34 reviews about Simple Savings

verified email - 04 Mar 2012

This is a website designed to save families money. Free membership offers a monthly newsletter which always arrives the following month; paid membership offers access to Tips in the vault and a members' forum.

The tips, however, are sometimes very obvious and often recycled. The forum appears to be over-moderated and members are discouraged from posting dissenting opinions. There are a great many rules and there is a whole banning process posted on the site, which the Site owners sometimes appear to choose to circumvent. The owners' decisions are final when they offer warnings, and trying to query them seems to result in more warnings. Many emails, in my experience, remained unanswered, and I found the tone of correspondence received to be patronising in the extreme. My membership was ultimately refunded in what I can only categorise as an extraordinarily unprofessional manner.

For $47 pa ($17 after the first year), it can be a great social outlet for people who are otherwise isolated. The tips are OK, but nothing that can't be found elsewhere. The staff try their best, but don't appear, in my view, to be able to manage the sheer volume of alerts that are created by the long and subjective list of rules.

The site owner is fond of telling her members, "I really need you to lift your game," but I feel that this advice would be better applied to the business itself at the moment.

kimberleym4 14 Apr 2012

The owners of this website contacted WOMO in March, asserting that this review was in breach of WOMO's Fair Play policy.

A subsequent investigation by WOMO satisfied WOMO staff that I had indeed been a paying customer of the Simple Savings website and that my review was based on my own experiences as a customer. They further confirmed that the review is not in breach of the WOMO Fair Play policy and reinstated my review.

Legal representatives of Simple Savings have since contacted me. Their demands (to use the phrase in their letter) include but are not limited to an apology for any hurt or damage caused to the website or its owners.

Although I do not believe that this review is dishonest or defamatory, it was never my intention to cause hurt or damage. I therefore apologise for any hurt or damage inadvertently caused by my appraisal of my experiences.

clarebp 19 Apr 2012

I think it's shameful that a business should threaten reviewers on here with legal action with the aim of making them change or withdraw their review.

Surely the whole point of reviews is to get honest opinions - positive OR negative!

kathy1965 28 Apr 2012

Disappointing reaction by a company to negative reviews. Perhaps a more positive reaction would be to look at why the negative reviews are being given and work on addressing customers concerns.

I too changed my comments, not through direct threat of legal action, but due to other members being threatened and I felt I would also be targetted.

I have no time in my life to deal with these types of issues, especially when I feel that I was giving constructive feedback and adding to the WOMO community.

If your goal in business is to provide an outstanding service then all reviews are invaluable - free market research and opportunity to become better.

verified email - 01 Mar 2012

One of my favourite newsletters to receive in my inbox, I often save the newsletter so that I have time to ponder the wonderful advice in saving. I have saved money by using the tips & advice provided in the newsletters on several occasions.

verified email - 28 Jun 2011

It's a website for saving money, with a store of savings tips and a discussion forum. As far as the savings tips go, it's great (though members have noticed and expressed a trend recently towards the same tips being recycled; there are, after all, only so many new tips that can be offered). The discussion forum is good, so long as you don't get heavily involved. The downside is that the forum rules are VERY restrictive. You mustn't correct anybody on the forum (even if they post something clearly incorrect), you mustn't get into any debate, you mustn't "mini-moderate" (ie. say anything to another member that might be construed as admonishment), you mustn't address an issue with another member (but instead you have to report it to staff and get them to deal with it), and (according to the tips on how to post) if you find yourself typing "IMHO" you're probably about to break a forum rule! And some members seem to be allowed to post anything they choose, while others are kept on a very tight rein.

Moreover, the person in charge has on multiple occasions given unsubstantiated (ie. unexplained and unjustified) rule-breach warnings to some members. Unfortunately, my experience was that attempting a discussion about these things with her resulted in further heaped accusations followed by stony silence. And, of course, such things can't be discussed on the forum (that would be "grandstanding"!), so unless members end up in private contact with other members they never hear about the issues.

I received rebukes for a) giving incorrect legal advice (no examples given, warning never justified), b) dominating threads (although there's no rule about that), c) mini-moderating (I'd asked someone "may I ask what you found patronising [about a third person's post]?"), d) posting opinions (that's not allowed), e) posting facts (even where I also posted links to back up the asserted facts; apparently that makes others feel belittled!)... the list goes on.

After leaving the forum, I had to lodge a complaint with Fair Trading in order to receive the refund of membership that the site supposedly guarantees. This despite asking the site owner and emailing a reminder after several weeks of no reply.

The community feel of the forum that's on the surface is great, but the underbelly isn't so pretty.

(Review originally posted 28/6/11, updated 22/3/12)

verified email - 17 Dec 2010

I logged in and its great to find so many ways to save that are not diffulcult or out of reach. Little tips and tricks to make life easier for us all and they have been created by people just like us, they dont want anything they just want to help, one of my favourite sites by far.

verified email - 30 Aug 2010

Wonderful. Has great tips on how to save money as well as a forum with a great community feel. The joining fee and yearly renewal fee is an extremely small amount to pay considering how much I have saved with this website.

verified email - 11 Aug 2010

I love the "wealthy habits" calendar, but the tips are a little recycled and are fairly generic. The blog is fairly interesting, but seems to be more about Penny's personal life than saving money.

Approximate cost: $0

verified email - 23 Jul 2010

what a great little website!!!! just sign up for free and they send you a savings tip of the week every week!!!! they are very handy, interesting and somtimes save you a bundle of money for little effort!!!!!!

verified email - 05 Jun 2010

logged onto their website and found fabulous ideas/tips and suggestions on how to save money daily. Great site and easy to use. I have consistenly received excellent service and a prompt reply to all my questions. The vault area (stored articles) is fantastic and easy to follow. The members contribute freely because they know that the site only give excellent results.

verified email - 07 May 2010

A plethora of information and discussion on how to save money with what you have without the need for second jobs - great, real advice. Have saved way more than the membership - bought a house, went on holiday, have almost $10k savings in the bank and paid cash for a big water tank - we earn under $50k combined! So worth it - invaluable!!

verified email - 11 Jan 2010

I recommend highly becoming a full member. It is worth every cent! There is so much advice on saving money and the forum is excellent with others in the same boat brain storming together.

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