“Order web4460412
I paid the extra delivery cost, to ensure it arrived on time instead of paying the standard delivery. The package has not shown up and they refuse to refund the delivery. This is terrible service, don't offer a service you cannot for fill.
“Very disappointed in Fortnum & Mason. Placed an order for a Christmas present and paid extra for named day delivery. Order did not show up and it took for me to contact them to be told they had issues at their warehouse and as such the order will not arrive until well after Christmas. Very polite staff handling a difficult situation but apparently no managers or supervisors in to discuss resolution options.
Firstly, paid extra for the named day delivery. Secondly, why did they take the money gladly knowing they would not be able to deliver? Finally, now having to run around on Christmas Eve to try to get a present that would have been perfect. Very poor show.
This is the fourth time they have done this to me and for a company who say they are the best, they fall far short. Perhaps too concerned with their record profits this year as opposed to focusing on taking care of the customers who spend.”
“I echo some of the other recent reviews. I have used F&M for a few years without complaint but this year one of my orders was placed on 2 December for delivery on 17th. I discovered on 20th that it had not been despatched.
No prior contact and on enquiry I get a "Dear Sir/Madam" email, still with no delivery date or explanation.
Perhaps "success" has gone to their head. Well complacency does not get my vote.”
“I made an order for my Company of 58 bottles of Champagne to arrive yesterday. Only 48 have showed up so 10 staff will not be getting theirs at the same time. I am still awaiting an urgent call back, now been 48 hours to advise me when next 10 will be arriving. Terrible service. Spent over £4,000.00 with them to receive bad service, no reply and not what I ordered. Very disappointed. Will not be using them for Company orders in the future.”
“I ordered a hamper on line. It arrived in a cardboard box with bubble wrap. My fault apparently for misunderstanding what I was doing online. Avoid making your own hampers up as it is not entirely clear in my view. However I accept it was my mistake but would F&M help me correct the error? No. The attitude seemed to be utterly rigid - we great store of worldwide renown. You stupid incompetent woman who can’t order online properly. We don’t need custom like yours - go swing and stop clogging up the customer service line. Customer definitely comes first.”
“I ordered a hamper from Fortnum and Mason which should have been delivered on 21.12.17. I received an e-mail on 21.12.17 that the package had been put in transit and would be delivered on 22.12.17 with absolutely no apology for the late delivery. I spent two hours on the telephone trying to speak to somebody in customer services. Fortnum and Mason have set up their system so that you ultimately never get through to anyone on the telephone. After twice choosing options, one lands in a queue with the message that you will be put through shortly and then after about 15 minutes receive the message that the option you have chosen is not recognized and then the connection is cut. I am still waiting for a reply to my e-mails. I have now read reviews in regard to Fortnum and Mason which in hindsight would have prevented me ordering from Fortnum and Mason. It is an appalling way to treat customers!!!!! I have no idea whether my hamper was delivered but I definitely know that Fortnum and Mason have booked the amount from my account. Hamper.com are very, very efficient and Fortnum and Mason could learn lessons from them in regard to customer servic e.”
“Large order of Christmas food and presents ordered early dec and due to arrive on the 12th (which came and went with nothing heard). Two days later we contacted courier (dpd ) who confirmed parcel sent back to F&M because it was damaged. When we contacted F&M service they said that (with 10 days to go) they couldn’t get a replacement order to us before Christmas..... and couldn’t say when we’d get it afterwards. I cancelled order - disaster! No attempt to recompense us in any way. F&M failed to honour the order, v disappointed with their approach to customer service. Will not be ordering from them again any time soon. Has left us having to run around at the last minute.”
“This is a long account, but a very cautionary tale about not ordering online with Fortnum and Mason, and about their atrocious customer service:
Their website is archaic and caused multiple problems for me on two different orders in September 2020.
The first online order contained two items which I understood would be delivered together. Paid extra to specify delivery date of Friday, September 18, as that was the day of the week the order recipient would be at home. The September 18 delivery date was confirmed on Fortnum’s website and the order was placed in early September. Follow up confirmation email from Fortnum to me then said the order would be delivered on Wednesday, September 16, which was not the specified delivery date I paid extra for. Fortnum also gave an incorrect billing address in their confirmation email.
I emailed customer service back immediately, and after 3 days they replied. They apologized and acknowledged that they’ve been having significant, ongoing website problems with many customer complaints. They said they would correct the billing address but now couldn’t correct the delivery date to Friday, September 18 as I had originally requested.
When the order was not delivered on Wednesday, September 16, I had to phone Fortnum long distance from Canada and was told that the employee who had said he would correct the billing address on the order had for some unknown reason put the order on hold. Many apologies from Fortnum and they said they would reactivate the order and get it delivered ASAP.
As of September 19, only 1 of the 2 items in that order has been delivered. Just got an email from yet another Fortnum employee, this time apologizing that the outstanding item in the order was damaged by their delivery company in London and can not be delivered. Now there will be a further delay in delivery while they replace and reship the item.
Sadly, this is not the end of this appalling saga:
On September 16, 2020, I got a general email from Fortnum urging customers to place their Christmas orders early this year, as there was tremendous demand for online ordering due to COVID-19 restrictions, etc.
Despite my bad experience with my previous Fortnum order, I decided to place a large online Christmas order with them, hoping that the problems with the earlier order were a one-off. Our daughter loves Fortnum products, lives in London, we live in Canada, and for the first time ever, we can not be with her at Christmas because of COVID travel restrictions.
One again, on the Fortnum website I paid extra for a specified delivery day of Friday, December 11 for the Christmas order. The website confirmed the delivery date and I placed the order.
Surprise, surprise, when the Christmas order confirmation email arrived from Fortnum on September 16, it indicated that the Christmas order would be delivered on Saturday, September 19, not Friday, December 11.
The next day I phoned Fortnum customer service right when they opened at 10 AM GMT (5 AM my time). The total call time was 41 minutes, including 7-8 minutes on hold before they picked up initially, and 10+ minutes on hold while they supposedly corrected the delivery date back to my originally requested Friday, December 11. During this very length, long-distance call at my expense, the Fortnum customer service lady also discovered that the gentleman who was supposed to have corrected the billing address problem on my first order in September had actually put that order on hold by mistake (see above). There were profuse apologies over the phone September 16 from the Fortnum’s lady about the website and other customer service problems with both orders and assurances that this would all be rectified and my Christmas order would be delivered December 11.
Early this morning, September 19, my daughter contacted me from London to thank me for the “surprise” delivery from Fortnum’s of a very early Christmas order!
What more can I say, other than that I will never ever order anything online or over the phone from Fortnum’s again. Thanks for reading this long diatribe!”
“The Fortnum & Mason web site is easy to use and has very helpful product and delivery information.
The items I bought, a box of macaroons, where quickly delivered, well packed and wrapped as if I had purchased them at their store in Piccadilly.
I will use them again for mailed gifts.”
