"Gourmet Secrets": New butcher scam?

[SkiLLz]

Today's Dealicious Deal: $25 For $200 Worth Of AAA Grain Fed Alberta Beef, Free-Range Chicken & More At Gourmet Secrets ($200 Value)

http://dealicious.ca/toronto?deal=MjYz&utm_source=dealicious&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Gourmet%20Secrets-Tuesday%20July%2019,%202011

Sounds familiar?

Granted, they have stricter terms (1 voucher per person, 1 voucher = 4 x $50 certificates, can only use 1 $50 certificate a month, taxes and shipping not included), but I hope we've all learned our lesson from the Butchers deal. If it sounds too good to be true, it definitely is.

The suspicious parts of the deal:
- way too much of a discount, not sustainable business model
- website access is spotty (seems like it's hosted on somebody's PC with a cable modem)
- web site was registered less than a month ago, no reviews on the net, but the website says they've been in business since 1996
- exclusively online deal but shipping not included. no indication of how much shipping actually costs. [edit: got website to return, looks like shipping is $20 for up to $150]

Caveat emptor

[catwalk]

Yup, I saw that & thought... no way, did this deal site not check anything???

You end up paying a lot, $20 for shipping X 4 = $80, plus tax = $26. Prices are high, they will save on shipping for sure making money off every order...

$131 for $200 of (inflated priced) meat over a minimum of 4 months... not so great. Plus the whole, 'you might not get anything' risk ;)

Only if dealicious is willing to provide refunds 4 months from now would I even consider this deal.

[juice01]

Thanks for the post skillz, very helpful info.

I have a question: How can you tell that the website looks as though it is hosted on somebody's pc modem & that it was registered less than a month ago? That kind of information could be very helpful in the future.

[SkiLLz]

I have a question: How can you tell that the website looks as though it is hosted on somebody's pc modem & that it was registered less than a month ago? That kind of information could be very helpful in the future.

I was kind of making stuff up with the hosting, I have no idea really. It was just very slow and spotty for me earlier so that comment about the crappy hosting wasn't really based on any solid facts.

Regarding when it was created, go to www.whois.net and do a domain lookup.

WHOIS information for gourmetsecrets.ca :

[Querying whois.cira.ca]
[whois.cira.ca]
Domain name: gourmetsecrets.ca
Domain status: registered
Creation date: 2011/06/20
Expiry date: 2012/06/20
Updated date: 2011/06/20

Registrar:
Name: Go Daddy Domains Canada, Inc
Number: 2316042

Name servers:
ns77.domaincontrol.com
ns78.domaincontrol.com

% WHOIS look-up made at 2011-07-19 14:53:14 (GMT)
%
% Use of CIRA's WHOIS service is governed by the Terms of Use in its Legal
% Notice, available at http://www.cira.ca/legal-notice/?lang=en
%
% (c) 2010 Canadian Internet Registration Authority, (http://www.cira.ca/)

[juice01]

That's awesome,

Thanks again.

[cool canuck]

Local area code is 780 - Alberta. Who wants to order meat or seafood and get it shipped to Toronto? No thanks....


FYI, here's their FAQ on shipping:
Q. How is it kept frozen during shipping?
A. Gourmet Secrets premium protection packaging ensures that you receive products of the highest quality. Each quick-frozen item is carefully packed with dry ice, then surrounded by a premium, reusable polystyrene chest. The dry ice may have dissipated by the time your order arrives.

In the last year, we have shipped over 800 orders and we never had any thawed food arriving to our valued customers. If ever the product arrives partially thawed, they are still good as long as product fells cool to the touch, the quality is not diminished. You can refrigerate if using within 7 days or refreeze until you are ready to use. Lobster tails, fish and uncooked chicken should not be refrozen, refrigerate and use within 7 days.

[00cp]

"The dry ice may have dissipated by the time your order arrives."

LOL... and THIS would be the reply you receive when you complain that the meat is thawed and gone bad:

"We swear we packed it with ice, but of course cannot prove it since it has all "dissipated". Not sure how your meat would have arrived completely rotten. Oh well, sorry to hear that... btw... no refunds. Have a nice day."

[cool canuck]

Meanwhile: CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe says high temperature records were broken again Monday across Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/07/19/weather-heat.html

Toronto's medical officer has reinstated a heat alert for Toronto, with temperatures expected to reach 30 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.
http://www.globaltoronto.com/Heat+alert+extended+Toronto/5124288/story.html


Shipping frozen meat thousands of kilometers is not exactly a great business model if you ask me.

[blainehamilton]

Today's Dealicious Deal: $25 For $200 Worth Of AAA Grain Fed Alberta Beef, Free-Range Chicken & More At Gourmet Secrets ($200 Value)

http://dealicious.ca/toronto?deal=MjYz&utm_source=dealicious&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Gourmet%20Secrets-Tuesday%20July%2019,%202011

Sounds familiar?

Granted, they have stricter terms (1 voucher per person, 1 voucher = 4 x $50 certificates, can only use 1 $50 certificate a month, taxes and shipping not included), but I hope we've all learned our lesson from the Butchers deal. If it sounds too good to be true, it definitely is.

The suspicious parts of the deal:
- way too much of a discount, not sustainable business model
- website access is spotty (seems like it's hosted on somebody's PC with a cable modem)
- web site was registered less than a month ago, no reviews on the net, but the website says they've been in business since 1996
- exclusively online deal but shipping not included. no indication of how much shipping actually costs. [edit: got website to return, looks like shipping is $20 for up to $150]

Caveat emptor



I would approach this one with caution.

Here is the address from their website:

#206, 8712 - 48 Ave NW

Edmonton, AB

T6E 5L1

Canada

They are based in a small 1100sq ft second floor office in a small light industrial park building.

http://www.loopnet.com/Attachments/3/B/E/xy_3BE6A728-304C-4551-AE5F-511118A92C49__.jpg

The office was for lease as recently as last November, so they haven't been there very long.

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/16332596/206-8712-48-Avenue-Edmonton-AB/

They used to be listed under another address and phone number in Edmonton:

http://www.dakitaki.com/business-directory/Gourmet-Secrets-Inc

And even another address, with the same phone number:

http://www.ibegin.com/directory/ca/alberta/edmonton/gourmet-secrets-inc-9326-60-ave-nw/




Now the real question is, are they set up for proper refridgeration, handling, and safety/certification of food products?




They are a BBB Accredited Business according to the Better Business Bureau:

http://www.bbb.org/edmonton/business-reviews/food-manufacturers-wholesalers-dist/gourmet-secrets-in-edmonton-ab-108346

They have been in business since 1996 according to their Facebook profile:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gourmet-Secrets-Inc/162064227156630?sk=wall#!/pages/Gourmet-Secrets-Inc/162064227156630?sk=info

The conversation on the dealicious website is that they won't allow pick ups from their office. Sounds like the processing and packing is being done at another site. Which is good, I wouldn't want my steaks prepped and coming from some industrial parks shoebox office desktop.


