Gourmet society - [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]

Applover

funtime Franky, your posts are massively in favour of this company and you don't seem to have posted about anything else. Do you work for them by any chance?????

huggy82

First time post to the site, based on a quick google search to see if anyone else had experienced the problems I have with this company.

Timeline of events.

June 2009
I took out a 'free' 3 month trial to the Gourmet Society.
Used the card once, or should I say 'tried' to use the card once. In Cafe Rouge. They 'don't accept the card at lunchtime'. Great.

July 2009
Sent the card back, telling them to cancel my trial. Stupidly I didn't send it recorded delivery

September 2009
£39.95 taken off my card by the Gourmet Society for payment for an annual membership. Suffice to say I wasn't impressed and told them as much. Unfortunately because I had not sent it back Recorded Delivery they basically accused me of still having the card and refused to give me a discount.
Annoyingly I had to back down, but asked if any more money would be taken off my card. I got a categoric "no".

October 2010
Another £39.95 taken off my card! They said that they sent me a card out in September telling me if I didn't cancel by sending the new card back they would charge me. I don't even live at the same address so how would I receive it?

I have never, ever, ever, ever, come across such a bunch of cowboys in my life. So now I'm nearly £80 down and haven't saved a penny. I've called the information commissioner but got nowhere, trading standards who asked me to send them the letter (I don't have it, I've moved) and now the bank, who I'm pretty sure will try their best to wriggle out of getting me my money back.

Has anyone please got any advice on what I can do now? It's not only the money, it's the fact that they have, in essence, been keeping my details on file illegally, after I specifically told them not to.

Please help MSE!

angelizz

huggy82 wrote: »

First time post to the site, based on a quick google search to see if anyone else had experienced the problems I have with this company.

Timeline of events.

June 2009
I took out a 'free' 3 month trial to the Gourmet Society.
Used the card once, or should I say 'tried' to use the card once. In Cafe Rouge. They 'don't accept the card at lunchtime'. Great.

July 2009
Sent the card back, telling them to cancel my trial. Stupidly I didn't send it recorded delivery

September 2009
£39.95 taken off my card by the Gourmet Society for payment for an annual membership. Suffice to say I wasn't impressed and told them as much. Unfortunately because I had not sent it back Recorded Delivery they basically accused me of still having the card and refused to give me a discount.
Annoyingly I had to back down, but asked if any more money would be taken off my card. I got a categoric "no".

October 2010
Another £39.95 taken off my card! They said that they sent me a card out in September telling me if I didn't cancel by sending the new card back they would charge me. I don't even live at the same address so how would I receive it?

I have never, ever, ever, ever, come across such a bunch of cowboys in my life. So now I'm nearly £80 down and haven't saved a penny. I've called the information commissioner but got nowhere, trading standards who asked me to send them the letter (I don't have it, I've moved) and now the bank, who I'm pretty sure will try their best to wriggle out of getting me my money back.

Has anyone please got any advice on what I can do now? It's not only the money, it's the fact that they have, in essence, been keeping my details on file illegally, after I specifically told them not to.

Please help MSE!

Hi Huggy

It sounds like you've had a nightmare and have been pretty reasonable with them so far. If I was you I'd contact my bank and ask them to do a charge-back on the transaction. They'll probably get you to fill in a form explaining why you want to charge-back, but looking at your timeline above it seems you've got a pretty strong case. Did you get the name of the person you spoke to when you told them to cancel your membership going forward? Technically if a product has never arrived (and it is up to them to prove that it did) you can get a refund. So you can apply the logic that they applied to you in year 1 - they should have sent it recorded delivery.

Good luck and thanks for the heads up. To be honest it just confirms what me and many others on here think, that this company shouldn't be touched with a barge-pole.

huggy82

angelizz wrote: »

Hi Huggy

It sounds like you've had a nightmare and have been pretty reasonable with them so far. If I was you I'd contact my bank and ask them to do a charge-back on the transaction. They'll probably get you to fill in a form explaining why you want to charge-back, but looking at your timeline above it seems you've got a pretty strong case. Did you get the name of the person you spoke to when you told them to cancel your membership going forward? Technically if a product has never arrived (and it is up to them to prove that it did) you can get a refund. So you can apply the logic that they applied to you in year 1 - they should have sent it recorded delivery.

Good luck and thanks for the heads up. To be honest it just confirms what me and many others on here think, that this company shouldn't be touched with a barge-pole.

Thanks Zierisaver

I have contacted my bank who (believe it or not) were actually pretty helpful.

I have to challenge the payment which I'm more than happy to do, it's the principle more than anything, but they also advised canceling my debit card and getting a new one. Which I have also done now.

I'm still completely dumbfounded by the whole experience, but thanks for the advice.

78mjt

huggy82 wrote: »

First time post to the site, based on a quick google search to see if anyone else had experienced the problems I have with this company.

