It might be useful to know that brands like Calvin Klein also licence out the brand name, that's why in outlet villages, you find differenr styles at lower pricepoints.
This might be a legitimately licenced product, but just, you know, shit because it is Wowcher.
They are a market place that provides "deals" from other companies. When groupon (I think the original) first started they were genuine good deals from companies using it as an alternative to advertising, as they wanted to get a foothold in the market.
Now, thanks to an increase in fees and saturation, it's rare to find genuinely good deals on any that I know.
Probably one for the legal advice sub. You have a right to reject mail order goods for any reason within 14 days, but typically wouldn't get postage refunded - which is maybe why they do it in the first place!
I think I might be tempted to contact CK too - https://www.calvinklein.co.uk/brand-protection - but also maybe their social media team and see if that can help escalate things quickly.
As I understood it - if it's their fault, you should get it refunded; if it's because you just don't like but it's otherwise working and as described, then I think they don't have to and the return postage is on you too.
I bought a msytery gadget box for £15 & got 6 lightbulbs not even smart light bulb & didn't fit any of my lamps or lights. so make of that what you will.
Can I just ask, I see this advised a lot but this the preferred route in the first instance?
I've heard that the vendor (Wowcher can then ban you for it), which fair enough if you never want to use that company again, but is the preferred route not to follow complaints procedure and then do a charge back?
If you read the post you’ll see OP has already complained to Wowcher who are fobbing her off.
In this instance I would not hesitate to get refund via my bank: I would never return to a shop that sold counterfeit good then dicked me around when I complained.
OP should also leave Wowcher appropriately bad reviews on Trustpilot and all of Wowchers socials. They’re dodgy AF.
Well done! Bad companies care more about their reputation (and future sales) than providing decent customer service. You might want to flame them on Twitter and whatever socials they have :)
Agree with this! Also wonder if you tell Wowcher you're reporting this to Trading Standards or some other agency if they'll finally get interested in compensating you.
I’ve done chargebacks before - there’s a mandatory period the bank has to follow so when they say be patient they probably can’t do anything yet. Check the bank’s website for the process, make sure you’ve got a record of your complaints to the company and then raise it at the appropriate time. Really straightforward and you’ll get your chargeback fine.
Tell them you're not interested in waiting and that you've passed on the information to trading standards anyway, then they can "patiently wait" to be investigated
I used to work at Wowcher and most of the stuff they sell is from random ass other companies that you'd never even consider buying from. They have 0 control over the products themselves and they do mostly come from China.
The only things I buy on there now are printer ink and software.
I've used them/Groupon for hotel stays in off peak periods, spa breaks/days, and some other stuff before and they've been fine.
Always have to read the small print.
But basically I think their services vouchers are better than their product vouchers. I probably wouldn't buy many products from them unless I knew the end retailer was legit.
Yeah their services are a lot better - we used to use them for holidays when we were broke but now we can afford to stay in nicer hotels we book direct.
The end retailers are technically legit (Wowcher have a few of their own warehouses) and there are some good things on there sometimes but they still seem sketchy and often they're from 3rd parties for 3rd parties.
They tend to make things sound better than you'll get ill use paintball for an example on average groupon/voucher deals are about £20 per person with 100 paintball they will tell you that is enough for whole days paintballing
Which is complete Bullshit 100 paintball will last you less than 100 seconds if you have any fun. My advice if you want to do an experience book straight with the operator don't use these voucher sites it may seem cheaper but you will be getting the lowest package.
Yeah they 100% do, that's why you have to read the t&cs. They also have way more in stock than their "only 200 left" and when their countdown runs out, the product is taken down but then it's put back up with a new countdown within a few weeks so they can get around the rules about it.
I bought a kids playhouse with ‘free’ delivery. Only after I’d paid for it was it clear that the ‘free delivery’ was actually ‘£20 delivery or free pickup from a location 2 hours away’.
Took AGES to get my money back. Was messaging them through WhatsApp iirc. I did eventually get a refund but I’ll never use them again.
They are the middle man so you can get the odd good deal or not, but they don't personally supply you your pants there so are as stuck as you in many ways. Although I'd be demanding they refund the money or go via my bank and they can wait for this "information" their end. Generally I find these voucher type things they win because people think they get some kind of deal but it is all very theoretical. You save money on a hotel or restaurant, but is it one you would have gone to anyway, and they may restrict things like times you can even go. Many people they hope will buy the deal and never use it, so it expires. I just avoid entirely as in your case it was something you wanted at a good price but they've got hold of fakes anyway.
