SHOPPERS were left locked out of their accounts and unable to shop online after a major retailer's website and app went down.
High street giant Marks and Spencer blamed "technical issues" for the service being offline earlier this afternoon.
Now, the website of the high street giant is back online several hours after it was hit with tech problems.
M&S said the problem had been caused by a third party service provider experiencing issues.
It is understood the problem was not hacking related and customer information remains safe.
Services were restored at 6pm on Saturday.
Visitors to the retailer's website were previously greeted with the message: "Sorry you can't shop with us right now.
"We're working hard to be back online as soon as possible."
The M&S app was also unavailable, customers reported.
Meanwhile, a message on the app said: "Sorry, you can't shop with us on our app right now, as we're working to improve your experience.
"We'll be back soon."
Disgruntled shoppers took to X, formerly Twitter, to question what was happening with the online platforms.
One said: "Is your app working? Can't get it to open, thx."
Another said: "What happened to the M&S website?"
A third added: "Marks and Spencer, app and website down?"
In response to one customer, M&S said it was experiencing "technical issues" but was "working on it".
A spokesperson added: "A third party service provider is experiencing a technical issue which is temporarily affecting access to our website and app.
"We hope to be back up and running soon and are sorry to customers for the inconvenience caused.”
M&S is the latest retailer in recent months to face issues with its online services.
In April, Sainsbury's shoppers' orders failed to arrive after the supermarket giant was hit by a technical glitch.
The chain blamed the outage on a "technical issue" which impacted its online operations.
Earlier this month, Tesco's online banking app and website went down leaving customers locked out of their accounts.
Marks and Spencer's outage comes just days before the retailer is expected to reveal a jump in annual profits.
THERE are a few different ways to find out if a retailer is experiencing an outage.
You can check websites such as DownDetector, which will tell you whether customers are experiencing problems with a particular company online.
You can also check the retailer's website or app to see if you can actually access them.
Failing that, it's worth going on to X to see if other customers are experiencing issues with a given retailer.
The high street staple has enjoyed buoyant sales across its food halls and clothing and home arm after implementing cost-cutting measures and closing branches across the UK.
There's no fixed compensation scheme for supermarket website outages like there is for other industries such as telecoms.
But if being unable to access your account has left you out of pocket for any reason, it's worth contacting M&S.
You should gather evidence, for example a delivery receipt, and get in touch with M&S's customer service team.
The number to call is 0333 014 8000.
In other M&S news, one of the retailer's branches is closing today in a blow for shoppers.
Plus, shoppers have been left devastated after the retailer axed a large furniture range.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Facebook group to share your tips and stories
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