General Chat

I am sure that we all are aware of the fact that M&S were hacked. Why when this happens is it their customers who are likely to have the problems of sorting things out.
Yes, I know it is obvious why, but why then is it so difficult to get it done. I have an account, I also have a Sparks account. I have been through the hoop of trying to reset password etc several times now. Did reset it and got into my account ok. thenm back to the phone app and try to use that reset password. Nope, not accepted. Tried to contact them on customer services by email, that entailed a long trawl to try and set up the email contact. No direct easy access to the email procedure. If I could use the phone I assume that would be easy (or would it).

Has anyone else successfully got their sparks app sorted easily? If so, any tips.

Finally managed to sort it. Just took time, perseverance and patience in the end.

I changed my password with no problems and can sign in on the app.

It is annoying though when you hit a problem and can’t work out why. I came across an annoying problem yesterday. As I do lots of voluntary work, I have an enhanced DBS certificate. In the old days you had to get a new certificate which had to be paid for every change of job or new volunteer post, Then the government had a good idea for once, they set up a DBS update service. You register your certificate on the site and every year they check that you haven’t had any new convictions and update the certificate. That means that the small charities can just run a check on you for free and don’t have to use precious funds paying for certificates for every volunteer. That has worked well in the past, but when I recently started volunteering as a school reader, the academy decided they wanted to waste their money on a new certificate. So I filled it all in and the new certificate eventually arrived. I wanted to add it to the update website, it is very easy to do, but every time I tried, it just said that the details were wrong or it was outside the thirty days lime limit from when it was issued. In the end the only thing I could do was ring them. Amazingly, I got through straight away and they talked me through the simple process which I had already tried several times. I was ready to bang my head on the wall, when at the last minute, he asked what device I was using. When I said that it was an iPad, he said that the government website doesn’t like anything to do with Apple, or Mac pc’s. I would have to do it from a Windows machine. Luckily, I do have a Windows laptop, so used that and it worked first time. All very well, but what about people who only use Macs or iPhones or iPads, what are they supposed to to do
:-S

Linda, you have to wonder sometimes don't you?
The original time I was trying to update the password was actually on the app on my phone. It was only when I switched to my desk top that it updated the main account. I assume it was from that that the app eventually updated ok about an hour later. Weird but it seems ok now. I actually preferred it when sparks was a card and my daughter still does have a card. I had to change to the app when Tony died as he was the card holder and account holder. I do realise why they changed it though.

I still have a Sparks card, Ann, but I have not had one of its charge cards since they went over to A N Other bank credit card. At that point I decided to use one of my own bank cards - a rewards account and it has been worth it.

Linda, I took over one of K’s voluntary mornings and have recently had to be DBS-checked even though I had a full DBS check when I worked full-time - - been retired almost 20 years.