For being in business for 15 years, I can't find a single review on their product. :|


After reading the fine print, this is nothing more than a fine print inflated shipping cost scam.

If you read carefully, you will see this is for 4x $50 vouchers, and only 1 PER MONTH can be used.

Shipping on one item is $19.99. The cheapest items at regular price start at around $30. So for your $25, you can get 4 orders of say, cheese balls and breaded mushrooms over the next 4 months.

Unless you are ordering 8 items or more (these vouchers are combinable with that of course) paying $20-$70 PER ITEM at the discounted price PLUS $30 - $40 shipping for that order, you don't really get any kind of savings.


Oh, and yes, you pay GST+HST on everything, including the shipping costs.


Better yet, go spend $50 at your local costco for better food you can drive home fresh/frozen with no chance of poisoning.

[Bookpreviews]

You can keep defrosted fish for 7 days??
I thought that it was usually around 2, 3 days at most?

I will ask my local fish shop when I go there next week.

I thought shipping was $20 for up to 4 items or $150?
shipping for $20 is ok as it is expensive to ship items w UPS of whatever.

I actually had bought some seafood from a place in Toronto a few years ago- shipping was probably $20 then.
-this was for an item I could not find locally. prob not something I would do too often as it is not usually worth doing.

for most people there are probably better local choices for frozen or fresh items.
Costco is ok, but you can find actual local farmed meats for much less than this online place.

[GSICustomerService]

Hello Everybody,

Thank you for your concerns. First, if you try a little bit you can pick apart any business. This new concept in Canada is similar to a very successful American company that operates online and sells high quality foods to their valued customers. They have been operating for over 40 years and online since 1990. This company is called Omaha Steaks.

We have been in business for 15 years, 11 years direct marketing and 4 years online. We have recently made our quality product available to everyone in Canada. Yes, we have separated our administrative office from our warehouse to better suit our business needs. Our goal is to make sure that customers such as yourself, receive the best product and service. We have an inspected warehouse that insures that all orders are packed properly with sufficient dry ice. Now, dry ice is carbon dioxide that has been pressurized into solid matter. For is to keep your food frozen, it will evaporate and keep the temperature in your container up to -40C.

Now for the pricing, regular prices are set according to smaller orders (under 8 packages). Therefore, they are going to be more expensive.
The business concept works at its best when you order 8 packages or more. The reason why you save so much is because the size of the order enables us to reduce our overall costs and we pass on the saving to you.

REMEMBER you can always find a lower price anywhere you go. You decide where to shop depending on your preference and your needs. We offer convenience, quality, and customer service. We are also contributing to saving the planet by eliminating retail stores that would consume energy, trees and more.

By no means are we a scam. We have over 8000 valued customers that like our program.
Feel free to call us if you have any other concerns. We have a toll free number: 1-877-254-0222


Thank you for your concerns,
GSI Customer Service

[bigphil26]

"The dry ice may have dissipated by the time your order arrives."

LOL... and THIS would be the reply you receive when you complain that the meat is thawed and gone bad:

"We swear we packed it with ice, but of course cannot prove it since it has all "dissipated". Not sure how your meat would have arrived completely rotten. Oh well, sorry to hear that... btw... no refunds. Have a nice day."

Pharmaceutical companies have been doing this for years now with drugs that need to be refridgerated, and very rarely have any issues, the dry ice I beleave can last for 2 days.

[00cp]

Pharmaceutical companies have been doing this for years now with drugs that need to be refridgerated, and very rarely have any issues, the dry ice I beleave can last for 2 days.

Are you really comparing raw meat to hard packed pills?

[Siefer999]

Are you really comparing raw meat to hard packed pills?

refrigerated/frozen vials of medication usually in liquid form

[catwalk]

Hello Everybody,
Thank you for your concerns. GSI Customer Service
Thanks for not really answering any questions!

For this to be a 'deal', it wouldn't be separated into $50/once a month vouchers. 1 voucher, $200 worth, shipping of $30-40 + tax ($90 total). There's a good deal.
$131 (or more if you need to spend more) on regular or higher priced meat over 4 months is not.

It's not a scam, it's scam-ish. People on RFD are here to save money, not have it conned out of them in the form of a useless voucher.

[canguy9999]

Looking at all this I doubt it is a scam, but that doesn't mean you don't have to be cautious.

They seemed to do this in a right away for them, it reminds me of the wineonline coupon last year. Its a deal, but the deal basically ends up giving you free shipping and a slightly lower price. Which can be worth it.

They are selling four $50 coupons, these can't be used on certain deals. So its more on their more marked up items.

You need to buy off them four times. They get use to you buying product off them; this is much more likely to create a repeat customer than a one off instance.

All seem practical.

Where the concern for caution comes in is will this company be around two months from now? You have no idea. We all know of businesses who use these group buy sites and then 4-6 months later go belly up. This isn't normally due to the coupon or offer on the group buy sites, its more a "free" way for them to try and pull their business back into the black.

If anyone is interested in this deal, I'd say make sure to get an e-mail from the deal site stating they will give you a full refund if you can't use your coupon, or if they are issues with the company delivering.

If the butchers deal taught us anything its make sure the deal site will provide good service if there is an issue getting your product.

[GSICustomerService]

Thanks for not really answering any questions!

For this to be a 'deal', it wouldn't be separated into $50/once a month vouchers. 1 voucher, $200 worth, shipping of $30-40 + tax ($90 total). There's a good deal.
$131 (or more if you need to spend more) on regular or higher priced meat over 4 months is not.

It's not a scam, it's scam-ish. People on RFD are here to save money, not have it conned out of them in the form of a useless voucher.


Unfortunately we cannot let the coupons be combined: we would not be able to stay in business very long to provide you the best food in the world at great value. When you think about it, no business in the world can afford to offer $200 of food all at once for $25. This is why we have designed it this way.
If you look at this deal in the perspective of $25 and get 4x$50 discount coupon just for the sake of getting a deal you're forgetting about Gourmet Secrets mission. We are there to provide convenience, service and the best food the world has to offer to you at an affordable price.

KATWALK you are wrong, we are not on RFD, We would never post a deal on this website so if you do not like the deal we are offering on other sites just be polite and don't buy it.

[SkiLLz]

Sorry, I was wrong for calling it a scam. It's not a scam per se, but it's just not much of a deal.


no business in the world can afford to offer $200 of food all at once for $25.

Exactly. This is why it immediately jumped out as a scam. Instead it was just misleading advertising. It's not $200 of food for $25, it's $200 of heavily marked up food for a minimum of $141 (catwalk forgot to add HST on the shipping in her calculation) - and it takes 4 months to fully receive. It's smart marketing on your part, but this is a forum for deal-seekers and there is no deal to be had here.

