An investigation was launched by Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) who told Complete Savings it must make it clear that you need to sign up to a subscription
Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert.com has revealed how one person secured a refund of £675 after reading one of their articles. MSE had previously issued a warning about subscription service Complete Savings.
Complete Savings, which is owned by shopper reward programme Webloyalty, typically appears as pop-ups when you buy something online from certain retailers.
These adverts normally urge you “to claim the above reward, credited onto your card, when you next place an order” – but you actually need to sign up to Complete Savings first to get the cashback.
Complete Savings costs £18 a month – and in some cases, additional purchases are needed to get the cashback. MSE argued that the adverts imply cashback is credited without having to sign up to a scheme.
An investigation was launched by Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) who told Complete Savings it must make it clear that you need to sign up to a subscription.
MSE has since been contacted by readers who have successfully managed to secure a refund from Complete Savings. Ray, 70, a retired nurse living in Sussex, did not realise he was signing up to a monthly subscription when he came across a Complete Savings advert back in 2021.
He had been charged £15 every month for the last three years, adding up to a total of £675. Ray was originally only refunded three months’ worth of payments after complaining to Complete Savings, but after seeing the MSE article, he rang up again to request a full refund.
Ray told MSE: “I am so glad I persisted with my argument of consent inferred by inaction and the ASA’s ruling regarding Complete Savings’ misleading offer, thanks to your article.”
Another MSE reader also had success. They said: “My partner found out this week that she’d inadvertently signed up to Complete Savings and had been paying £15 a month, totalling over £200.
“We emailed Complete Savings this week complaining and, within a couple of days, we were refunded the full amount, quibble-free.”
How much you could be due back in refunds, all depends on how long you have been paying for. MSE recommends checking your bank account for one of the following payment references:
- WLY*COMPLETESAVE.CO.UK
- COMPLETESAVE.CO.UK
- CASH.COMPLETESAVE.CO.UK
- GO2.COMPLETESAVE.CO.UK
- WWW.COMPLETESAVE.CO.UK
If you feel you were misled into signing up, or you don’t recognise a payment, you should email Complete Savings’ complaint team or call on 0800 389 6960 to ask for a refund. You should also make sure you cancel any future payments.
A spokesperson for Complete Savings said at the time of the ASA ruling: “Prior to the Council’s decision, we had already amended our marketing to make our messaging even clearer and will continue to work to ensure our communications align with the Council’s guidance.”
