Thoughts on Bounts (Get paid for walking)

2357 · 29 October 2016 at 9:01PM

I've now filled in the online form to report them to trading standards.

2357 · 30 October 2016 at 9:43AM

I hope the MSE investigation has some news for us soon.

I found some info on the Action Fraud website about Ponzi schemes which sound a lot like the way that Bounts operated. (I'm not allowed to post it as a link due to being a new user.)

I hope there is some sort of group legal action that can be taken.

Have they not breached the Consumer Rights Act as well?

scribbling · 30 October 2016 at 10:47AM

I just find it hard to believe that there's no backlash for a company that has broken promises and provided an inferior product. They've now cancelled Premium and made all members the same, so those who have already paid for the year or three years ahead have had their money taken for nothing. They're also clearly not willing to provide refunds and are continuing to string along those who've asked for one.

They probably started out with good intentions, but it's now a con.

Spot5Flowers · 31 October 2016 at 4:16PM

I'm really annoyed about this. I paid in July so have had less than 4 months of premium membership.
Like many I never got a voucher, firstly because they changed the amount of points needed, but mainly because they were never in stock.
I was emailing support but they said they wouldn't answer any further correspondence from me, which I find astonishingly unprofessional.
I have paid money for a service which I am not getting. At the very least I should be entitled to a partial refund for the 8 months premium membership which they have taken from me.
I don't know how they can justify this either morally or legally.

By removing their facebook and twitter pages, it shows the complete and utter mess they are in.

I'm watching their online reviews drop through the floor.
I suppose I'm just pleased that I don't have a huge amount of points saved up like some people. I'm so sorry to all of you in that particular boat.

maxs · 2 November 2016 at 3:27PM

(Sorry, I've signed up just for this thread as another disgruntled member - but knowing me I'll probably end up posting elsewhere eventually!)

I also joined this after it being pushed by MSE - paid for premium back in April. I've never been able to claim a voucher (the system crashed on me a few times mid-purchase) and now have around 7k points sat there... I didn't get an email from Bounts about this (if I did, it's gone to spam and that was cleared yesterday - doh!).

But most annoying of all, the MSE help page about the Bounts changes says of earlier refunds:
"This was its previous refund offer that MSE pushed for before these recent changes were announced "
Pushed for? If I look back at the last MSE email I seem to have kept, the tag line still says "Can you really get paid to walk". Unsurprisingly I didn't read that section (as I'm already with Bounts and previous emails pushing Bounts have said the same)... And yet:

Can you really get paid to walk? We first covered this clever idea 9mths ago: Bounts, the free app that rewards you for steps. Now some love it, some loathe it. So we've a full update: Get paid to walk? Went premium & want refund? Go quick

If MSE were already suggesting a refund, maybe that should've been mentioned in the headline rather than repeating the same one originally used and not really explaining the refund bit with even just a few more words.

I'm a bit miffed I've lost out on my premium money for nothing (though guess the few times it's incentivised me is a plus point). I'm very miffed I can't get a refund for the outstanding premium period. But I'm probably currently mostly miffed that MSE have continued pushing this even when suggesting a refund.

Sindonindieguy · 3 November 2016 at 2:57PM

I managed to get a refund from Apple for my membership - might be worth people who subscribed via the app store getting in touch

scribbling · 4 November 2016 at 2:51PM

Sadly the Apple refund only seems to work if it was a recent purchase, so it's no good for me having paid in spring, but seems fairly easy to reclaim for those who can benefit.

neilneilneil · 19 April 2017 at 12:26AM

i tool civil action against them in December over exactly what everyone on this forum has stated, changes to the scheme of earning retail vouchers after paying a premium membership which meant you earnt points quicker.

They threw everything at me rather then give me £35 of retail vouchers, so i agree with the comments about John Stuarts approach to customers. the case was struck out of court they did not want the final hearing to take place. They created enough evidence to suggest i had no claim to make. However, although it did cost me money to bring the case and have a hearing, i was pleased with the legal bill they were claiming from me (which failed) as the costs they incurred were approx £10,000. I have the paperwork if people are interested in joining me on this crusade however perhaps we need a crowdfunding exercise to raise the funds for further action. It was suggested to me in court that trading standards is the way to get this looked at so there is an avenue to pursue

neilneilneil · 19 April 2017 at 12:32AM

did you get an outcome from trading standards?

Feral_Moon · 19 April 2017 at 8:29AM

neilneilneil wrote: »

i tool civil action against them in December over exactly what everyone on this forum has stated, changes to the scheme of earning retail vouchers after paying a premium membership which meant you earnt points quicker.

They threw everything at me rather then give me £35 of retail vouchers, so i agree with the comments about John Stuarts approach to customers. the case was struck out of court they did not want the final hearing to take place. They created enough evidence to suggest i had no claim to make. However, although it did cost me money to bring the case and have a hearing, i was pleased with the legal bill they were claiming from me (which failed) as the costs they incurred were approx £10,000. I have the paperwork if people are interested in joining me on this crusade however perhaps we need a crowdfunding exercise to raise the funds for further action. It was suggested to me in court that trading standards is the way to get this looked at so there is an avenue to pursue

neilneilneil wrote: »

did you get an outcome from trading standards?

Are you talking to yourself? :rotfl:

Thoughts on Bounts (Get paid for walking)

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