I am giving Gousto 1 star because I was charged 50 for a box I never knowingly ordered, under a socalled ??flexible subscription? that was never clearly disclosed as weekly or recurring, and with no active confirmation step before money was taken.The only notice I received was an email titled ?? 2 days left to pick recipes for your 19 April box.? It looked like a promotional reminder??not a legally binding order confirmation or payment notice. There was no mention of a 50 charge, no clear warning, and no indication that inaction would lock in a paid order.This is a violation of Directive 201183EU on consumer rights.Under Article 82, businesses are required to present clear, prominent, and timely information about pricing, contract terms, and subscription frequency before a consumer is bound. Gousto failed on all counts.Worse still, the box hadn??t even been delivered yet, which means my 14day right to withdraw under Article 91 was still fully valid. Perishable goods can exempted under Article 16c??but that only applies AFTER delivery, not before.Customer service responded with canned explanations and tried to frame this as my oversight??effectively gaslighting me, despite the fact that their own communications and process were opaque, misleading, and noncompliant with EU law. They refunded only a partial amount at first, as a ??gesture of goodwill,? instead of acknowledging they had no legal basis to charge me at all. I had to escalate and cite legislation just to get my own money back.This was stressful, confusing, and a total waste of time.I genuinely thought my card had been compromised because I had no idea this charge was coming. I spent hours investigating, combing through vague emails, and researching consumer law??just to prove I had never actually agreed to this charge.This is not a transparent service??it??s a subscription trap backed by legal evasion and manipulative customer support.Avoid Gousto completely if you value consent, transparency, and your own time.

Date of experience: January 07, 2025

Knowledge and friendly Shawna

Date of experience: December 20, 2024