UK Shoppers Frustrated by Technical Glitch
- M&S apologizes for contactless payment failure across UK stores
- Technical glitch affects click-and-collect services
- Issue reported since Saturday, 19 April
- Customers face queues and inability to use gift cards or return items
- No confirmation on when issue will be resolved
- Second major tech-related issue in a year
Mark & Spencer (M&S) has apologized to its customers after a technical glitch caused contactless payment and click-and-collect services to fail across UK stores over the Bank holiday weekend. The retailer faced mounting frustration on social media as shoppers reported being unable to pay using contactless methods or collect their online orders, with some issues persisting since Saturday (19 April). M&S assured that its technical teams are working to fix the problem, but has not yet confirmed when it will be resolved. The failure led to queues in-store and disrupted café visits, as well as preventing gift card usage and item returns. The exact cause of the issue remains undisclosed. This is M&S’s second major tech-related issue within a year; last May, its website and app were offline for several hours due to a third-party service failure.
Factuality Level: 8
Factuality Justification: The article provides accurate and objective information about M&S’s technical glitch issue, its impact on customers, and the company’s response to it. It also mentions a similar issue that occurred in the past year. However, there is some irrelevant information about Sainsbury’s boss Simon Roberts, which could be considered tangential to the main topic.
Noise Level: 3
Noise Justification: The article provides relevant information about a specific issue faced by M&S customers and the company’s response, but lacks in-depth analysis or exploration of long-term trends or consequences.
Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: No
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses a technical glitch that affected M&S’s contactless payments and click-and-collect services, causing inconvenience to customers. This is a financial topic as it involves the retailer’s operations and customer experience. However, there is no direct impact on financial markets or specific companies mentioned.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: No
Extreme Rating Justification: There is no extreme event in the text and it does not meet the criteria for being the main topic or happening within the last 48 hours.
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