Gourmet Society

[justme9]

Last year I signed up for a £1 Gourmet Society membership trial offer for three months. I never received the original membership card but chased them and eventually got this.

 

In the original email with my order confirmation it stated:

 

Important note: The Gourmet Society is an on-going membership subscription service. You will be sent a renewal towards the end of your Initial Term (detailed above) and your subscription will automatically renew at the renewal date (and at the end of each subsequent term) until cancelled. Details of how to cancel are contained in your renewal pack. If you change address, please contact us.

 

 

 

I never received the renewal pack, which as per the above also included the details on how to cancel allegedly.

 

I noticed that I have been charged £39.95 on my latest card statement so I contacted them yesterday. They said they would not refund this as I had not cancelled, but will not acknowledge that I never received the above, which is apparently my issue. Their customer resolutions manager was due to call be back between 0930 - 1230 today but never called. I called them this afternoon and they were due to call back at 1700 but there's been no call. I tried to call them a few minutes ago but their lines close at 1700.

 

I've now been charged £39.95 for a service / product I don't even have, and they won't refund.

 

Has anyone been in a similar situation / any advice please?

 

Next time I won't trust a company to send the renewal notice, I will also make a note to call them [which I would have done if they hadn't said they send a renewal notice.....].

 

Thanks.

[justme9]

PS just to state the obvious, I've not changed address / email address / contact details so I've no idea why this seems to be the only company with issues posting stuff to me....

[rebel11]

Hi Just

 

Welcome to CAG

 

When exactly did you join? How did you pay?

 

You might be able to do a Chargeback , the clock is ticking.

 

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/problem/how-do-i-use-chargeback

[justme9]

I joined in August, the payment was taken on 16th January and has just come through on my latest statement.

[rebel11]

How did you pay? Credit Card?, Debit Card?, Direct Debit?

 

I joined in August, the payment was taken on 16th January and has just come through on my latest statement.

[justme9]

Sorry, I missed that question - credit card.

[rebel11]

Ask your Credit Card provider to do a Chargeback, explain that you have just noticed. Let us know what they say.

 

Sorry, I missed that question - credit card.

[justme9]

I've just called my card provider and they have various forms which they are now sending to me, so that I can do this. Thanks for the replies.

[rebel11]

Let us know what happens.

[justme9]

I have now had an email from GS saying that I had to call them to let them know I wanted to cancel - it fails to acknowledge their order confirmation says cancellation details are sent in the renewal notice and the renewal notice is sent to you. They've also offered to send a new card for the remainder of my membership - I don't want it, but then they've charged for a service that for two months I've had no access to....

 

Anyway, forms requested from the card company and will reply here with updates.

[rebel11]

O.K. fill in the forms, update thread.

[richytay]

Hi. I would be very wary of this company. They have started renewing memberships early so that when you phone up to cancel at the end of the membership, they have already charged you for renewal and they won't let you cancel. And they won't give you the money back. They renewed me over a week early.

 

That can't be right. Can it? Even if it says in their t&cs (which they don't make clear to you if you renew over the phone as I did), do you not have a statutory right to decline a service before it has even started?

 

They email you to tell you but it gets lost or ignored along with the other 5 or 6 emails that they send you every week.

 

After 5 phone conversations, an email and a posted letter, the best they can do is offer half the money back as a "good will gesture". It feels like they've conned me out of £40 then give me £20 back and expect me to be happy about it!

[rebel11]

Hi richytay

 

Welcome to CAG

 

Have you contacted your bank? Trading Standards?

If they have Facebook or Twitter, leave a nice message.

 

Hi. I would be very wary of this company. They have started renewing memberships early so that when you phone up to cancel at the end of the membership, they have already charged you for renewal and they won't let you cancel. And they won't give you the money back. They renewed me over a week early.

 

That can't be right. Can it? Even if it says in their t&cs (which they don't make clear to you if you renew over the phone as I did), do you not have a statutory right to decline a service before it has even started?

 

They email you to tell you but it gets lost or ignored along with the other 5 or 6 emails that they send you every week.

 

After 5 phone conversations, an email and a posted letter, the best they can do is offer half the money back as a "good will gesture". It feels like they've conned me out of £40 then give me £20 back and expect me to be happy about it!

[richytay]

Hi richytay

 

Welcome to CAG

 

Have you contacted your bank? Trading Standards?

If they have Facebook or Twitter, leave a nice message.

 

Hi. I don't do Facebook or twitter. I have spoken to the bank re chargebacks. I have threatened them (GS) with reporting the matter to the OFT, but they aren't playing ball. It's not the money that bothers me so much, they only owe me £20 now, it's barely worth the hassle. But it's the principle that bothers me. In my opinion they do this deliberately to stop people cancelling their memberships and making them pay for a service that they don't want. I shouldn't have to fight like this to get my money back.

[HR60]

I have just seen that GS have taken 39.95 from my account today and my free trial doesn't end until the 30th, no warning, no email reminder, nothing! This is a terrible way to run a business. I am yet to hear a response back from them, but wondered how far you had all got with them and chargeback from the banks? Their 39.95 made me overdrawn!! I never even used the card during the free trial because it is simply full of Indian restaurants and not a lot else!

