As I rifled through my wardrobe, regretting that impulse buy from Marks and Spencer, one thought eased my buyer’s remorse: the Marks and Spencer return policy.
Upon a bit of research, I noticed that it was entirely possible to return my items.
Marks and Spencer continues to offer one of the most customer-friendly return policies in the UK retail space. Their goodwill returns policy lets you return most items with confidence. This applies to both in-store and online purchases.
Latest Marks and Spencer Return Time Frames
- The standard policy gives you 35 days from the date of purchase (in-store) or delivery (online) for full-price items.
- Sale items have a shorter window: 14 days.
Exclusions always apply — more on those below.
Right now, a special festive season extension is in effect. Any full-price items bought on or after 9 October 2025 can be returned until 25 January 2026 — unless the standard 35-day period gives you a later date.
This generous window helps with post-Christmas regrets.
Sale items still follow the usual 14-day rule.
Note: This extension is active today (mid-January 2026). It covers the bulk of festive shopping from last autumn.
Easy Ways to Return Your Items
Marks and Spencer makes returns straightforward with several convenient options.
In-store returns
- The quickest route for instant refunds.
- Take your items to most UK clothing, home, or Foodhall stores.
- Exceptions: Outlet stores, Simply Food in BP stations/Moto services/hospitals/airports/railway stations, or WH Smith locations.
- Bring your order summary for international online orders.
- No postage fees. Processing is immediate.
Online paperless returns
- Log into your M&S account.
- Head to “Orders & Returns.”
- Select the items. Choose your preferred method.
- Receive a QR code or label instantly.
- No paper forms needed.
Popular return methods include:
- Evri Parcelshop drop-off — Show the QR code; they print the label.
- Home label printing — Print and drop off at a point.
- Courier collection — Schedule a home pickup (weight limits: up to 15kg for shops, 30kg for some collections).
Postal returns
- Use your local postal service (you pay postage).
- Pack securely in original packaging.
- Include the returns form.
- Label the parcel “returned goods” to avoid customs delays.
- Send to:
Marks & Spencer Returns Dept
C/O Clipper Logistics plc
Unit 1, Boughton Industrial Estate
Boughton, Newark
NG22 9LD
United Kingdom
Key Conditions for a Successful Return
- Items must be in resalable condition. That means unworn, unused, with all original tags, labels, and packaging intact.
- Multi-pack items must return complete.
- Free gifts included with the purchase must also be returned.
Items You Cannot Return (Exclusions from Goodwill Policy)
M&S lists clear exceptions. These items are not covered under the standard goodwill returns:
- Face coverings
- Beauty products (unless the tamper seal is intact)
- Bra accessories
- Duvets
- Earrings
- Flowers
- Food, food gifts, Food to Order, fruit baskets
- Furniture
- Gift cards
- Hampers
- Made-to-measure and personalised items
- Mattress protectors
- Pillows
- Plants
- Single-use carrier bags
- Swimwear (unless hygiene seal intact)
- Toiletries
- Wine
- Non-branded toys and gifts
- Non-branded luggage
- Kitchen electrical goods
- Any product with a broken seal
Always check at purchase as some items have special conditions noted then.
How Refunds and Exchanges Work
- Refunds return to the original payment method.
- In-store returns process quickly – often same day.
- Online/postal returns take up to 14 days in some cases, plus bank processing time.
- Exchanges are possible if stock is available.
- No receipt? In-store returns with tags intact often qualify for store credit or a voucher at the current selling price.
Special Situations
Faulty items: Covered beyond the time window under your statutory rights. Contact customer support with photos of the issue.
International returns: Vary by site. The UK site allows returns to qualifying UK stores; other regions (e.g., the US) have separate rules, like a $10 fee and different festive dates (up to 28 January 2026 for November-December 2025 buys).
Gift returns: Use a gift receipt or return in-store for credit options.
I’ve learned firsthand that this policy removes the stress from shopping. It builds real trust.
Whether it’s a last-minute gift or an outfit that didn’t quite fit, M&S makes it easy to get it right.
In a world of complicated retail rules, Marks and Spencer keeps things simple, fair, and customer-first.
That’s why so many shoppers return and keep coming back.
Always double-check the latest details directly on the official M&S website, as policies can evolve.
Common Complaints About the Marks and Spencer Returns Policy
If You Lose Your Receipt, You Can Only Get A Credit Voucher
In the grand theater of retail regrets, where impulse buys turn into wardrobe orphans, Marks and Spencer’s return policy plays the role of the stern usher: welcoming with open arms if you’ve got your ticket (that elusive receipt), but shoving you toward the exit with a mere credit voucher if you’ve lost it.
It’s a policy that’s as British as queuing in the rain: polite on the surface, but leaving many shoppers drenched in frustration.
According to M&S’s goodwill guidelines, without that slip of paper (or digital proof for online buys), you’re not getting your cash back. Instead, behold the credit voucher: a 12-month ticket to spend only in-store, often at the item’s current (possibly discounted) price, not what you originally paid.
It’s like being handed Monopoly money valid only in one corner of the board, practical for some, but a plot twist for others who shop online or live miles from a branch.
Refunds Can Only Be Made At Other Clothing Stores
Another quirk in Marks and Spencer’s return policy that quietly irks shoppers is the strict divide between store types when it comes to processing refunds for clothing and home items.
While you might spot an M&S Simply Food conveniently tucked into a BP station or high street corner, don’t head there expecting a full cash or card refund; those outlets, along with other food-only or affiliated locations like hospitals, airports, and Moto services, simply aren’t equipped to handle non-food returns in the same seamless way.
True refunds for your regretted blouse or duvet set are reserved for proper Clothing & Home stores, where staff can swiftly credit your original payment method.
It’s a remnant of old-school retail logistics that begs for the same digital overhaul—imagine a unified system linking all branches instantly, sparing customers the postcode lottery of return rules.