Wowcher only sell vouchers which can be redeemed on other sites which may or may not be completely legit (although sometimes the transaction can happen entirely within Wowcher's website, Wowcher don't actually sell the product)
Wowcher themselves are fine, the company you bought a voucher from them for may not be
For physical products Wowcher actually handle the selection of items too. In quite a weird way, where you buy the voucher, then select the size etc on the wowcher website.
I think they are still just a "middle man" though. I don't think they actually handle the product they just take your money and then tell another company to send you the product.
I bought a Microsoft code from wowcher which was, looking back, an obvious scam. I'll never use the company again - reported it but didn't get my money back.
My company was approached by Wowcher to start offering deals on their platform, so I can provide maybe some inside useful context.
Everything on Wowcher should be at a discount compared to what it's originally sold for. But they don't really care, and are very happy to lie and stretch the truth to make something sound better than it is. Example: if we were selling preowned iPhones on wowcher, we would want to get back the same money we do if selling direct, so Wowcher would just increase the price by their fee (c.30%), and then tell us to make a fake listing on our website that showed the item at a much higher listed price so they could sale 40% discount compared to RRP or something. That or they would just use the brand new RRP of the model as the compare at price. Obviously comparing the price of a brand new iPhone 16 at launch compared to a second hand one a few years later gives a huge discount, but that's what they want. In this situation, they also make it very hidden/vague that the item is preowned.
Their website is absolutely full of fake items, and they generally have little concern for most laws. It still blows my mind that they can continue operating without getting screwed given what they're doing.
Anyway, I think they're a bunch of cons and hate everything about them. Most importantly, you'll probably get the same or better deal going direct to the company you're buying from
I’ve used Wowcher for a holiday once and it was absolutely fine. That being said, counterfeit goods are so hard to fight against even the legit companies supply them without realising. Take a charge back with your bank it’s the only way you’ll solve it
Wowcher are terrible. I ordered something from them years ago, order kept being delayed until they finally cancelled it and then they refused to give me a refund in anything other than wowcher credits because it had been too long since the initial order to do a cash refund.
Wowcher (and also Groupon) are a bit like Amazon Marketplace, in that different sellers/companies use their site to put on offers. The offers are not run by the Wowcher etc themselves.
I've used it and Groupon a couple of times and usually had no issue but a couple of times had slight issues that I managed to sort and got any extra expenses the issues caused refunded by the companies. I've only done experiences or restaurant vouchers though, rather than buying goods.
As you have been sold counterfeit goods I would contact both the seller and Wowcher (they will want to know as they won't be happy about fake goods on their site). Offer to return the items for a full refund (with your postage costs also refunded). Let them know that you'll also be contacting Action Fraud. I would also put a negative review on the offer page saying that the goods are fake, to alert future buyers. Hopefully you will get your money back/a new voucher. If not, get the charges reversed through your bank.
Photo books, hotel stays, experiences, the odd meal. I'd never buy a specific product from wowcher or Groupon for that matter, just looking at it screams Chinese crap to me
Are you sure they're counterfeit and not licensed products? The CK brand is licensed quite a lot to places like Costco (and even places like TK Maxx I think) and their versions of the CK underwear (including packaging) look quite different from the "official" stuff.
I find with wowcher that the companies either send lower quality items (by the same brand ie seconds) or provide lesser quality service for example if you book in somewhere like a restaurant, spa hotel using the voucher.
It worked fine when I wanted a cheap second hand phone for texting only and they were offering vouchers for blackberries for £10.
So I don’t think you got fakes per se especially if the website was genuine but you may have got seconds.
They’re definitely legit because they have a head office in Kentish Town. Whether they’re any good is another question. I haven’t used them in about 15 years.
I booked a weekend away in a caravan the other year . Meant to get one of the higher end ones. Turned out to be the absolute basic. The people on site were great and ended up getting a superior cabin because wowchers advertisement was completely wrong ,
I’d never use them again
Wowcher kind of reminds me of (I think its called) "virgin experience"? It's a hit and miss whether the "product" you purchased was the real thing or whether it is the (and to use the phrase) "too good to be true" situation if that make sense.
Yes but nothing is ever as you expect. I once purchased a really affordable overnight stay with dinner and breakfast on there (somewhere I really wanted to go with my husband so not just a random place). When we arrived, we were treated pretty badly. The room was fine but the included breakfast and dinner was a separate, pretty crap menu, the staff looked at us like we were dirt and then we were hit with a bill when we left because apparently something we chose off the menu they gave us wasn't included in our room rate.
