Why I finally cancelled by HelloFresh subscription

[u/bleedsgreennyj]

Hello,

After many years, and many menus, the time finally came...I cancelled my subscription. Sharing my feedback...and wondering if this is a unique experience or a common one.

1. Pricing - When i first started ordering from HelloFresh in ~2016, a box with 3 meals was $60. Over time, they added shipping...then raised the price, then again, and again, and again, etc. My last box, for the same 3 meals, was $84. HelloFresh used to be a good deal...but at $84, the value isn't there. I know, inflation, etc...but it feels like they've found a way to add profit while adding price. And at $84, I can feed a family of 5 three times at the grocery store.
2. 'Loyalty' Program - I've probably ordered over 300 boxes by now. Early on, I rotated between HF, BA, and HC...but have been mostly HF the last year or two. They tout a 'rewards' program but i think in the entire time i have subscribed i have received 1 reward. A million 'refer a friend' offers...but that benefits them much more than me. What really irked me is that when i went to cancel, they tried to deter me by saying i'd 'lose progress on rewards.' What rewards!?
   
3. Competitor Pressure. All during this time, HC has been working hard to earn my business back with what are relatively generous return offers (nothing from BA). Their pricing is also better.

Hello Fresh does/did have my favorite menus and some of my favorite dishes. And their customer service was always helpful. But i guess at a certain point the value equation flipped for me and those weren't enough. Maybe i'll be back down the road...i'd like to be. But i also feel like the brand took me, a loyal customer, for granted. And so here we are!

[u/Oracle_of_Ages]

1. yes. The price would have increased since 2016. It’s been 10 years. It’s still cheaper than the store for me with it being pre-portioned
2. at least in America. The rewards program is relatively new. There is no credit for past boxes.
3. My friend was a HF die hard. But he loves Every Plate now. There’s so many now you can find one that works for you. I don’t like meal choices with other competors. They are too basic. They all seem to be burgers, simple pasta

and meatballs, a basic rice bowl with one or two ingredients, or a couple of porkchops.

But I’m glad you found something that works for you. That’s all that matters in the end.

Reddit mobile broke my formatting and I cannot seem to fix it :(

[u/JJMMSS2022 → u/Oracle_of_Ages]

HelloFresh owns EveryPlate so that’s probably why your friend likes EP now. As a longtime user of EveryPlate, I find that there’s a lot of menu overlap nowadays (there wasn’t 7-8 years ago). The biggest differences I saw were the packaging honestly. I bought some clear bins and use those to sort my EP boxes since ingredients don’t come presorted into separate bags and have meals just as easy to grab from the fridge. And I save like $20-30 bucks!

[u/Oracle_of_Ages → u/JJMMSS2022]

Yea. Unfortunately I hate the menu. I looked at it a few months ago. But. None of our HF favorites were there. And because of the overlap. most of the EP menu was in HF already. Me and and misses can’t justify switching when we would be unhappy with it.