+

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Close
HomeQuizzoneWhatsappShare Flash Reads
 

Customer at major UK retailer received more than 100 text messages with links to GPS locations and photos of other shoppers' parcels on doorsteps

Mar 27, 2022, 16:14 IST
Business Insider
Marks and Spencer in Liverpool, England.Moomusician/Shutterstock
  • A Marks & Spencer shopper received more than 100 texts featuring photos of other customer parcels.
  • The customer, Tom, said he received the messages after he purchased an order for bedding.
Advertisement

A shopper at UK retailer Marks & Spencer was bombarded with more than 100 text messages, which included links to the GPS locations and photos of other customers' packages.

BBC News reported on the story.

The 28-year-old customer, named only as Tom, told the outlet he was inundated with the messages immediately after purchasing bedding from the store online.

Tom said that no personal details of other customers were shared in the links he received, but he could see the exact location and photos of parcels left on their doorsteps.

"Someone could have used that information to drive around and pick all those parcels up," he said.

Advertisement

The shopper said he "kept getting loads of messages at once." He added: "There's over 100 texts and I had a few two days after I rang up and told them about it."

Tom said that, luckily, his phone was on silent but he could see all the notifications coming through and "it was quite distracting."

He added: "I can imagine for the other people this has been happening to it's pretty annoying."

The glitch prompted an apology from Marks & Spencer after Tom complained.

Per BBC News, Marks & Spencer wrote to the shopper, saying: "While we believe there is no risk of harm to customers, we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused."

Advertisement

It added: "We are continually working to keep your personal information as safe as possible. I hope we have reassured you how seriously we have taken this."

Marks and Spencer did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside of normal working hours.

The retailer told BBC News that only 1% of orders were affected by the technical error.

Next Article