Boots Online - Failed Verification Checks!!

Just_Danni

Myself, family members, friends of mine and even work colleagues have been experiencing issues with placing orders on Boots Online.
It doesn’t matter which payment method is used debit card, credit card or even trying to pay with Boots Points that have been earned! The result is still the same. An email saying that the order has been cancelled due to failing online verification  checks! 

Customer Service have been no help saying that it’s a known issue that many people are experiencing and advise to wait 72 hours before placing another order, using a different payment method and clearing cookies and cache on your device. None of which works.

They even told me to go into a shop to spend my points. Not very helpful when there’s not a large store nearby and most of the offers are online only. 

Is anyone else experiencing this and has anyone found a resolution please?

beckstar1975

I can now only log into Boots via their app, their customer service said there's a known problem with accounts on the website so I use the web to browse and build my basket and then replicate on the app to check out - have you tried using only the app? The Boots website must be one of the most awful websites for such a big brand

forgotmyname

beckstar1975 said:

I can now only log into Boots via their app, their customer service said there's a known problem with accounts on the website so I use the web to browse and build my basket and then replicate on the app to check out - have you tried using only the app? The Boots website must be one of the most awful websites for such a big brand

Try B&Q....   Even before they tried to compete with Ebay and Amazon.   Visit the website and see something promoted you think I wonder
if they do that in more colours or sizes and use the search for that item name.  No products found...  Utterly useless and it only got worse
since they started listing 3rd party items for sale.

Just_Danni

Hi Beckstar1975
It’s the Boots App that I’ve been trying to order from so unfortunately that won’t even work for me. 

Yes I agree, I just can’t understand how these big companies have such bad websites! It’s losing them so much revenue and it’s so frustrating for their customers.

Risnog

I've had the same problem. They tell me to use a different device or browser. I have used friends/family devices, every browser I can find. I tell the customer service team and they repeat the same advice and advise me "they have no technical issues at this time". I've cleared cookies and tried different payment methods (including my partner's card). Each payment bounces due to 'internal validation checks'. I have no financial issues that would cause this and buy online regularly.  I would shop elsewhere but have a Boots E-giftcard to spend that can't be redemmed instore.

Boots customer service has been so poor, their only response is that I will get a refund on my card- no mention of the E-giftcard that I can't spend. Surely this breaches consumer rights?!

Totallyannoyed

I have been suffering the same issue since 5 March 2025, and getting the same stock rubbish answer from the not so helpful customer services. I actually believe that Boots have no idea why it's happening or indeed how to solve it. I have submitted a SAR for my info and for the details of the IT Sy company they use and will then submit a SAR to them to find out exactly what is going on with my info within their company and why this is happening. I can see that I am not alone, it's incredibly frustrating when as a loyal customer of 30+ years and mainly ordering online for the last few I now cannot get an order placed as it's cancelled before payment is even lodged with PayPal. I have done everything my end to clear my cache, tried new devices, tried the website, tried the app, waited it out 72 hours as one lady told me to........nothing has worked. Boots should be throughly ashamed of how they are treating people and should not be ignoring this when it's seems to just be their website and app that are doing it as I can order anywhere else without issue! 

ThisAndThat2024

I've had the same issue with Boots: cancelling 6 attempts at my personal annual bulk order, within the last week.
I emailed the CEO, and received an inadequate response from one of the Executive.
Boots cancels if the number of any one item is exceeded, and if a specific total payment amount is exceeded.
Stating that they are a retailer not wholesaler.
However, the Executive is unwilling to disclose ( to customers and  agents told me, even to them!) either the maximum number of any one item, nor the maximum total payment. This leaves customers in a position of having to second-guess how much they are permitted to order.
The the reason for the 72 hour wait between each order attempt is unfathomable and was not disclosed in the reply.
I've asked agents to report this issue in previous years, to no avail.
I wonder if Boots.com wishes to close Boots UK. Could it be a sanction?

ThisAndThat2024

P.S. Should you wish to make your thoughts known, the CEO of Boots UK is Anthony Hemmerdinger  Executive.Office@boots.co.uk

eddddy

ThisAndThat2024 said:

Boots cancels if the number of any one item is exceeded, and if a specific total payment amount is exceeded.
Stating that they are a retailer not wholesaler.

Many retailers use Artificial Intelligence (and Machine Learning) to cancel 'suspicious' orders - and often, a 'human' cannot give a precise reason for the cancellation.


In simple terms, Machine Learning would work something like this:

The retailer would give the computer system the following information:

• Here are the last 5 million customer orders from the last 5 years, with customer details etc

• Of those 5 million, it turned out that these 50,000 orders were suspicious. e.g. wholesalers, or ordered by a bot,  (or ordered by fraudsters) etc

And now the computer system is looking at your order and saying that...

based on your name; address; postcode; type of products; quantity of products; value of order; pattern of ordering; type of device you're ordering on; the way you navigated the app; etc, etc, etc...

... your order is similar to those 50,000 suspicious orders. So the computer is canceling the order "just in case".


But with most retailers, if you contact them, and you can convince them that you are not suspicious, a 'human' will override the computer's cancellation, and let the order go through.

infj

I am also suffering this problem - tried yesterday - computer says NO!
Tried again this morning - same thing. I am trying to buy 10 of a very small item that only costs £3 and on which they have buy 1 get 1 half price. But if they don't want my money I'll go somewhere else - maybe this is why they are losing money and have been sold to private equity??