[Bookpreviews]

Well, what put me off is this you have to buy 8 items to get a better deal.
If you offered a decent price all around without having to buy a freezer chest for bulk items maybe more people would be interested.

marking up for smaller orders just sucks. how is someone to know they will even like the items if they do not buy just one or two to test it out first??

for me anyways it is much cheaper to just go buy from the local organic farmers who do happen to sell frozen meats and even gourmet already prepared frozen items (like stuffed chicken breasts,meat pies,fish ect).
and I don't need to buy a ton of anything...unless I want to. and they have different vendors that give food samples every week when you pick up your items-usually 2 different vendors every week.

if anyone happens to be in the Ottawa,Gatineau region there is a great market where you can get local products and you order online!
you can even go to visit all the different farms if you like too :)

[YLSF]

REMEMBER you can always find a lower price anywhere you go. You decide where to shop depending on your preference and your needs. We offer convenience, quality, and customer service. We are also contributing to saving the planet by eliminating retail stores that would consume energy, trees and more.

Thank you for your concerns,
GSI Customer Service



This is the funniest part of the GSI response. Obviously with very little info on this company this is probably one of the first results on Google now. I would say this is a BAD deal and to avoid it. The GSI rep (I imagine owner) even says "you can always find a lower price anywhere you go" which is basically saying their products aren't priced well. I feel that the deal was posted in a misleading way too. I hope that customers who are buying this deal are reading the fine print!

[WalterQ]

DealFind is cycling this through their cities.

Doesn’t look like a scam, just a clever marketing ploy. $25 for $200 sounds good until you realize that’s not really it.

Certainly not a great deal; costs $29 with shipping for “$50 worth” from their price list. Problem is that means steaks for $16-20/lb; bacon & ribs $13/lb; hamburger $9. So I net $8/lb to ship bacon to my door.

Not sure why catwalk thinks meat is taxable.

Got a big kick from their suggestion stores are environmentally un-friendly though; guess that UPS truck is running on sunshine and used pop bottles :)

[Me-262]

we would not be able to stay in business very long to provide you the best food in the world at great value. When you think about it, no business in the world can afford to offer $200 of food all at once for $25. This is why we have designed it this way.


Can you please explain the difference between one person placing 4 orders at once vs four people all placing 1 order at the same time ? Your business would see 4 orders either way so I do not understand your logic in limiting coupon useage to one a month.

[euphoria18_79]

Can you please explain the difference between one person placing 4 orders at once vs four people all placing 1 order at the same time ? Your business would see 4 orders either way so I do not understand your logic in limiting coupon useage to one a month.

I believe the reason would not be if 1 person placed 4 orders at once, but if they sell 1000 vouchers, and 500 of them get used at 1 time... aka "The Butchers" excuse of not expecting so many vouchers in a short time.

[Me-262]

Well then the solution is simple: DO NOT sell more product than you can deliver at any one time. If they can't handle more than 500 orders at one time (making up a number here) then they should limit the number of vouchers available to what they can handle. Asking customers to pay for product MONTHS in advance while they sit on your money is bad business, not to mention a big risk to the buyers. This smells a bit like a pyramid scheme, today's customers are paying for yesterday's orders. Combined with $20 shipping charge per order and there's not much of a deal to be had. Rather buy the 40% off deals I can pick up locally today.

[matdwyer]

Thanks for not really answering any questions!

For this to be a 'deal', it wouldn't be separated into $50/once a month vouchers. 1 voucher, $200 worth, shipping of $30-40 + tax ($90 total). There's a good deal.
$131 (or more if you need to spend more) on regular or higher priced meat over 4 months is not.

It's not a scam, it's scam-ish. People on RFD are here to save money, not have it conned out of them in the form of a useless voucher.

HA!

This is why the entire group buy industry is going to run into HUGE problems - customers are now CONDITIONED to EXPECT a deal that is unsustainable to the business. Do you not realize why the butchers fiasco occurred? Because it was unsustainable. This is MARKETING. The business gives a discount to gain customers trying their product, who then funnel into full time customers. If they give you an unbelievable deal which you now expect, then they'll be the butchers 2.0.

There is nothing scammish about this deal at all, the business simply formed a deal that actually WORKS for both sides. If this is something you want, then you're saving money. You also get to try 4 shipments as well. Remember the business is getting approx. 12.50 of that cash... so their $200 worth of product brings in $12.50, it is basically just a coupon code. If they did $2 for $50 worth, you may buy more, but the deal company wouldn't make enough money for them to run the deal.

Anyway, hilarious that you're expecting a "better deal" - I bet you bought the "unbelievable butchers deal" and are pissed that they can't fulfill it.

[Bookpreviews]

Are any of these foods being sold better than MM Meatshops?
A lot of the ingredients in the prepared items seem to be the same.

[BuddyX]

FYI - DealFrenzy is now offering this deal - same conditions (coupons valid till 2012 if you want to wait). It's a legit offering, but not my "cup of tea" - rather go to the local grocer and pick-out the meat I buy...

Anyhow, any deal that involves shipping product is always going to be 'so-so'. Vendors can't control the cost of transport and thus pass the risk to buyers.
IMHO, deal sites should really just focus on sourcing local services.

Cheers,
BX

[Bookpreviews]

FYI - DealFrenzy is now offering this deal - same conditions (coupons valid till 2012 if you want to wait). It's a legit offering, but not my "cup of tea" - rather go to the local grocer and pick-out the meat I buy...

Anyhow, any deal that involves shipping product is always going to be 'so-so'. Vendors can't control the cost of transport and thus pass the risk to buyers.
IMHO, deal sites should really just focus on sourcing local services.

Cheers,
BX

I don't have an issue w buying food online and do it all the time, and even.....pay for shipping for items from the US.
But shipping frozen items- not really worth it unless it is something really special or specific.

But for frozen meats and stuff like that- most people should be able to find really good items locally for much less. Even organic or all natural locally farmed things.

The food items I get online are usually dried fruits,nuts,candy,baking stuff.
I did receive a box of cookies last summer from the US as a gift and it got to Canada fine!
For frozen items I only once bought some frozen fish from a Toronto shop in that market- St Laurence? or whatever that gourmet place with all the stands is- it got here fine,but too expensive to do more than once or twice.

What puts me off this deal is it seems they expect you to buy so much without even trying the items.
No one wants to be stuck with a ton of items they do not like.

[bapcaa]

you pay $25 towards 4x$50 vouchers=$200. 1 voucher at a time per month=4 months
$25/4=$6.25 per month
since we cannot use more than 1 voucher per order, shipping will cost $19.99 (for orders up to $150) + 12% tax on the shipping only if you live in whereas HST is in effect as it doesn't calculate on basic groceries such as meat.
$6.25(what u paid)+$19.99(shipping)+$2.40(shipping tax)=$28.64 is what u actually paid towards up to $50 product.
what all matters is can u buy 9 peaces of 6oz premium quality chicken breast from your local store for less? (9x6oz=3.375lb.) => under $8.49/lb.
or
in different case scenario that you buy the 8 pack deal:
premium quality AAA NY steak $6.25(what u paid)+28.99(shipping)+3.48(tax)+$335.92(original discounted price)-$50(voucher)=$324.64 for (6x8oz=3lb.) 3lb.x8=24lb => $13.52/lb.
-------------------------
and the weird thing is it looks like u need to use the $50 voucher at once which means if the total amount is less then $50 u loose the remaining, so try to max it if possible.

