M&S - is it me?

Instead of offers based on your previous purchases of a percentage off, now you get cash back when you buy items that are shown in your Sparks app. For example I buy nuts regularly and if I buy £7 of nuts, having accepted the offer, I will get £1 added to my Sparks wallet. I hope this helps.

Ah, you may have to "join" in some way - yes there used to be emails that gave regular customers offers where they chose an area like lingerie and 20% for a time - wondering myself -

Lizzie have you had to register in some way?

As I have an M n S credit card and pay for online purchases this way I get points and credit, but its not the same as the old offers.

ElaineI

I used to buy a lot from M&S often when prices were dropped for members eg. 20% off trousers etc. Now I don't understand how the new system works so have shopped elsewhere. Can anyone explain it?

Have a look at Sparks on the M&S website or app. There’s an explanation of how the new Sparks scheme works, and a set of FAQs.

Wyllow3 it’s all done through the Sparks card. If you haven’t got one ask in store. It also acts as a loyalty card for the cafe. You get a free hot drink when you have bought six.

Doesn't seem that good to me.

Before you would be offered say, 20% off jumpers and get the 20% off there and then when you bought the item,

Now you will be given an amount off which you don't get straight away but is added to a "wallet" to use on a future shop.

Seems silly, pointless and gimmicky to me.

Terminated my sparks card - it was not an easy process!!
Could find no advantage in having the card.

I received an unsolicited gift through the post from Sparks last week! I do my parents food shopping there, which qualified me I think.

I have given up on sparks now I can’t understand it.
I preferred it when I could order and get money off.

I have 13 offers on my card, it’s too complicated, plus I can’t be bothered I haven’t bought anything apart from food since it started. I give up !

I used to be an M&S cleaner, and I can't abide their clothing or bags!

While cleaning the women's bag and clothing one day, I saw a gorgeous fake-suade bag for £35.00. Once my shift was over, I bought it.

It lasted just one day over the 28-day return policy before the handle broke, the zip wouldn't zip, and the fake-suade started going wonky! I couldn't return it even though I had the receipt because the policy was now conveniently out of date!

I've had the same trouble with clothing too. And I don't like their food or cafe food either!

You could’ve returned it TheWeirdo under the Trades Description Act.

That doesn’t sound right Weirdo. Under the Consumer Rights Act you have up to 30 days for a full refund on faulty goods and between 30 days to I think 6 months the right to a replacement, refund or repair. M & S would be well aware of that.
Also you don’t like any of their food???

The app is so messy and complex. Badly designed. Some offers you have to activate, some you don’t. I hate it & usually I’m pretty good with technology

Well I love M&S always have. Especially the trousers and the food hall. I shop there mainly ,y on sale deals but have paid full price when I’ve needed something. Their quality is fab. Not too sure about the new sparks offers but time will tell.

Lizzies

Wyllow3 it’s all done through the Sparks card. If you haven’t got one ask in store. It also acts as a loyalty card for the cafe. You get a free hot drink when you have bought six.

I've got a Sparks card, I presume I need to get my act together and sort of register it in some way not needful before?

I adore MnS food and the way for clothes I can order say 6 items to try on different sizes. Collect round the corner, 10 mins away, try them on in the Next shop in the small precinct (they have a Costa and loos), take the unwanted straight back. Refund rapid. Enough staff to help you. out, always a check out with a person on.
(Alas no cafe, its just a food hall)

If you know your sizing, different leg lengths

Shelflife

Terminated my sparks card - it was not an easy process!!
Could find no advantage in having the card.

Buying some food in M&S a while back the person in front of me showed their Sparks card and were told that they’d been chosen to not have to pay for their shopping. Assuming they still do that I’ll continue to do that when purchasing food even though I don’t usually buy much.

Fara56

The app is so messy and complex. Badly designed. Some offers you have to activate, some you don’t. I hate it & usually I’m pretty good with technology

Here’s one explanation.
My daughter’s job is to test new apps. She once worked on an M&S one. M&S got a little impatient as to the time it was taking to get it right.
My daughter told them if your employees did what I asked them to do we could fix this very quickly
They just went ahead with what they had. Plus the fact that this testing costs a lot of money.

I hadn’t been clothes shopping for about 18 months. Got to M & S and the stuff was dull, dull, dull! Bought 2 bras and a pack of 3 pants. Oh and a nightie.

And I don’t understand this Sparks stuff either.

I don’t think the new Sparks rewards scheme is as generous as the previous one. A straightforward 20% off everything in selected categories was much more of an incentive, and easier to understand.

Also, I wish they’d have more colour in their clothing - everything is so bland lately.

It’s actually quite straightforward. Instead of getting 20% off so paying eg £16 instead of £20 giving you £4 to spend wherever you like you now pay the full £20. £4 is credited to your wallet which you can now only spend in M&S. A clever marketing strategy, but as I spend loads there I’m quite happy. Overall you’re getting the same discount.

Yes, I get it Rosie. It’s a crafty move. But it’s removed the incentive element of the scheme for me.

Fara56

The app is so messy and complex. Badly designed. Some offers you have to activate, some you don’t. I hate it & usually I’m pretty good with technology

Apps and reward-schemes irritate me; messy, cluttered and over-complicated.

I think they are complicated because each company/group/whatever is often competing with a similar organisation, so they can't replicate a competitor's scheme and attract more customers by simply giving a bigger discount or larger 'reward' - otherwise it would be a race to the bottom, so they are compelled to have a different one.

These entities are also subject to the increasing energy costs, etc, so have to 'adjust' their discounts and rewards, and it's easier to disguise the fact that you're going to have to probably spend more to get less - by introducing a new scheme!

I hate it! Life's too short for pages of "Terms & Conditions" and FAQs (which never appear to answer one of mine!). However, some Apps and schemes are better than others...

I shop too little in M&S to benefit from any reward scheme - it would be out of date by the time I attempted to redeem anything, so don't bother - and probably save a bit by doing so. Which is a pity, I like some of M&S foodstuffs; however their clothing I find is a far cry from the excellent quality of yesteryear.

Shelflife

Terminated my sparks card - it was not an easy process!!
Could find no advantage in having the card.

I had one years ago, but never used it - the ‘offers’ rarely appealed.

OTOH I use my Nectar card a lot in Sainsbury’s, and to a lesser extent, my Boots card. I can often pay for small items in Boots just with points.

Why M&S don’t have a similar - simple! - system I have never understood.