The Gourmet society rip off.........

ehadz

Hi, Just to let you guys know that they gave me a full refund. Good luck, don't give up. A simple letter can do wonders!

mjn78

Too many companies are adopting this compulsory auto-renewal approach and it ought to be stopped. Customers should be given a clear choice during sign up whether they wish to opt-in or opt out.

Have a look at 'Ban Automatic Renewal Rip-Off' on Facebook

Sylv60

As most others in this forum I today have been caught up in the underhanded way in which the above"renew" a membership which was a trail for 4 months!!!
Yes they have their terms & conditions ....albeit very carefully hidden. Yes they send emails telling you to cancel but all this comes to light after the fact! I seem to receive almost daily emails from them so either don't look at them or scan them. Yes I opened the renewal email, but the bit telling you to cancel is right a the bottom of a load of waffle and padding. It just said you can renew, as I didn't want to then there should have been no need for me to read any further.
I have suffered 2 very direct people there today who are very practised either in reading the company statement or so versed in repeating this to consumers who have been caught out that it is matter of a fact to them.
Fair play to the person in january who has got a refund. Rest assured I will not leave this to rest. I don't want this card and have unwittingly been signed up to it by an underhand practice. How can this auto renewal be allowed. Please steer clear of any offer!!! I want a refund as I also don't think that the "product" offers all it makes out to do. You can't use it on a Sunday or any time in December so my 4 month trial was actually only 3 months and a years membership is only 11 months!!

Sylv60

ehadz wrote: »

Hi, Just to let you guys know that they gave me a full refund. Good luck, don't give up. A simple letter can do wonders!

Good for you!! glad to hear this. I've just submitted a post as I've been" caught" by them. Can you tell me what you put in your letter please? Thanks

cfc.fan

omaryanoo wrote: »

I contacted their customerrelations@gourmetsociety.co.uk and received a reply saying that as a good gesture they refunded 50% of the card cost.

Thanks for the advice. I emailed them as well after reading this and got 50% refunded. Something is better than nothing.

ehadz

Sylv60 wrote: »

Good for you!! glad to hear this. I've just submitted a post as I've been" caught" by them. Can you tell me what you put in your letter please? Thanks

Hi, I have received a card through the post to my surprise. I have renewed the membership. But seems you have renewed it without my consent. The renewal email you sent has been in my spam email, hence why I had no chance of seeing this. Either it should have been sent through post or confirmed by phone. Please ensure that you issue a refund.

Thats was my first email but I also sent this email below in the post;

I recently received a new membership pack containing a letter or renewal through the post for your discount service. I would like to confirm that I did not consent to this service at any point.

Your company has sent two emails about the renewal, which I did not see due to those emails being marked as spam by my email service. The reason for this is very clear, as your usual newsletters come through the address @email.gourmetsociety.co.uk, however the two renewal emails have been sent via another proxy server (amazonses.com) so that the email services will automatically mark these as spam emails.

I would like to confirm that I never agreed for this new contract and would like to cancel it (a full refund) within 14 days of you receiving this letter. I have also sent your membership card and the welcome pack back. If you fail to address the issue within 14 days I will file a case against your company, which will include other damages.

On 01/10/2014 amendments were made to the Consumer Protection Regulations. These regulations now state that if a consumer is subject to an aggressive or misleading practice by a retailer, manufacturer or importer of a product they could have the right to ‘unwind’ the contract for a refund. To unwind a contract the consumer would need to make the trader they paid aware of any misleading or aggressive practice within 90 days which starts from the date of purchase, taking receipt of any goods or when any service had begun.

I have also received the following text from citizen’s advice.
Therefore, because the trader’s actions could be considered a criminal offence under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, the information you have provided will be passed to Oxfordshire County Council Trading Standards for further consideration. The case details will also be placed on a central database that can be accessed by all the other Trading Standards throughout the UK.


Hope this helps.

Sylv60

Thanks for info have received yet another email saying this is their full and final decision and they will not be refunding any subscription paid!! Fuming! Have replied and also sent to CEO will wait and then try again using some of your phrases
Thanks
S

Sylv60

ehadz wrote: »

Hi, I have received a card through the post to my surprise. I have renewed the membership. But seems you have renewed it without my consent. The renewal email you sent has been in my spam email, hence why I had no chance of seeing this. Either it should have been sent through post or confirmed by phone. Please ensure that you issue a refund.

Thats was my first email but I also sent this email below in the post;

I recently received a new membership pack containing a letter or renewal through the post for your discount service. I would like to confirm that I did not consent to this service at any point.

Your company has sent two emails about the renewal, which I did not see due to those emails being marked as spam by my email service. The reason for this is very clear, as your usual newsletters come through the address @email.gourmetsociety.co.uk, however the two renewal emails have been sent via another proxy server (amazonses.com) so that the email services will automatically mark these as spam emails.

I would like to confirm that I never agreed for this new contract and would like to cancel it (a full refund) within 14 days of you receiving this letter. I have also sent your membership card and the welcome pack back. If you fail to address the issue within 14 days I will file a case against your company, which will include other damages.

On 01/10/2014 amendments were made to the Consumer Protection Regulations. These regulations now state that if a consumer is subject to an aggressive or misleading practice by a retailer, manufacturer or importer of a product they could have the right to ‘unwind’ the contract for a refund. To unwind a contract the consumer would need to make the trader they paid aware of any misleading or aggressive practice within 90 days which starts from the date of purchase, taking receipt of any goods or when any service had begun.

I have also received the following text from citizen’s advice.
Therefore, because the trader’s actions could be considered a criminal offence under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, the information you have provided will be passed to Oxfordshire County Council Trading Standards for further consideration. The case details will also be placed on a central database that can be accessed by all the other Trading Standards throughout the UK.


Hope this helps.

Thanks
Have just posted in forum, but no joy from them,

Will wait for next reply!!

S

eeyore50

Yes!!! Had the same prob with taste card, tried to cancel last year and was told ihad to wait for the expiry date!!!! They said the same, they had e mailed me a reminder, errrr no, you have not. Spoke to them, and told them I have used it once in two years, I dont want or need it. They wont refund either. They pull you in with free trial, then bam! Your charged for years. Bad business, I say.

week

Has anyone tried going through their Bank with a dispute?