[jjflash]

On first look, this seems like an amazing deal, but because of the limitations, no more so than buying at M and M's which is not where I usually buy meat anyway. You can only use 1x $50 coupon per month, there is a minimum purchase required and, you pay a shipping fee of at least $28.99 plus any applicable taxes. If I buy 8 (as suggested) pkgs at approx $42 per +$336 , plus shipping of appro$30 = $365 - 50 coupon is $335 . That gives you 64 x 6oz (my husband would want at least 2) New Yorks steaks or 24 lbs of steak. The price of New York steaks on sale (I figure people looking at these deals are smart shoppes), at Safeway is $8/lb (I called Safeway to confirm). Bottom line, the same weight would cost $192 at Safeway. They are probably selling a better grade of meat, so that depends on your choice. The have been A rated with BBB since 2001 with only 2 complaints in the last 12 mths. Hope this helps make up your you minds.
ps - I made this posting on the Dealfind forum and it was deleted minutes (2) later, I received an email that stated the following "We apologize if you think the ad that we are promoting is misleading, however, it goes against our contractual obligations to host
negative comments on our site"
CAVEAT EMPTOR

[cindylooi]

It seems sketchy and seems similar to the Butchers scam, I agree with others. At the same time, there are more conditions however I rather purchase elsewhere. With the amount of discount I am concerned of the quality of the product we would receive.

[gwill211]

This deal is currently on groupon and i have tried numerous times submitting a warning on there that they will not post. Pretty bad business on groupons part.... Also pretty funny that this company has submitted this same deal on every single deal buying site over the past few months. They are not losing any money at all, and are making a killing off the shipping.

Beware Beware Beware

[Bookpreviews]

This deal is currently on groupon and i have tried numerous times submitting a warning on there that they will not post. Pretty bad business on groupons part.... Also pretty funny that this company has submitted this same deal on every single deal buying site over the past few months. They are not losing any money at all, and are making a killing off the shipping.

Beware Beware Beware

Groupon does not seem to be posting many questions on their deals lately.
I posted 2 questions last week one was about a dance school and they never answered.
(wanted to know when classes started, was not on the schools site).

Groupon sucks for info lately.

[matdwyer]

This deal is currently on groupon and i have tried numerous times submitting a warning on there that they will not post. Pretty bad business on groupons part.... Also pretty funny that this company has submitted this same deal on every single deal buying site over the past few months. They are not losing any money at all, and are making a killing off the shipping.

Beware Beware Beware

Well, to be honest, groupon is in the business of making money, not saving you money. They don't care if it is a good deal or not, as long as people buy it. Even if this ended up as the same price as the supermarket, groupon could be selling the "convenience". It is in their best interest to not post your "warning" as well - if you were a group deal site would you?

[eager beaver]

KATWALK ... if you do not like the deal we are offering on other sites just be polite and don't buy it. This language reminds me of a scheister slice/dice product demonstrator who nearly had my wife and mother in law buying his junk. When I walked into the picture to question the value the guy told me if I'm not interested to just be polite and move on. (i.e. get lost, shut up so we can work on the suckers!).

[mike2032]

Prices actually seem to be pretty good, I'm avoiding it though because of the lack of independent reviews on the web...... you would think I would be able to find 3rd party feed back considering that they have been around for a little while.

[jennp26]

I don't think anyone mentioned that these products are all free range. I find it hard to get free range products and the ones I can find locally are more expensive than this company. Sure the deal isn't amazing. It does cost more than going to Costco (sure it's fresh, not frozen, but who knows where their meat comes from), but I feel better about the quality of the product. Knowing that it is free range grain fed makes me feel better about serving it to my family. Has anyone seen Food Inc or any of those other documentaries that show what the animals are fed or how they are treated before the final product?

I live in the maritimes and have not had any problem with the shipments ever being thawed at all. THere is usually a little bit of dry
ice remaining.

I think people are trashing this company for no reason. Just suspision of the unknown. As for their address, I would assume they have an office address and a warehouse address.

Just wanted to post that I have ordered a couple of times and they food arrived fine and tasted good. The 8 item deal is decent. I just put it in the freezer and don't need to order again for a couple of months. It comes vaccum packed.

[Cynnagirl]

I bought this the other day from Swarmjam and there was no mention of the 1-per-month part. Just received an email from SwarmJam advising about it, and that they'd refund if I didn't like that stipulation. From the looks of other deal sites, it's always mentioned, so sounds like SwarmJam made mistake in the listing.

The meat is definitely higher priced, but as Jennp26 mentioned, it's important to consider that this is free-range and organic. At a local market in the summer here in Vancouver I bought some frozen meat from their Alberta farm that was free-range/organic, and I took a price list. This place seems right in line with similar companies.

If free-range/organic isn't an issue for you, then this is probably not the deal nor the product for you (though of the 2 companies' products we've tried, the free-range/organic beef tastes hella better than non-organic stuff). It's important for us though, and because it costs more, we don't buy it much. For us, this is a really good deal. Yes you're ordering it without trying it first - that's not unique to this company. But make sure you're comparing apples to apples when you're comparing the meat prices.

I don't know what the 'Butcher Deal' was, obviously it was a huge problem to leave so many people so wary of a 'meat deal'; also I know nothing more about this company than Google and the posts on here have told me, but after meeting a vendor at that summer market, I know there are legit companies out there, and I'm willing to try these guys. If it costs BAAPCA's estimated $28 for an order, that's a good deal for us. I'd debated keeping the deal after getting the 1/month notification, but after reading more, and doing the math, I'm sticking with it.

We'll be placing our first order in the next month, I'll post a review of it after we receive if anyone else is interested.

[Bookpreviews]

I do not recall seeing thair website say that items were organic.
I guess free- range is good, but if they do not list the origin of their meats it is not worth buying.

The health food stores here sell free=range meats from different parts of Canada and the farms are all listed on the package.

if you want decent free-range meats try and find a local farmer co-op. I buy all my meat at one now.

[vicman11]

Fine Print
Valid for Online ordering only
Buy up to 1 voucher for yourself
Valid on ALL regular priced items
Also valid with "Pick Any 8 Items" special promos
One $50 credit redemption per month per order
Not valid on taxes or shipping
Minimum of any 2 items per purchase
No cash back or credit
Please see deal description for Shipping Prices
Valid July 4 2011 - July 4 2012

[toddcan00]

I fell for the Groupon offer.. $25 for $200 worth of food.

I knew that I would get 4 coupons of $50 each - and that I could only use 1 per month. No biggie. I bought it anyway.

The BIG thing that gets you is that "You must use the full $50 value of your coupon- on FOOD". I didn't get what that really meant until I went to place my first order. All of their items are priced $40-$48.99, or above $85.00 There is NOTHING at $50-$80 range. This means, if I want a to buy a box of 6 steaks, and pay $48.99, they won't let me. I have not spent the entire $50 on food. This means that I have to buy 2 items, or go for their $80-$85 items. There are no low cost items on the website.

They way I see it: I just gave them a $25 donation. And the kicker is: they tell you everything up front. I just didn't click into what the condition meant that I had to spend the entire $50 on food.

And, I normally consider myself internet/online savy. This one got me. In fact, I sent them an email congratulating their marketing team. I just spent $25 on a life lesson.

[catwalk]

And, I normally consider myself internet/online savy. This one got me. In fact, I sent them an email congratulating their marketing team. I just spent $25 on a life lesson.
If you got it from Groupon, just get your money back & let them know you are not impressed that they affiliated with such a crap company. You learned your lesson but no reason to give these scammers $25..... they are like the Nigerians & will just keep coming back! ;)

[dpeltier]

Today's Dealicious Deal: $25 For $200 Worth Of AAA Grain Fed Alberta Beef, Free-Range Chicken & More At Gourmet Secrets ($200 Value)

http://dealicious.ca/toronto?deal=MjYz&utm_source=dealicious&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Gourmet%20Secrets-Tuesday%20July%2019,%202011

Sounds familiar?

Granted, they have stricter terms (1 voucher per person, 1 voucher = 4 x $50 certificates, can only use 1 $50 certificate a month, taxes and shipping not included), but I hope we've all learned our lesson from the Butchers deal. If it sounds too good to be true, it definitely is.

The suspicious parts of the deal:
- way too much of a discount, not sustainable business model
- website access is spotty (seems like it's hosted on somebody's PC with a cable modem)
- web site was registered less than a month ago, no reviews on the net, but the website says they've been in business since 1996
- exclusively online deal but shipping not included. no indication of how much shipping actually costs. [edit: got website to return, looks like shipping is $20 for up to $150]

Caveat emptor

The deal says you get 4 $50 vouchers, which can be used only one at a time, per month. Their website shows items that are just under $50 per "package", but they do not show the weight of the package. Further, the deal specifies that you must buy at least 2 items/packages per visit--this means that you always have to add another package worth almost $50, plus pay the shipping. Sounds like a major rip-off.

[Bookpreviews]

The deal says you get 4 $50 vouchers, which can be used only one at a time, per month. Their website shows items that are just under $50 per "package", but they do not show the weight of the package. Further, the deal specifies that you must buy at least 2 items/packages per visit--this means that you always have to add another package worth almost $50, plus pay the shipping. Sounds like a major rip-off.

When I had seen this deal on earlier sites I recall there was no mention of buying 2 items. They did say they "encouraged" people to get the 8 package deal, but no minimum of anything.
really lame offer now.

I would just go to MM meatshops or even pc items are very good.

Or for their price I have even seen some fancier restaurants that prepare frozen dishes and appetizers and sell them.
You just reheat them at home or bake or whatever- they give you the instructions when you buy.

if you are having a party the pc noodle wrapped shrimps are very good and come with sauce or MM meats has tons of vegetarian options!
or for vegan vegetarian apps try the Zoglos brand, it is found in the Superstores w the kosher section! frozen dept.

[hotoffthepress]

Again... For those who feel that they've been a victim of fraud/scam, then please follow though as per my post (LINK) (http://forums.redflagdeals.com/fraud-scam-bad-business-practices-filing-complaint-1068299/):

Fraud / Scam / Bad Business Practices (filing a complaint)

Assembled a quick list of resources (work in progress):

File a complaint with:

http://www.bbb.org/canada/wwwroot/images/logo.gif (http://www.bbb.org/canada/)

http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/home.nsf/images/740_fip_e.gif/$file/740_fip_e.gif (http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/00157.html)

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/theme/images/sig-eng.gif
(http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams-fraudes/rep-sig-eng.htm)

Specifically for me, in the GVRD (each province has their own group - found here (http://www.consumerhandbook.ca/media/pdf/canadian-consumer-handbook.pdf)):

http://vi.bbb.org/Storage/158/images/News%20Centre/consumer_protection_sm.jpg (http://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/)

[jtcb]

They are doing it again. This time 8 x $25 coupon. You have to buy from them 8 times with less discount on each purchase. I was planning to get something for Christmas..

http://www.socialshopper.com/vancouver

[Janda1]

I searched online for reviews before taking the deal but found none so am sharing now. The orders arrived frozen as promised but the portions were small, the chicken lacked flavour, the bacon was fatty and the Delmonico steaks were decidely tough. Premium products can command a premium price but not Gourmet Secrets. Guess the 3 other vouchers posted on my bulletin board will remind me that it's always better to pick out your own meat, at a reliable retailer.

[Cas77]

I searched online for reviews before taking the deal but found none so am sharing now. The orders arrived frozen as promised but the portions were small, the chicken lacked flavour, the bacon was fatty and the Delmonico steaks were decidely tough. Premium products can command a premium price but not Gourmet Secrets. Guess the 3 other vouchers posted on my bulletin board will remind me that it's always better to pick out your own meat, at a reliable retailer.

Thanks for signing up and posting an honest review!! :)

[Pessimistic]

As my pappy used to say....if a deal looks to good to be true, it usually is.

I saw this on dealfind and thought, did Marlon Pather startup another company to defraud people? It's almost the same deal. Well Due to Marlon's success in scamming people others will try. Is this one of them? I can't say for sure, but due to being burned by the Butchers Organic scam i thought I would investigate and sure as hell here we all are posting info on a company who is NOT really known, (like Canadian Tire) and is posting another Pather deal. (Pather being the one who started this meat scam). I have no illusions that the 1 coupon per month thing was negotiated / required by dealfind for they got left holding a bag of shite by Pather rather than its Gourmet secrets noble answer to legitimacy.

That being said thing about your food purchases. They are based on pure trust. Trust in a food system end to end. Trust in that the supplier is telling you the truth in the quality if the item and its lineage. Its made even worse when you think "what do they have to lose if its shite? Their reputation? When no one knows you and like a gypsy you can just move you tent / wagon to somewhere else like a gypsy. In today's day and age its as easy as it was on the olden days......

I look at the info posted by all in this thread and say to myself, I will pass on this too good to be true offer........................

I woudl like to create a name for Pather's scam, let's call it a PPS for Pather Protein Scam!

[LindaCook]

I agree there is a SECRET involved. I purchased a Social Shopper offer to benefit from the 'deal' to receive 8 x $25 coupons. What I did not know, the SECRET, was that in order to use these coupons I will be required to purchase a minimum of 3 packages of product at one time. Three packages cost more than $120 at one time less the $25 coupon. That is NOT what I thought I was buying. I cannot use 3 packages of meat. I cannot store 3 packages of meat. I cannot see value in buying $120 worth of meat at one time.

This is not something to be blindly led into. It does not work for your average small family unit with just a small fridge/freezer. I have been ripped off and, hopefully, you will research the details of the offer before spending your money on this 'fantastic deal'.

