. She got her last jeans from Dorothy Perkins.

I've always bought the Per Una jeans and trousers because they sit on the waist and I can get a short length. But the material for the jeans seems to be different now - not so thick and most of them have that stuff in them that makes the material stretchy. It's really annoying because I liked the way they made them before.

I very rarely go on shop websites and never order via the internet. I prefer to go to the shops and try things on. My son gets virtually everything via the internet - even his work suits. He says it's OK because he can send them back if he doesn't like them but I think the whole point of going to a shop is that you can try on lots of stuff at the same time and see which look the nicest.

alternativegran I think what you said at the start of the thread is a good comment - or are you saying that you have to limit the number of words?

M&S website awful. I have complained by email and got a very unsatisfactory reply really uninterested. I keep popping in to my local store in hope but don't see anything I want to buy very often I used to buy loads years ago. I did buy some cotton summer trousers but you have to try them on as the styles vary and sizes aren't the same.

Was in M & S today out of force of habit - dire - I used to buy all my stuff there but now there is nothing I want. It's all so drab and a lot of racks are just too high up to reach and I'm 5'6".

Every time I go in there I come out meaning to write to the CEO and say

"I have white hair and white and pale blouses do nothing for me. I need some simple cotton blouses in bright colours . Please also provide cashmere cardis with cotton linings so that they are easy to take on and off and you don't feel all the time you are going to rip the seams."

I have never been on their web site and after reading the above comments will spare myself the bother.

I am going to make an effort to go to Debenhams, though there isn't one very local - was in the Bournemouth one recently and pleasantly surprised at reasonable stuff at reasonable prices - also well displayed.

I have several pairs of trousers bought from M&S over the years. The older trousers are very wearable because they are good quality whereas the most recent ones are so thin that no way could I wear them in winter without a pair of very thick, warm tights on underneath. The last pair of trousers I bought there split down the inside leg- they were obviously so well made.

I prefer length 29" or even better 31" but they are like hen's teeth. I usually order on line and collect at my local food store. That way I do not have to go the length and breadth looking for non existent sizes.

Ana just dug out my Next indigo jeans to have a look and, you are correct, they do have a very slight fade in the thigh. Never really noticed it but it's a look I'm ok with.

I have just bought a very nice kimono style cardigan, but it's a bit sad that that was one attractive item out of a supposedly flagship store.

Every time I go in I comment on the shortcomings of the stock and I am always told that all the customers are very happy. When I say "But don't you read the comments on the website?" I just get blank looks!

YES loopylou, if long, medium and short leg lengths were the same across all ranges I would have saved so much time, they must be made to order by M&S so why not.

I would never buy trousers from a web site but I wonder how many returns they get because the leg lengths aren't standard. Definitely about to explore Next and Debenhams next time I clothes shop.

I haven't bought anything from M&S for several years now. I was in my local store a couple of weeks ago, and there was nothing in there that I wanted to try on, never mind buy. I used to love M&S, their size 14 regular used to fit me perfectly. What happened to them?

Anya, I went into our local Next after your recommendation, but all the high-waist bootcut jeans had that awful faded panel down the front of the legs! I just want plain indigo or black.

I did try a pair of the £45 ones on, but they were rubbish quality!

I used to go for medium and couldn't understand why they varied. If straight cut they were shorter than ones in bootleg style, so I had to check everytime. It took sometime for the light to dawn on me!

I am never very happy with their quality.

I've given up,on M&S Per Una jeans completey. Their 'regular' leg length is now too long although I'm a very average 5' 4". It used to fit perfectly.

Find the Next high waisted jeans fit really well.

I did mention the size changes to the woman at M&S Customer Services and watched her glaze over with indifference. And when in St Helier I bought a very nice long 'Indigo' shirt which, despite being washed on 30o has shrunk terribly

Maybe it's because I only use my PC to view websites that I don't find the M&S site so terrible.

I didn't know that about the varying leg lengths though loopy, I always go for L but maybe M would do in some styles...

I hate M&S website; I end up squinting at the tiny photos (can't work out how to make them bigger on mini iPad), pinching definitely doesn't work
I find myself cursing because for some inexplicable reason, according to the type of jeans or trousers. there are varying leg lengths - why the hell can't medium length be the same across the lot?

I have repeatedly emailed them and filled in their satisfaction questionnaires with zero response or effect. I tend to shop elsewhere now, Debenhams or John Lewis.

By the pinch thing I mean the way that you can enlarge an image and back again with your fingertips on an iPad Ana.

I wouldnt consider their dresses either annsixty although I look hopefully each season, but I did think that a standard pair of jeans was a possibility

I've never had any problems with their website!

And what is 'the pinch thing' please, alternativegran?