I used to buy from Wowcher all the time until I found that I could find most items cheaper somewhere on the internet. The deals aren't always good deals.
Experiences are usually better - like the hotel stays and spa days.
Yeah it annoying, I’ve bought a few things off Wowcher (usually photo gifts) and you pay very little on the wowcher site, then when it sends you to the website to order, you end up paying silly fees on top, which makes it not worth it.
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pointlesstips@reddit
It might be useful to know that brands like Calvin Klein also licence out the brand name, that's why in outlet villages, you find differenr styles at lower pricepoints.
This might be a legitimately licenced product, but just, you know, shit because it is Wowcher.
jimicus@reddit
If so, I'm sure Calvin Klein will be very interested to learn that one of their licensees is slapping their name on rubbish.
geeered@reddit
They are a market place that provides "deals" from other companies. When groupon (I think the original) first started they were genuine good deals from companies using it as an alternative to advertising, as they wanted to get a foothold in the market.
Now, thanks to an increase in fees and saturation, it's rare to find genuinely good deals on any that I know.
Probably one for the legal advice sub. You have a right to reject mail order goods for any reason within 14 days, but typically wouldn't get postage refunded - which is maybe why they do it in the first place!
I think I might be tempted to contact CK too - https://www.calvinklein.co.uk/brand-protection - but also maybe their social media team and see if that can help escalate things quickly.
Round_Grand_4716@reddit
I'm pretty sure if you return everything you get postage refunded. I looked it up on citizens advice. Whether or not you will though
geeered@reddit
As I understood it - if it's their fault, you should get it refunded; if it's because you just don't like but it's otherwise working and as described, then I think they don't have to and the return postage is on you too.
jimicus@reddit
This is "technically true, but...."
The sort of company that's selling counterfeit goods probably doesn't care about a lot of other things. Like statutory rights.
justploddingonn@reddit (OP)
Didn’t think about contacting CK. That’s an interesting shout. Thanks!
Spare_Tyre1212@reddit
You gave my sympathies. And once they have your email address they will never stop emailing you sh*t.
Rossco1874@reddit
I bought a msytery gadget box for £15 & got 6 lightbulbs not even smart light bulb & didn't fit any of my lamps or lights. so make of that what you will.
Fun-Yam2210@reddit
If you’ve been sold counterfeit goods, raise it with your bank and do a chargeback. You’ll get refunded.
Alternative-Day5268@reddit
Can I just ask, I see this advised a lot but this the preferred route in the first instance?
I've heard that the vendor (Wowcher can then ban you for it), which fair enough if you never want to use that company again, but is the preferred route not to follow complaints procedure and then do a charge back?
Fun-Yam2210@reddit
If you read the post you’ll see OP has already complained to Wowcher who are fobbing her off.
In this instance I would not hesitate to get refund via my bank: I would never return to a shop that sold counterfeit good then dicked me around when I complained.
OP should also leave Wowcher appropriately bad reviews on Trustpilot and all of Wowchers socials. They’re dodgy AF.
justploddingonn@reddit (OP)
The only reason they responded to my emails was because I left a review on trustpilot. very dodgy!
Fun-Yam2210@reddit
Well done! Bad companies care more about their reputation (and future sales) than providing decent customer service. You might want to flame them on Twitter and whatever socials they have :)
SienteElBern@reddit
Agree with this! Also wonder if you tell Wowcher you're reporting this to Trading Standards or some other agency if they'll finally get interested in compensating you.
justploddingonn@reddit (OP)
I informed them of this and they told me to wait patiently 🫣
Carmarthencowboy@reddit
I’ve done chargebacks before - there’s a mandatory period the bank has to follow so when they say be patient they probably can’t do anything yet. Check the bank’s website for the process, make sure you’ve got a record of your complaints to the company and then raise it at the appropriate time. Really straightforward and you’ll get your chargeback fine.
OfficalSwanPrincess@reddit
Tell them you're not interested in waiting and that you've passed on the information to trading standards anyway, then they can "patiently wait" to be investigated
spudkt@reddit
I've been scammed by them aswell
jaymeswomansfield@reddit
I bought a refurbished chromebook on Wowcher and it arrived without a battery!
BemaJinn@reddit
There's ALWAYS hidden costs with Wowcher and other sites alike, like you found out with the shipping.
Don't bother using them unless you know 100% what you're getting.
goodmythicalmickey@reddit
I used to work at Wowcher and most of the stuff they sell is from random ass other companies that you'd never even consider buying from. They have 0 control over the products themselves and they do mostly come from China.