[euphoria18_79]

I agree there is a SECRET involved. I purchased a Social Shopper offer to benefit from the 'deal' to receive 8 x $25 coupons. What I did not know, the SECRET, was that in order to use these coupons I will be required to purchase a minimum of 3 packages of product at one time. Three packages cost more than $120 at one time less the $25 coupon. That is NOT what I thought I was buying. I cannot use 3 packages of meat. I cannot store 3 packages of meat. I cannot see value in buying $120 worth of meat at one time.

This is not something to be blindly led into. It does not work for your average small family unit with just a small fridge/freezer. I have been ripped off and, hopefully, you will research the details of the offer before spending your money on this 'fantastic deal'.

I have seen Gourmet Secrets post on a lot of deal sites, and the one thing it always has stated is that you can use 1 coupon per month, and you must order 3 packages per order. If you did not read the terms, then you are the one at fault not them.

[Weezie 2]

I have bought a few Wag Jag's, Groupons, and Deal Finds. I have never been scammed but I did hear of one situation of a butcher on Bayview Ave. in Toronto who couldn't fill all the orders.
I just bought a DEAL FIND for two nights in Gananoquea at a really great price. What I did was call the Motel to confirm that they were indeed offering a deal there. They were and we look forward to a Summer getaway and we will be adding a 1/2 day cruise to the Thousand Islands and visit the BOAT CASTLE. Can't wait. Some of these deals are wonderfully structured. I'm a fan but I would never buy food without looking at it first, especially MEAT!!!

[keefrto]

i have been reading with interest the thread and would like to say that yes i bought from gourmet secrets and will share my thoughts. Deal? depends on how you look at it, we ordered 8 items and yes prepared to pay for premium products. Are they premium, not sure really and heres why: we ordered east coast giant scallops as per website, they arrived with sticker on it from Peru !!! The food looks good and tastes good however therd is no transparency i.e. where is the source of the food? not one item has nutritional value stickers, no markings to say where the food is from only is reserve or premium. its this lack of honesty that immediately has me running in the opposite direction and will not order again. if someone from gsi is reading this, provide the source of the products and add nutritional values, in fact is there not an accepted practice in place to provide this information to humans, sorry consumers? Afterall, its the food chain and please note GSI, dont bite the hand that feeds you (lines your pockets with profits)

[keefrto]

Almost forgot, if you are really worried about the food, dont even try to compare MM with them as MM as good as they maybe, you might as well take the top of the salt shaker off and pour the contents down your throat each time you eat their products. I mean have you seen how much sodium is in their products, really people that how the food stays so preserved, cmon get well read about your food!

[Bookpreviews]

Almost forgot, if you are really worried about the food, dont even try to compare MM with them as MM as good as they maybe, you might as well take the top of the salt shaker off and pour the contents down your throat each time you eat their products. I mean have you seen how much sodium is in their products, really people that how the food stays so preserved, cmon get well read about your food!

What??
MM meats does have quite a few good and healthy items- depends what you buy there. the food has just as much salt as other places.
but I do not like how some of the chicken comes from overseas like Thailand, china- whatever.

[Bookpreviews]

i have been reading with interest the thread and would like to say that yes i bought from gourmet secrets and will share my thoughts. Deal? depends on how you look at it, we ordered 8 items and yes prepared to pay for premium products. Are they premium, not sure really and heres why: we ordered east coast giant scallops as per website, they arrived with sticker on it from Peru !!! The food looks good and tastes good however therd is no transparency i.e. where is the source of the food? not one item has nutritional value stickers, no markings to say where the food is from only is reserve or premium. its this lack of honesty that immediately has me running in the opposite direction and will not order again. if someone from gsi is reading this, provide the source of the products and add nutritional values, in fact is there not an accepted practice in place to provide this information to humans, sorry consumers? Afterall, its the food chain and please note GSI, dont bite the hand that feeds you (lines your pockets with profits)

I think you can file a complaint with one of the government depts that deals with food issues as by law food is supposed to be labeled as people can have allergies and have nutritional issues.

[keefrto]

What??
MM meats does have quite a few good and healthy items- depends what you buy there. the food has just as much salt as other places.
but I do not like how some of the chicken comes from overseas like Thailand, china- whatever.

hi, agreed some of the food tastes good honestly, check it out next time you are in buying the food and see the salt content. Dont take my word for it, see how much you end up drinking after eating :D

[keefrto]

hi, agreed some of the food tastes good honestly, check it out next time you are in buying the food and see the salt content. Dont take my word for it, see how much you end up drinking after eating :D

And there we might have it, the answer that may well shut this lot down. checked my freezer tonite and nothing labelled. I will get in touch with bbb as well. cheers

[keefrto]

i contacted GSI and noted that nutritional values are all on the website for each food. However in my opinion it should still be on the food packaging and also where the food came from

[gr8dlr]

I have bought a few Wag Jag's, Groupons, and Deal Finds. I have never been scammed but I did hear of one situation of a butcher on Bayview Ave. in Toronto who couldn't fill all the orders.
I just bought a DEAL FIND for two nights in Gananoquea at a really great price. What I did was call the Motel to confirm that they were indeed offering a deal there. They were and we look forward to a Summer getaway and we will be adding a 1/2 day cruise to the Thousand Islands and visit the BOAT CASTLE. Can't wait. Some of these deals are wonderfully structured. I'm a fan but I would never buy food without looking at it first, especially MEAT!!!

That's the way to do it! Call the place first and check to see terms possibly not written - perhap book a date right then and there and tell them you'll call back with your voucher number. Last thing you want to do is buy something that you can't redeem due to overdemand or lack of available special times.

Buying "food"/meat sight unseen is not the greatest idea so if you're going to "try it" don't buy more than one.

[archeryman]

Please go to their Facebook page. Please comment with your thoughts about them. They will delete it but at least someone will see it.

Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gourmet-Secrets-Inc/162064227156630?ref=ts)
Please go to their Google Reviews Page - (http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&q=gourmet+secrets&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&mid=1330014347) and let them know what you think.

Their prices are about double what you would spend anywhere else. If you use a coupon you are FORCED to by at least 2 packages. They would not allow me to use it for one item as you have to use the full value of the coupon, right down to the penny!

Post on your Facebook page. Let everyone know this is a lousy deal.

[ShopandShip]

I searched online for reviews before taking the deal but found none so am sharing now. The orders arrived frozen as promised but the portions were small, the chicken lacked flavour, the bacon was fatty and the Delmonico steaks were decidely tough. Premium products can command a premium price but not Gourmet Secrets. Guess the 3 other vouchers posted on my bulletin board will remind me that it's always better to pick out your own meat, at a reliable retailer.

I'm surprised you would actually put an order in at those prices, but it's great that we have a review now.

So we have the following facts confirmed.