Timeline of events.

June 2009
I took out a 'free' 3 month trial to the Gourmet Society.
Used the card once, or should I say 'tried' to use the card once. In Cafe Rouge. They 'don't accept the card at lunchtime'. Great.

July 2009
Sent the card back, telling them to cancel my trial. Stupidly I didn't send it recorded delivery

September 2009
£39.95 taken off my card by the Gourmet Society for payment for an annual membership. Suffice to say I wasn't impressed and told them as much. Unfortunately because I had not sent it back Recorded Delivery they basically accused me of still having the card and refused to give me a discount.
Annoyingly I had to back down, but asked if any more money would be taken off my card. I got a categoric "no".

October 2010
Another £39.95 taken off my card! They said that they sent me a card out in September telling me if I didn't cancel by sending the new card back they would charge me. I don't even live at the same address so how would I receive it?

I have never, ever, ever, ever, come across such a bunch of cowboys in my life. So now I'm nearly £80 down and haven't saved a penny. I've called the information commissioner but got nowhere, trading standards who asked me to send them the letter (I don't have it, I've moved) and now the bank, who I'm pretty sure will try their best to wriggle out of getting me my money back.

Has anyone please got any advice on what I can do now? It's not only the money, it's the fact that they have, in essence, been keeping my details on file illegally, after I specifically told them not to.

Please help MSE!

Their promotional literature states that they have a money back guarantee:
"In the unlikely event that you are not 100% satisfied with your membership, we'll refund in full your remaining membership regardless of how many times you've used your card".

Admittedly I still wouldn't buy one, but perhaps this is useful for those of you complaining?

PhylPho

funtimefranky wrote: »

Yes Bunster, I am for real. I'm just a happy member of the Gourmet Society. I joined up and have really enjoyed using my membership, saved lots of money, and eaten at loads of great places. Thanks to the Gourmet Society I've discovered lots of places that I never would have found or thought about going to.

For those of you wanting to buy a membership, I found a great price for annual membership of just £27.95 by using the promotional code NTU. Great deal :beer:

Hi funtimefranky:

I don't why there's all this criticism of The Gourmet Society, either -- I mean, a name like that, rich as it is in associations with the genteel, the urbane, the sophisticated, the discerning. . . Ye Gods, who in their right mind wouldn't want to justifiably boast of their membership of this exclusive 'society'?

As The Gourmet Society's website confirms, it is located in an environment just as genteel, urbane, sophisticated and discerning. So by carrying your membership card, you're able to demonstrate your affinity with Mottram Street, Stockport, SK1 3PA. . .

. . . Which of course, if you type into Google Maps, and then use Streetview, confirms everything I've just said.

Oopsadaisy

The other option is to take them to court.....they'll probably pay up as it's cheaper than defending a case.

Costs about £30 online and you get that back if you win.

huggy82

78mjt wrote: »

Their promotional literature states that they have a money back guarantee:
"In the unlikely event that you are not 100% satisfied with your membership, we'll refund in full your remaining membership regardless of how many times you've used your card".

Admittedly I still wouldn't buy one, but perhaps this is useful for those of you complaining?

Thanks, but this doesn't really help as I don't have my card so can't return it!

They have now sent me a PM asking for my full name and address so that they could look into it. Isn't it interesting that they refused to do anything when I approached them first and now that I've raised the issue in public they're falling over themselves to shut me up!

It's irrelevant now, I've done a chargeback with my bank and got the money refunded. Suffice to say I won't be going near their product again though.

funtimefranky

PhylPho wrote: »

Hi funtimefranky:

I don't why there's all this criticism of The Gourmet Society, either -- I mean, a name like that, rich as it is in associations with the genteel, the urbane, the sophisticated, the discerning. . . Ye Gods, who in their right mind wouldn't want to justifiably boast of their membership of this exclusive 'society'?

As The Gourmet Society's website confirms, it is located in an environment just as genteel, urbane, sophisticated and discerning. So by carrying your membership card, you're able to demonstrate your affinity with Mottram Street, Stockport, SK1 3PA. . .

. . . Which of course, if you type into Google Maps, and then use Streetview, confirms everything I've just said.

Wow, you really are a snob aren't you?

Anyway, for those of you that aren't being petty and want a FREE Gourmet Society card, you can get one for 6 months now by visiting gourmetfree.co.uk (I've had to leave out the w's as I can't post links yet). This is a totally free offer where you don't have to put in card details, and you still get the fab GS discount at all 3,500 restaurants.

Enjoy everyone!

suzibag

Went to Pizza Express last night to try to use my trial card (for the first time). Was met with a gruff response that they dont work with the Gourmet Society and havent for months. EPIC FAIL.

Really, whats the point in advertising restaurants if they dont do the offer? obviously I wont be taking up the full year membership. I should have just got a voucher of the web.
:mad: