At Catalogues for Bad Credit, we want to help you avoid any scam catalogue sites. So we have put together this guide to walk you through Savvy Benefits Card and whether it is legit or a scam.
What is a Savvy Benefits Card?
Savvy Benefits Card is based in the UK and claims to be a money saving membership that will help you to improve your credit score. This company does not run a credit check and accepts everyone regardless of their financial situation and credit score.
This company claims to provide you with two different ways of saving money. The first is a virtual card to use for in-store shopping, this is called a Savvy Card or Vectis Card. You are asked to download an app to use codes on your phone on the go.
The second is a portal that shows you all of the partner websites that you will have discounts for with savings from £100 to £1,000. The portal offers a credit line too, which they claim you do not have to pay interest on until you spend the money.
Savvy Benefits are supposedly partnered up with brands like Tesco, Next, Sky, eBay, Vision Express and many more.
How does a Savvy Benefits Card work?
With the Savvy Benefits Card, it is supposed to save you money on in-store or online shopping with huge discounts on a wide range of products from over 1000 stores. Savvy claims you can use their services to save you money on clothing, technology, appliances and many more purchases. They also claim to save you money on restaurants and holidays.
To open an account you have to fill in an application form that asks for your full name, address, contact information and bank details. Savvy Benefits claim you can access the discounts by paying a £29.99 signup fee and then continuing to pay £14.99 per month.
Is Savvy Benefits a scam?
Savvy Benefits claim you can cancel your membership by giving them 30 days notice before your membership expires, and 30 days after the renewal date. Also, they claim you can get a full refund if you cancel within 7 days of signing up to the account.
However, this is not true. Trustpilot reviewers have revealed that even after cancelling the membership, money was continuously taken from their bank account each month. So, they are keeping card details on record beyond when they should, and scamming people out of money without them receiving the benefits and when they no longer want the card.
Additionally, they claim to provide refunds within 7 business days from the requested date. However, TrustPilot users have stated that this is untrue, with some customers never receiving their rightful refund.
Other users of the site have claimed that the company takes one penny out of their account at random times and without explanation.
Another way that Savvy Benefits entices people is by claiming you can have a loan from them, and then they will unwillingly sign you up to the benefits card with the monthly fee without consent. This is a way to scam people as it is signing them up to services without their consent and then refusing to refund them.
Why should you avoid Savvy Benefits?
Savvy Benefits has a 1.7 star rating on TrustPilot, with many negative reviews such as:
- “Cancelled account months ago yet money was taken from my account last week. So they kept all my card details on file and took £29.09 from my account which amounts to theft. Many emails sent and no reply…”
- “This company is a fraud who targets the vulnerable…”
- “This is a scam, please do not be deceived! I tried to sign up for a loan via a broker and unknowingly signed up for Savvy Benefits. You receive no confirmation email or call so don’t even know you have signed up to a subscription service…”
There are no ‘positive’ reviews about Savvy Benefits online, so you should avoid it as it is untrustworthy and may take money from your account without your permission.
What are legit alternatives to Savvy Benefits Card?
Whilst the benefits of having a Savvy Benefits Card may seem enticing (after all – who doesn’t want to save money?) it should be avoided. As they will take money out of your bank account, not let you cancel your account with them, and you will not be able to access the benefits and discounts they claim to offer you.
Luckily – there are many legit alternatives to help you save money and improve your credit score in the process, even if you have a low credit score.
If you are looking to save money on products and pay in affordable instalments, you could check out Very, Littlewoods or Argos. All of these sites sell a huge range of products from top brands at competitive prices, with discounts available at all times. These online catalogues allow you to spread the cost into affordable instalments, and it is likely you will not have to pay any interest.
Or, if you are specifically looking to purchase a mobile phone but you do not have a credit score or have a very low credit score, you could check out Sunshine Mobile. This site does not run a credit check on you, and you can access all the latest models with great discounts.
Alternatively, if you are specifically looking to buy clothes, then there are a few fantastic online sites to check out. These sites sell clothing at amazing prices, and often cheaper than in-store shops, from top brands. Some that are worth looking at include Simply Be, JD Williams, Jacamo and Kaleidoscope.
If you decide to use catalogues to help you buy the things you need, then there are many benefits you can reap. As in the process of getting the things you want, you can improve your credit score at the same time, as long as you are reliable with your payments.