(1) Their products are not high quality or fresh.
(2) They charge approximately double the standard market price for their meat. Keep in mind I'm referring to their BULK PRICES. It's OVER double the price if you buy just one unit. Example: For organic free range ground bison I can buy this at a local organic whole food store in Vancouver FRESH for $9/lb. At Gourment Secrets they charge $22.25/lb!!! It's not even subtle. It's blatant robbery. Even if you buy in bulk 16lbs!!! It's still $16.90/lb. ($270 for 16lbs of ground bison!!!).
(3) They sell coupons $25 for 4 $50 coupons on every group buy/team buy type site out there you can imagine.

Piece it all together. Their real business is scamming these group buy sites. This is where prob 99% of their revenue comes from. People like me who have bought dozens of great deals from other companies like Tuango, Groupon, Dealfind ect and never been burned see $200 for $25 and snap it up before really looking at the prices on the Gourmet secret website. Gourmet secrets has this figured out too. For those who take a quick look THEY WILL NEVER SEE PRICES IN $/LB or $/KG ect. It's always $/"package". Any website that was actually confident that they had fair competitive prices would display their $/lb proudly. Gourmet secrets takes great care to hide it. You have to break out your calculator and work out ounces per unit, then number of units per package to arrive at pounds then multiply by 8 to get their bulk "deal" to get total pounds and arrive at an $/lb number. Once you actually do this you realize your coupons are actually useless and you've been had. To use a $50 coupon you have to actually lose more than $50 due to overpricing (even if shipping was free, WHICH IT IS NOT, it would still not be worth using your coupon). It's clever because I don't think they're breaking any laws, but it's a blatant scam. In the rare case some poor fool actually still puts an order in after seeing the prices, they have some back up stock on hand (low grade crap from what we hear from the review).

[ShopandShip]

Best way to get revenge. Complain to everybody you can. BBB, all the group buy deal sites that support them, review sites, ect. The more complaints the group buy sites get the faster they'll figure it out and stop cooperating with these scumbags.

[Bookpreviews]

hi, agreed some of the food tastes good honestly, check it out next time you are in buying the food and see the salt content. Dont take my word for it, see how much you end up drinking after eating :D

MM meats does have many items that have no salt or low salt. you just have to read the packages.

their frozen fruit mix is the best quality I have seen and a decent price.
the desserts at MM are very fattening though- those Apple Blossoms esp..but they are cheap for $1 compared to $7 at swiss chalet.

[Vania1]

For more info on them see http://www.bbb.org/edmonton/business-reviews/food-manufacturers-wholesalers-dist/gourmet-secrets-in-edmonton-ab-108346

[ShopandShip]

For more info on them see http://www.bbb.org/edmonton/business-reviews/food-manufacturers-wholesalers-dist/gourmet-secrets-in-edmonton-ab-108346

What "information" are you referring to? Any "company" that registers and pays BBB the required fees and doesn't have legitimate complaints against them will have a good standing with the BBB. Nobody can file a legitimate complaint about Gourmet Secret's group buy coupon scam because they are not breaking any laws with this gimmick as far as I know. I would love to write the BBB and complain that I was tricked into buying their coupons from a group buy site, then couldn't use them because they charge 4X the fair price for their products. Yet, It's my fault I didn't check out their website more before I paid for the coupons.

I'm sure anybody out there dull witted enough to pay $16.90/lb for ground bison (and $22.25 if you dare to purchase less than 16lbs in one shot...LOL) will get a decent enough legitimate product. The only way you can file a legitimate claim with the BBB is if they don't send the promised product or it comes to you rotten. However, I doubt many people actually purchase meat from their online store. Gourmet Secrets is definitely making the bulk of their profits selling their "coupons" to unscrupulous customers who purchase them from the group buy sites before doing a proper investigation of the actual company (Gourmet Secrets).

I was personally ripped off $25. I even tried to e-mail gourmet secrets asking politely for a refund since I could never afford to use their coupon. I'm not going to spend $270 + shipping on 16lbs of ground bison just to use up ONE of my FOUR "$50" coupons (that must be used on separate purchases spaced 1 month apart). They didn't even waste a minute on even a curt response. I was simply ignored. They got my money, good game, on to the next victim.

[Bookpreviews]

What "information" are you referring to? Any "company" that registers and pays BBB the required fees and doesn't have legitimate complaints against them will have a good standing with the BBB. Nobody can file a legitimate complaint about Gourmet Secret's group buy coupon scam because they are not breaking any laws with this gimmick as far as I know. I would love to write the BBB and complain that I was tricked into buying their coupons from a group buy site, then couldn't use them because they charge 4X the fair price for their products. Yet, It's my fault I didn't check out their website more before I paid for the coupons.

I'm sure anybody out there dull witted enough to pay $16.90/lb for ground bison (and $22.25 if you dare to purchase less than 16lbs in one shot...LOL) will get a decent enough legitimate product. The only way you can file a legitimate claim with the BBB is if they don't send the promised product or it comes to you rotten. However, I doubt many people actually purchase meat from their online store. Gourmet Secrets is definitely making the bulk of their profits selling their "coupons" to unscrupulous customers who purchase them from the group buy sites before doing a proper investigation of the actual company (Gourmet Secrets).

I was personally ripped off $25. I even tried to e-mail gourmet secrets asking politely for a refund since I could never afford to use their coupon. I'm not going to spend $270 + shipping on 16lbs of ground bison just to use up ONE of my FOUR "$50" coupons (that must be used on separate purchases spaced 1 month apart). They didn't even waste a minute on even a curt response. I was simply ignored. They got my money, good game, on to the next victim.

You can't do a credit card chargeback?
I would not take the $25 loss.

Also maybe write a review on Yelp a lot of people read those.

[Purplebananaman]

So many negative comments about being scammed! I guess you need to read the details before buying but the "deal" here is definitely more of a hook than a scam... you do get what they say, but you have to spend a lot more than you think you are commiting to.

I have my third order waiting for me on my Toronto doorstep today and have been happy with the service and quality of food.

I would say that without research on similar products it is hard to know if the prices are really good or not, and you absolutley have to purchase 8 packages to get their bulk discount to make it worthwhile.

So if you are only looking to buy a small quantity, this is not for you, but if you have a family to feed, a freezer, and want the type of food they are selling, then you can get some good value out of it... and, yes, the food arrives still frozen!

Keep shopping folks!

[jslwc]

I was considering this deal as it came back just recently with $250 in vouchers for only $25. But when you do your research and actually read through the terms and conditions and pricing of their products, then you can clearly see that this is a very expensive way to buy meat.

I wouldn't call it a scam so much as I would call it high pricing that people don't fully understand before buying the deal. If it was a scam, then you'd pay out the money and never receive anything back. To me, all the costs and terms are there for the reading and were clear enough for me to realize that a lot more $$ was involved than $25 to get $250 worth of meat to my front porch.

On all of these deals, it's very important to do the due diligence required before pulling the trigger on any of them. I see 14 or so people have bought the latest round of this deal and it makes me wonder how many of them actually know what they're really buying.

