Bah humbug

My sister and I ordered a Christmas hamper for my brother on 5th December, booking delivery for 22nd December so that the hamper, which contained perishables such as cheese, would be delivered in time for festivities. We asked my brother to make sure someone was in ALL DAY, which he did. At 7pm my brother phoned to say that nothing had been delivered, so my sister got in touch with M & S who said, ooops, there had been a problem with the delivery - the hamper hadn't been put on the lorry, and sorry, that's that. So we put time and effort into chosing the ideal gift, my brother waits around all day, no one even thinks to contact us to say that there's been a problem and then, at the end of the day, M & S leave us high and dry without a Christmas present for my brother, who lives 300 miles away from me. Am outraged and really disappointed at such poor service from what I stupidly imagined was a reputable brand.

My advice to anyone thinking of surprising a loved one with a carefully chosen Christmas hamper from Marks & Spencer would be not to bother - the surprise is more likely to be a nasty one for yourself.