AIBU to tell you to avoid Green Chef like the plague?

These boxes are actually highly over priced when you consider most meals are a variation on cheap pasta and noodle dishes. Even for the convenience they are an absolute bloody rip off

Wish I'd read this before doing EXACTLY what OP did. I had to enter my card details and look for meals to order, decided I didn't like anything to cancelled my subscription. I then went to look at the account and it said my order would be with me on 25 March. I've had to go through phoning them (and it's an overseas call centre which has put me off even more) and cancelling.

I'd avoid using this company.

@Fohxy you could ask MN to move just your first post to the Legal Matters section here.

I’m unclear about the 5 day thing you mentioned but it sounds like a straight up case where you owe them nothing. hopefully someone can give you reassurance there.

This doesn't seem fair at all OP. I wouldn't be happy being sent unsolicited food that couldn't be eaten due to allergies. Personally I'd contact the guardian consumer affairs unit. They may then contact the company on your behalf plus will spread the word of this dodgy practice

Send them the meals back?

Fohxy, never wrestle with a pig, the pig enjoys it and you'll just get covered in mud.

You lost the battle when you gave away food which didn't belong to you. Who even does that?

... and there's another one. Fondly 'imagining' instead of actually understanding.

Quick with the patronising (but irrelevant) 'advice' too.

Well, this is how companies operate these days. Yes it’s shitty.

But I really don’t see how you can get out of paying. You have had the food, whether it was donated or not. Their business practices are designed to stitch people up like this. But they are legal I imagine.

Never give payment details.
Never go for an offer that’s too good to be true.

Did you even bother to read the post? 'caveat emptor' <cringing at you>

I feel you OP. I could not afford to part with £20 on top of my shopping budget for no edible food.

I would go back to them, firmly explain that they have refunded you the money as they have agreed the boxes should not have been sent, and that you insist they stop harassing you for this.

Definitely don't pay.

They deserve to go under, they joined in late and have taken what is actually a great concept and messed it up with their greed. If I ever took this up again I would choose Gousto they're decent with good customer service.

All of these 'meal box' companies demand your details before they even let you look at the meals available

That alone would put me off - it's perfectly possible to see what's offerered and then enter details if you want to order, so the fact they don't do that seems to me to be inviting issues

I believe that Hello Fresh at least are said to be on the skids, so maybe the bubble of this particular fad has burst?

Edited to add that apparently Green Chef are now owned by Hello Fresh, so no wonder they're gouging for whatever they can ...

To answer the question on the thread title - Yes, YABU.

You sighted up for a service, didn't read the T&C thoroughly and have been caught out. This is 100% your own fault and in no way a reason to avoid this company. Caveat Emptor.

I've also had similar problems with Hello Fresh. Took ages on the phone to sort out.

Gousto have been completely fine, excellent even, as once I was going to be away, was late cancelling and they sorted it anyway. Mindful chef have also been fine but my kids are not as keen on the recipes.

My understanding is that OP technically ‘signed up’ 4 days before the delivery date but as their cancellation is 5 days, she was unable to stop the 2 meals from being delivered. Looks like a mix of misunderstanding on OP’s part (probably something written in very small print somewhere) and cheeky behaviour on behalf of the company who likely make a lot of money by catching people out this way.

However, OP, on this occasion I’d probably pay up purely because it likely IS written in their terms somewhere which therefore technically means they’re not in the wrong (morally, however, is a different story). I just don’t think “only” £20 is worth the possibility of it being sent to a debt agency.

My sympathies though because I did hello fresh before at a cost of £40 a week, when I paused a box because I was away they sent it away and I had to pay, resulting in an awful waste of both food and money. And when I could no longer afford it I cancelled it and still received 2 more boxes which I had to pay for after that also.

There are some highly underhanded practices circulating these days imo- automatically signing up for subscriptions over one off. Hello fresh repeatedly send me offers- I’ve told them unless I can browse products I’m not giving payment details- do you hand your card over before you enter ikea? I’d send a strongly worded email (detailing the dates) and ‘out’ these devious practices on twitter/Facebook

I also get this, OP. All of these 'meal box' companies demand your details before they even let you look at the meals available.

I've tried a couple of them and whilst they're ok they not for me. I cancelled and Gousto was fine (I might even go back to them) but Hello Fresh was the other one and they kept ringing me when I cancelled, they actually reinstated my account twice 'in error' but started putting meals on there and I had to threaten them with legal action to stop them. I did get the odd one or two sales calls from them after but blocked them.

Ignore and block them, OP. Don't be bullied by these twats.

I think HelloFresh was the same for me on my first referral link - you couldn't see any of the menu details without inputting your information. I got a good discount though so was happy to get the food, but sorry that's happened to you. I used a 70% off code with Gousto there and got 5 meals for 4 for less than £20, but I'd never be able to afford it at normal price. (Happy to refer you if you need some meals on a budget, but it's the same thing in that you need to make sure you cancel if you don't want expensive ongoing payments)

I fully get you OP.
Something similar (but at least not dangerous regarding allergies) happened to me with Fabletics.
I wanted some leggings and their website would not allow me to buy without ticking a subscription box thingy- which it did on its own, nevermind how I tried to carry on without it. It eventually happened and I got my leggings. But, they took money from my account, which they turned into points. So I had to buy more items from them and unsubscribe.
Now, I have learnt my lesson and I ran like the wind whenever I bump into any company that asks for anything extra to either check their website or purchase an item.
It should be illegal. They should be banned. As our customer protection guys do not seem to be doing their job, it is up to us then. Just blank refuse to buy or give any information to any of these companies.
Thanks so much for warning others about these guys!

It's like glossy box, sign up to get the half price box, and then cannot cancel the next box as you have less than 14 days to cancel it

(Sorry for quoting the op, it's one of my pet hates and I can't believe i did it!!!!)