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

[Fohxy]

Green chef are one of those meal box companies.
I saw an offer online but to look at the menu you had to add payment details.
I looked at the menu and they had automatically stuck two meals in my cart which I removed. One of which contained an ingredient which my child is very allergic to.
I looked at the menu but there was nothing I wanted so cancelled the subscription and left.
4 days later I got the box delivered containing the 2 meals that had been auto added to the cart.
I've explained all this to them. They say they have a 5 day cut off, but I only looked at the site 4 days before it was delivered.
I got my money back as I paid via paypal, but now they are emailing me asking me to pay.

Honestly, I can't afford it. It's "only" £20 but that's a significant amount of my current weekly budget. The food was donated.

So, obviously, please don't use these people, online reviews of this company are full of the same story, but also does anyone have any advice here? I'm trying to contact them again but getting nowhere.

I would heavily emphasise the allergy issue with them, and how they hadn't checked allergies. Ask them what their policies are re allergy. If they're poor you can always report them but not sure where to. Their local environmental health? Time to get on the offensive, their behaviour is absolutely deserving of it.

Yes I contacted them and they were most unhelpful citing a 5 day cut off for cancellation. However the date I first looked at the site, and the date of delivery were 4 days apart, so by their conditions cancellation was technically impossible. I thought, as I'd got the money back from paypal it was done with.
I couldn't eat it as it contained an ingredient my son is allergic to. (I kissed his cheek once and he got a rash as I'd eaten something earlier in the day) Plus the reason I removed it from the cart is that it wasn't food that I like. There was nothing much I either liked, or didn't contain the allergen, hence the reason for not ordering (or so I thought).
My neighbour volunteers at a local charity meal service so I passed the food to her.
I really can't afford to spend £20 on food if I'm not eating it. My weekly food budget for 4 is currently £55 a week. We're struggling financially. I thought this might be a nice treat as I'd got a small bonus.

But, it’s difficult to work out what else the OP could have done:

”they had automatically stuck two meals in my cart which I removed”

there was nothing I wanted so cancelled the subscription and left 4 days later* I got the box delivered containing the 2 meals that had been auto added to the cart.”

”They say they have a 5 day cut off, but I only looked at the site 4 days before it was delivered.”

I deleted the preselected meals.
I did not choose any further meals.
I cancelled the account and left the site.
They still sent the preselected meals, that I had deleted.

Thank you. That's quite helpful.

The same thing happened to me. I've stuck with Gousto ever since.

I can totally see how this has happened, it’s called dark something, algorithms I think, and is made to make it tricky for people to have full control over what is happening for them online. Examples include making the x too small to accurately press on an advert so you end up clicking the link instead. Anyway, on Tuesday I signed up for a free trial of a sheet music subscription site. I clicked the link that said seven day free trial, had to enter payment details as you usually do for free trials, and then was immediately charged for the whole year. Unfortunately it had included an automatic download of some music so I can’t get the money back. I will probably use it again as I’m a professional musician but was pretty annoyed at the time.

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!!!!)

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!

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 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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 ...

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

What was I meant to do with it?
They refuse to take it back.
Had I been home I would have refused delivery, however I was out and my DD took it in.
This was 3 weeks ago. I contacted them, got no joy, and claimed a refund via paypal.
Do I just leave a box of fresh food to fester?

I signed up as it was the only way to look at the menu.
I deleted the pre-selected meals.
I did not choose any further meals.
I cancelled my account and left the site. All in the space of a few minutes.
I fail to see how them sending me stuff I didn't order is still my fault.
Had I completed the check out, then I would admit liability here, but I didn't do that.

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