The only things I buy on there now are printer ink and software.
Mediocre_Sprinkles@reddit
I bought printer ink from Wowcher because it was an ok deal. Whole thing exploded ink everywhere and destroyed the printer.
PolarLocalCallingSvc@reddit
I've used them/Groupon for hotel stays in off peak periods, spa breaks/days, and some other stuff before and they've been fine.
Always have to read the small print.
But basically I think their services vouchers are better than their product vouchers. I probably wouldn't buy many products from them unless I knew the end retailer was legit.
goodmythicalmickey@reddit
Yeah their services are a lot better - we used to use them for holidays when we were broke but now we can afford to stay in nicer hotels we book direct.
The end retailers are technically legit (Wowcher have a few of their own warehouses) and there are some good things on there sometimes but they still seem sketchy and often they're from 3rd parties for 3rd parties.
skilledbiscuit1@reddit
They tend to make things sound better than you'll get ill use paintball for an example on average groupon/voucher deals are about £20 per person with 100 paintball they will tell you that is enough for whole days paintballing Which is complete Bullshit 100 paintball will last you less than 100 seconds if you have any fun. My advice if you want to do an experience book straight with the operator don't use these voucher sites it may seem cheaper but you will be getting the lowest package.
goodmythicalmickey@reddit
Yeah they 100% do, that's why you have to read the t&cs. They also have way more in stock than their "only 200 left" and when their countdown runs out, the product is taken down but then it's put back up with a new countdown within a few weeks so they can get around the rules about it.
PaulandoUK@reddit
Absolute scummy company.
I bought a kids playhouse with ‘free’ delivery. Only after I’d paid for it was it clear that the ‘free delivery’ was actually ‘£20 delivery or free pickup from a location 2 hours away’.
Took AGES to get my money back. Was messaging them through WhatsApp iirc. I did eventually get a refund but I’ll never use them again.
terryjuicelawson@reddit
They are the middle man so you can get the odd good deal or not, but they don't personally supply you your pants there so are as stuck as you in many ways. Although I'd be demanding they refund the money or go via my bank and they can wait for this "information" their end. Generally I find these voucher type things they win because people think they get some kind of deal but it is all very theoretical. You save money on a hotel or restaurant, but is it one you would have gone to anyway, and they may restrict things like times you can even go. Many people they hope will buy the deal and never use it, so it expires. I just avoid entirely as in your case it was something you wanted at a good price but they've got hold of fakes anyway.
SeaElephant8890@reddit
I had the same problem with Wowcher with a branded baby light\monitor. (RRP £90) selling for £40
The advert displayed a branded product in the pictures and name and what was received was cheap Ali Express (£10) tat with none of the features.
Wowcher washed their hands of the issue at every opportunity even when notified of the fraudulent listing.
AvatarIII@reddit
Wowcher only sell vouchers which can be redeemed on other sites which may or may not be completely legit (although sometimes the transaction can happen entirely within Wowcher's website, Wowcher don't actually sell the product)
Wowcher themselves are fine, the company you bought a voucher from them for may not be
mrak69@reddit
For physical products Wowcher actually handle the selection of items too. In quite a weird way, where you buy the voucher, then select the size etc on the wowcher website.
AvatarIII@reddit
I think they are still just a "middle man" though. I don't think they actually handle the product they just take your money and then tell another company to send you the product.
NekoZombieRaw@reddit
I bought a Microsoft code from wowcher which was, looking back, an obvious scam. I'll never use the company again - reported it but didn't get my money back.
mrak69@reddit
My company was approached by Wowcher to start offering deals on their platform, so I can provide maybe some inside useful context.
Everything on Wowcher should be at a discount compared to what it's originally sold for. But they don't really care, and are very happy to lie and stretch the truth to make something sound better than it is. Example: if we were selling preowned iPhones on wowcher, we would want to get back the same money we do if selling direct, so Wowcher would just increase the price by their fee (c.30%), and then tell us to make a fake listing on our website that showed the item at a much higher listed price so they could sale 40% discount compared to RRP or something. That or they would just use the brand new RRP of the model as the compare at price. Obviously comparing the price of a brand new iPhone 16 at launch compared to a second hand one a few years later gives a huge discount, but that's what they want. In this situation, they also make it very hidden/vague that the item is preowned.
Their website is absolutely full of fake items, and they generally have little concern for most laws. It still blows my mind that they can continue operating without getting screwed given what they're doing.
