Thats great - the more of us the merrier. I posted my letter recorded delivery yesterday. Postal strike not withstanding they should get it this week. I'm in the UK for a few days and yes I have been shopping in M&S whilst here.

I suggested in my letter that if they don't want to send out paper vouchers to expats why not give us evouchers to spend on line? It occurs to me that even UK residents might sometimes like to send evouchers as presents as well so I have also suggested that.

Interestingly I've now had emails back from both Retail Customer Services and M&S money saying they can't really explain the policy and they hope I get a more satisfactory response from Sir Stuart. From the tone I got the distinct impression that they don't think its fair either.

I'll keep you posted

Rose

Has it occurred to either of you to mention your problems/suggestions to (whisper it) the press? Might make a difference......

Yes it has. I'm keeping that up my sleeve if the reponse from Sir Stuart is unsatisfactory. Not sure how sympathetic they would be to the cause of expats though? It will be worth a shot if necessary.

Rose

If you mean M & S, I don't think it matters where their customers are, if shareholders know the management has alienated a potentially high-spending client base (many expats are of the 'grey pound' inclination!) they might have something to say about it.
If you mean the press, I guess there's a chance it might not be totally sympathetic coverage because you're not in blighty, however there's been a fair amount of coverage of the 'poor pensioners on the Costas' (forgive the cliches, but that's the way it is) so it might get the eye of a news editor....., but for M & S, in the case of bad publicity, any publicity is very definitely not good publicity - if you see what I mean!

It was the press I thought might not be sympathetic. I totally agree about M&S. I'm sure their shareholders wouldn't be impressed. Its interesting that I got passed backwards and forwards when I queried the policy because no-one seemed to be able to justify it. I assume it was made sometime ago without a great deal of thought. It doesn't really stand up well now that they are trying to promote internet sales overseas.

Sir Stuart should have my letter by now but the Post Office 'track and trace' system (I sent it recorded delivery) doesn't seem to be working.

I'll keep you posted.

Rose

Well believe it or not, the dear old UK post office lost my recorded delivery letter to Sir Stuart. I sent it all again from Spain and just got a reply back from the M &S Customer Services Department.

No mention that I had written to Sir Stuart after weeks of trying to get an answer from that same CS dept. No acknowlegement that the scheme might be considered unfair. Just a straight - we don't send out the vouchers because they are in sterling and the offer coupons have a short expiry date so would be useless to expats. No comment on my suggestion that expats could be given evouchers for use on the website instead. The argument doesn't stand anyway as they still include those with BFPO addresses in the scheme.

They suggest that I register my card to a UK address so that I can start getting points again. I'm not sure if they are hinting that I should use the address of a friend or relative. I would have thought that might be considered fraudulent. Anyway its somewhat missing the point.

If I don't like that I've got 8 weeks to write back or complain to the Financial Ombudsman. That would be pointless as they are simply applying the rules of their scheme. What I had hoped for was that some senior decision maker would acknowledge that the scheme is out of date now that they are trying to encourage overseas deliveries from the website and expand with more overseas shops.

I see they have appointed a new CEO from Morrisons who may be more down to earth and in touch with real people than the exisiting somewhat arrogant lot seem to be. I am considering my next step which might be to write to him once he is in place. I understand overseas expansion is supposed to be one of his priorities.

Meantime M&S got no custom from me this Christmas. I was so cross I deliberately avoided their website and sent all my presents from somewhere else.

Rose

Oh and I've just received a cheque for 1.14 from the Post Office in compensation for my lost recorded delivery. If I lived in the UK I would have got a book of first class stamps as well. Isn't it great to be a second class citizen