Is nothing sacred on the high street? After Woolworth’s boarded up its windows and Sir Richard Branson shut his Virgin megastores, Marks & Spencer has put a 35-day deadline on its no-quibbles return policy.

Middle England’s favourite retailer has reacted to the chill wind blowing through retailing by tightening up on its famously generous customer service policies.

After phasing out in-store orders and charging £2 extra for big bras, the cheese-paring has led one blogger to accuse M&S of taking “a lead from the Ryanair school of customer relations”.

The retailer quietly introduced its 35-day deadline by putting signs up in its stores. The new, reduced return period is also printed on receipts.

One customer caught out was Shirley Read, 53, of Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, whose attempt to return a floral dress resulted in rejection because she was late. “I was so upset,” she told the Bucks Free Press. “I don’t want someone else to go through what I had to go through.”

The changes have provoked a lively debate on messageboards with some shoppers condemning M&S. Anony- mous staff members, however, blame customers for milking the system.

One shopper resolved to boycott M&S unless she was certain that she would keep her purchases. “Most M&S stores are either in major cities or in out-of-town shopping malls. I have a family, work and run a home. I do not work, live or pass by any shopping mall, or the city,” she wrote on the MoneySavingExpert website.

However, some bloggers said that customers had been exploiting the system by shoplifting items, damaging them, returning them for a credit document and selling those on eBay.

Mrs Read, meanwhile, received scant sympathy from the blogosphere. “35 days too short a time to be able to return a dress?” one reader wrote. “Flipping heck, how long do you want? Buy it, take it home, try it on (which you should have done in the shop), check for defects (which you should have done in the shop), if you don’t like it or it is faulty then take it back. Don’t leave it for nearly two months then try to do it.”

The change is part of a string of cost-cutting measures aimed at M&S customers, who have traditionally been used to being indulged by the store. It began when M&S cut the deadline for returns to 90 days in 2005. In spring this year the chain stopped customers from placing orders in shops. Instead, they were told to telephone or go online if they wanted an item in their own size that was not in the store.

One shopper responded: “B*******! Well, I won’t be going there again for work suits/trousers. I often have to order stuff because my size always seems to be out of stock in the petite range. I do not want to buy via home shopping as it’s more hassle to return the item if it doesn’t fit, etc.”

But an unnamed worker defended the reform. “Having seen the orders in a busy M&S branch, I can confirm there were a huge amount that were not collected. Anecdotal obviously, but as I used to manage collections, around 30-50 per cent were never picked up. People very rarely rang to say they no longer wanted their item.”

M&S surrendered to a buxom ladies’ rebellion this year after it added £2 to the cost of larger bras. The store was forced to climb down and apologise with advertisements in the national press admitting: “We’ve boobed.”

A spokesman for the retailer said: “We reviewed our policy to fall in line with the market and our competitors while still retaining our market leading position. From our position, 35 days still constitutes the best deal on the high street.” Rival shops tend to have a 28-day deadline for returns. He added that a new in-store order service was being piloted.

M&S may already be softening its returns policy to avoid a Christmas backlash. From Thursday until December 11 any goods bought can be returned until January 16, provided that the customer has a “gift receipt”.

Bloggers are already resolving to ask for a gift receipt, even if they are only treating themselves.

dkennedy@thetimes.co.uk

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