Anyway, I think they're a bunch of cons and hate everything about them. Most importantly, you'll probably get the same or better deal going direct to the company you're buying from
VictoryAppropriate68@reddit
I’ve used Wowcher for a holiday once and it was absolutely fine. That being said, counterfeit goods are so hard to fight against even the legit companies supply them without realising. Take a charge back with your bank it’s the only way you’ll solve it
BigBlueMountainStar@reddit
Holidays are pretty difficult to counterfeit 😂
sleepyprojectionist@reddit
Turns out that Spain was actually a warehouse in Slough.
Suspicious_Safety_45@reddit
Wowcher are terrible. I ordered something from them years ago, order kept being delayed until they finally cancelled it and then they refused to give me a refund in anything other than wowcher credits because it had been too long since the initial order to do a cash refund.
Timely_Resist_2744@reddit
Wowcher (and also Groupon) are a bit like Amazon Marketplace, in that different sellers/companies use their site to put on offers. The offers are not run by the Wowcher etc themselves.
I've used it and Groupon a couple of times and usually had no issue but a couple of times had slight issues that I managed to sort and got any extra expenses the issues caused refunded by the companies. I've only done experiences or restaurant vouchers though, rather than buying goods.
As you have been sold counterfeit goods I would contact both the seller and Wowcher (they will want to know as they won't be happy about fake goods on their site). Offer to return the items for a full refund (with your postage costs also refunded). Let them know that you'll also be contacting Action Fraud. I would also put a negative review on the offer page saying that the goods are fake, to alert future buyers. Hopefully you will get your money back/a new voucher. If not, get the charges reversed through your bank.
Sad_Cardiologist5388@reddit
Photo books, hotel stays, experiences, the odd meal. I'd never buy a specific product from wowcher or Groupon for that matter, just looking at it screams Chinese crap to me
jamesdownwell@reddit
Are you sure they're counterfeit and not licensed products? The CK brand is licensed quite a lot to places like Costco (and even places like TK Maxx I think) and their versions of the CK underwear (including packaging) look quite different from the "official" stuff.
julialoveslush@reddit
I find with wowcher that the companies either send lower quality items (by the same brand ie seconds) or provide lesser quality service for example if you book in somewhere like a restaurant, spa hotel using the voucher.
It worked fine when I wanted a cheap second hand phone for texting only and they were offering vouchers for blackberries for £10.
So I don’t think you got fakes per se especially if the website was genuine but you may have got seconds.
patogatopato@reddit
This is what I'd suspect. It's TK Maxx style - still made by the same brand but to a different spec.
_kipling@reddit
Do a chargeback with your bank and leave reviews wherever you can - trustpilot, Google etc.
Definitely keep the pressure on wowcher for a refund, that's awful!
iloovehugecock@reddit
They’re definitely legit because they have a head office in Kentish Town. Whether they’re any good is another question. I haven’t used them in about 15 years.
MintyPinkDreams@reddit
I booked a weekend away in a caravan the other year . Meant to get one of the higher end ones. Turned out to be the absolute basic. The people on site were great and ended up getting a superior cabin because wowchers advertisement was completely wrong , I’d never use them again
Any-Pattern8246@reddit
Wowcher kind of reminds me of (I think its called) "virgin experience"? It's a hit and miss whether the "product" you purchased was the real thing or whether it is the (and to use the phrase) "too good to be true" situation if that make sense.
ApplicationSouth8844@reddit
Refund
Themagiciancard@reddit
Yes but nothing is ever as you expect. I once purchased a really affordable overnight stay with dinner and breakfast on there (somewhere I really wanted to go with my husband so not just a random place). When we arrived, we were treated pretty badly. The room was fine but the included breakfast and dinner was a separate, pretty crap menu, the staff looked at us like we were dirt and then we were hit with a bill when we left because apparently something we chose off the menu they gave us wasn't included in our room rate.
NoEnthusiasm2@reddit
I used to buy from Wowcher all the time until I found that I could find most items cheaper somewhere on the internet. The deals aren't always good deals.
Experiences are usually better - like the hotel stays and spa days.
iffyClyro@reddit
Yes they are but exercise caution when you’re buying from them, check the small print.
worldworn@reddit
Yes, I've bought before and never paid anymore. But you have to read the t&c
Loud_Narwhal7721@reddit
Yeah it annoying, I’ve bought a few things off Wowcher (usually photo gifts) and you pay very little on the wowcher site, then when it sends you to the website to order, you end up paying silly fees on top, which makes it not worth it.
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