[maultby40]

I have just had the same taken from my bank account with no warning and I'm disgusted. Spoken to my bank who will not allow any further payments and will contact GS and have a go.

[HR60]

I have just had the same taken from my bank account with no warning and I'm disgusted. Spoken to my bank who will not allow any further payments and will contact GS and have a go.

 

Ive just received an email from them stating that they sent me a renewal email twice and that it is not their fault if it went into my junk. I check my junk daily for important emails so this isnt true. They never actually sent it!! I am furious and about to call them

[maultby40]

Ive just received an email from them stating that they sent me a renewal email twice and that it is not their fault if it went into my junk. I check my junk daily for important emails so this isnt true. They never actually sent it!! I am furious and about to call them

 

 

I've tried to get through myself -7 in queue on an 0845 number from my mobile as I'm at work is going to run up another bill! Good luck!

[amandaleeds]

I have the exact same problem - no reminder email even in junk folder. just a letter with the new card referring to a renewal email. Tried calling but can't get through, messaged twice on Facebook but no reply, emailed customer services and also written to them but no reply. I paid by debit card so not sure what the bank can do?

[gizzmo]

Same thing happened to me today. I received no notification from them at all - my membership is not due for renewal until tomorrow so I called them today to say I didn't want to renew. They said too late and they have already debited £39.95 on the 22nd - even though renewal was not due until the 30th. This is a pure [problem] company. In the 3 months that I have had their trial membership I have not even used it once. I also did not get any email notifications from them. I have raised a complaint with my credit card company and am waiting for the forms. They have also blocked GS from taking any further money from my account in future.

 

Has anyone had any further success getting their money back from GS? This whole auto-subscription procedure should be banned in my opinion. People should have to accept to renew things. Its completely unfair to the consumer. How do we go about getting this passed into law?

[amandaleeds]

Their Ts and Cs on the original email I received said they would notify me by email before renewing - as they didn't notify me then they did agree to refund the money. It took me a few emails and a written letter but I eventually got there!

[gizzmo]

Same thing happened to me today. I received no notification from them at all - my membership is not due for renewal until tomorrow so I called them today to say I didn't want to renew. They said too late and they have already debited £39.95 on the 22nd - even though renewal was not due until the 30th. This is a pure [problem] company. In the 3 months that I have had their trial membership I have not even used it once. I also did not get any email notifications from them. I have raised a complaint with my credit card company and am waiting for the forms. They have also blocked GS from taking any further money from my account in future.

 

Has anyone had any further success getting their money back from GS? This whole auto-subscription procedure should be banned in my opinion. People should have to accept to renew things. Its completely unfair to the consumer. How do we go about getting this passed into law?

 

Just to update I had a couple of emails back and forth with customer relations, and they eventually replied with the following:

 

"As per our agreement we did send two reminder emails to you prior to the renewal of your membership on the 9th and 19th of April 2015 also via Amazon SES. We do check that emails can and have been received to the registered mailbox prior to sending these reminders. I can see however that on this occasion your reminder emails remain unread and I am happy to accept that you have not seen these reminders and therefore did not have the same opportunity to cancel your membership as our other members. On this basis I am pleased to confirm that I have issued a full refund of your fee. A separate email will be sent to you confirming such and you should allow up to 3 working days for this to show in your account. "

 

I can confirm the refund was processed onto my credit card on the same day - I received an e-mail receipt for the refund and it was showing on my credit card the next day. So it definitely does pay to stand your ground, and as long as there is proof you didn't read the renewal e-mails you might stand a chance of getting your money back.

[paulh2015]

Same as the above, renewal early with no email about auto renewal. £40 removed from bank account

Called them and was told to send back the card to get refund.

2 different return addresses 72 and 63 lower hillgate.

sent back to 63 lower Hillgate recorded delivery but the tracker tells me no one was could sign for the delivery.

 

 

I think a email to watchdog may be in order. its a [problem].

[george.hibberd]

Has anyone had any luck with getting a refund from Gourmet Society. I've had the exact same problem with getting charged £39.95 a week before my membership was supposed to expire and renew. I also did NOT receive a reminder email that I needed to cancel the impending renewal. I phoned up and was refused a refund which is UNBELIEVABLE. When I eventually receive my new membership card, what's the full address I can return it to to get a refund?

[paulh2015]

Has anyone had any luck with getting a refund from Gourmet Society. I've had the exact same problem with getting charged £39.95 a week before my membership was supposed to expire and renew. I also did NOT receive a reminder email that I needed to cancel the impending renewal. I phoned up and was refused a refund which is UNBELIEVABLE. When I eventually receive my new membership card, what's the full address I can return it to to get a refund?

 

Yes I did, sent the whole pack back via royal mail tracked post, then emailed the proof of delivery to GS, and got a full refund.

From the royal mail website I got notification that they had attempted to deliver the parcel but no one was available to sign for it. Did a screen print of that and emailed that also. I used 63 Lower hillgate, as the return address, as there are at least 2.