[figment]

Fell for another group buy meat "deal"

Webpiggy refunded my butchers vouchers in the form of piggybucks, I used some of my piggybucks for this and after reading the reviews I don't want to drop $300 on this. Many of the items are super overpriced and you can get them for like 30-50% less locally. Some prices are only at par after the vouchers and whatnot. There is no deal after shipping $28 + HST on the $300. There is no point to buying coupons from them they should of been available for free. They now even offer a side deal that doesn't need coupons and includes free shipping.

In the end it's quite clear that internet meat deals simply don't work no matter how well the offer/pitch is and it's best to stick with local butchers or supermarkets.

It's pretty smart way, they got you on the hook for $25, and for you to get that $200 of discount your going to need to spend over $1000 with them, reminds me when FS or BB try to say "save 200 off this TV when you buy it for $1200" :lol: The 1 item prices are insane too $100 for 6 8oz NY steaks that are apparently subpar, its designed so that you always lose

On a side note; food basics has rib steak cap off "Canada AA or higher" for 4.88/lb june 15-22

[HowardKatz]

I've bought a couple of orders from these guys using my Groupon. YES, the beef is outrageously expensive, as is everything else.
The problem is my (very allergic) wife insists that I order chicken from them. Although expensive, she doesn't react to it, it's flavourful and juicy. Can't argue with that.
FYI the dry ice lasts fine from Calgary to Toronto, with enough left over to have magical fun with it (double, double toil and trouble...). Just put the dry ice (careful, FREEZING cold) into a pot of hot water and enjoy the show.

[CantMissADeal]

The scam is in the wording of the title. Living Social is now doing the "deal".

This is what the title says:
$25 for $200 of Beef, Chicken, and Seafood

Are you getting $200 worth for $25? Somebody show me a way that you can get $200 worth of food for $25 with the deal. It doesn't say you are getting $100 worth of food and $100 worth of service for $25, it clearly says you are getting $200 of Beef, Chicken, and Seafood. That is a LIE.

It would not be a scam if it told the truth and just said $25 for $200 of vouchers to use at Gourmet Secrets because thats what you are getting. Not $200 of food.

[daleg61]

The recent TeamBuy "deal": $25 for $250 of..... is absolutely dishonest in its presentation. I have purchased many deals via Groupon, LivingSocial, Tuango, etc, and have had no prior issues with language/disclaimers/small print. The Gourmet Secrets deal, however, has clearly been written in a manner to deceive. Their goal is not to give you a large discount; their goal is to hook you into making multiple purchases over a period of months, with the net discount actually being rather modest. For most "deal getters" (aka, those that were fooled), for small orders the $50 coupon will largely only cover shipping charges; to avoid the shipping charges - which you can do with or without a coupon - you have to place a large order, and since you can only apply one $50 coupon the net discount becomes quite modest, like 10-15%.

This is absolutely "bait and switch"; the appearance of a large discount but the delivery of a modest discount.

And, the deal delivery has been structured so as to prevent the purchaser from claiming a refund once the deception is uncovered. A refund will only be issued by TeamBuy within 7 days of the deal closing. But once the deal closes, they don't actually send you what you need to receive the coupons; they first send you a notice saying that you will be able to access your "ticket"; but then after you get your ticket you have to go to Gourmet Secrets to let them know you have the ticket, then Gourmet Secrets sends an email thanking you, and informing you that you will soon receive your coupons. But by the time they then deliver the coupons, guess what, you're already past the refund period! If this isn't scamful, deceptive behaviour I don't know what is.




Thanks for not really answering any questions!

For this to be a 'deal', it wouldn't be separated into $50/once a month vouchers. 1 voucher, $200 worth, shipping of $30-40 + tax ($90 total). There's a good deal.
$131 (or more if you need to spend more) on regular or higher priced meat over 4 months is not.

It's not a scam, it's scam-ish. People on RFD are here to save money, not have it conned out of them in the form of a useless voucher.

[clem24]

Welp looks like it's back. I looked into it, found the prices absolutely outrageous, and then found this thread. Their website barely works and when it does, you'll realize you're better off going to your local farmer's market and picking up the same kind of stuff for cheaper (and getting it fresh, not frozen). Yikes!

Also notice a lot of newbies (at least 3 or 4) creating accounts JUST to post good reviews in this thread and then never posting again. Nice. Not suspicious at all. I even accidentally thanked one of them. Oops.

[Stregga]

Hello Everybody,

Thank you for your concerns. First, if you try a little bit you can pick apart any business. This new concept in Canada is similar to a very successful American company that operates online and sells high quality foods to their valued customers. They have been operating for over 40 years and online since 1990. This company is called Omaha Steaks.

We have been in business for 15 years, 11 years direct marketing and 4 years online. We have recently made our quality product available to everyone in Canada. Yes, we have separated our administrative office from our warehouse to better suit our business needs. Our goal is to make sure that customers such as yourself, receive the best product and service. We have an inspected warehouse that insures that all orders are packed properly with sufficient dry ice. Now, dry ice is carbon dioxide that has been pressurized into solid matter. For is to keep your food frozen, it will evaporate and keep the temperature in your container up to -40C.

Now for the pricing, regular prices are set according to smaller orders (under 8 packages). Therefore, they are going to be more expensive.
The business concept works at its best when you order 8 packages or more. The reason why you save so much is because the size of the order enables us to reduce our overall costs and we pass on the saving to you.

REMEMBER you can always find a lower price anywhere you go. You decide where to shop depending on your preference and your needs. We offer convenience, quality, and customer service. We are also contributing to saving the planet by eliminating retail stores that would consume energy, trees and more.

By no means are we a scam. We have over 8000 valued customers that like our program.
Feel free to call us if you have any other concerns. We have a toll free number: 1-877-254-0222


Thank you for your concerns,
GSI Customer Service[/QUOTE]

Bravo! Well stated Gourmet Secrets! I don't believe there's a scam. It's a case of what you want to spend on the quality of meat your purchasing. It's a choice.

[death_hawk]

Obvious shill is hilariously obvious.

[joshua18]

Thanks to everyone. I saw this deal on groupon

$5 for $50 Worth of Meat, Seafood and Prepared Meals from Gourmet Secrets.

My initial instinct was to buy, buy, buy. I read the fine print and googled the company name (found this thread).

Seems more like a headache than anything else.

[amias450]

Hello Joshua18,
First sorry for my english I'm french...
I had exactly the same thinking as you to buy like 10 of them but, maybe I dont understant the concept but prices Seams to be way to high !
Here is my calc. For the Porc Tenderloin, It is 42.99$ for 15x(100g) so 1500G.. If i compare with IGA prices.. Porc Tenderloin is:1.76$ for 100g wich mean that for 1500g is cost 26,40$
And this is the regular price for IGA, on special it is almost half price.. Also for the www.gourmetsecrets.ca you have to pay a lot for shipping.
So please correct me if me calcs are wrong but if not, they are selling their meat way to high.
Thanks
Yan