Mum splashes out £35 on ‘luxury’ Marks & Spencer Christmas tree but ends up with a ‘dead twig’ instead
MARKS and Spencer have been slammed by a mum after she assembled one of their artificial Christmas trees to discover it looks like "a twig without any leaves".
Aniela Jasionowicz, 29, bought the £35 product, which comes with a set of decorations, from the brand's website - however, other shoppers suggested it just needs a bit of creativity with the tinsel.
The mum was shocked to discover the 6ft item looked nothing like the bushy tree pictured online.
Aniela, from Cheshunt in Hertfordshire, said: "I was hugely disappointed because we put a lot of time and effort into putting the tree up.
"We took it down straight away because it looks awful.
"It looks like a twig without any leaves. I expected a quality product but that's not what we got.
"The image on the website does not represent the product and I feel like we were sold short."
M&S advertised the tree as a "sparkling surprise" and it comes with pre-lit lights and 59 separate decorations.
The personal assistant, who is married to Stefan 29, said the couple were especially excited to decorate their house for their daughter's first Christmas.
Talia is six-months-old and she wanted to make this festive season extra special for her.
But with just over two weeks to go before Christmas the family are yet to find a replacement tree and have been given a refund by M&S, plus a £10 gift voucher, following a complaint.
Aniela added: "The photo of it online looked great and I thought it'd look really nice.
"I thought I had got myself a great deal.
"But for me it is false advertising. I was really disappointed because it looks like a completely different tree altogether."
A toilet brush has more branches.
M&S customer
Other customers have left some mixed reviews about the product online.
One shopper gave the tree a one star rating, saying it is of "poor quality" and "not value for money".
Another commented: "The tree is very cheaply made and looks dead."
"We are so disappointed with this tree. It's so sparse it looks awful. Thought we could rely on Marks for quality but seems that's no longer true."
"The pictures online are completely different to the tree you get. A toilet brush has more branches."
"Tree is VERY sparse and really bare with the branches. Had to add extra lights, baubles, thin tinsel and beading to fill it out.
"Not impressed with quality at all."
However, others suggested it was great value for the price, and just needed a bit of handiwork with the tinsel to make it look ready for Christmas.
One person wrote: "I can honestly say I'm very happy with it! Yes it's a bit bare in places but for £35 what do people expect?
"Once all the branches have been positioned properly and the tree decorated, it looks very nice...it takes some time playing with the branches to position them to hide the bare patches but it really is good value for money."
Another commented: "Tree branches are a little bit sparse but 'filled up' with some tinsel. Also you may want to add some extra lights."
A spokesperson for M&S told Fabulous Digital: “We’re sorry to hear Ms Jasionowicz was disappointed with how her tree looked after she assembled it.
"With all the Christmas trees we sell, we include clear instructions to help customers ensure branches are evenly distributed and it works as a fantastic centrepiece for Christmas decorations.”
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