(SCAM Website Warning) If it’s too good to be true, it probably is

Don’t be fooled by Thermomix website scams offering discounts. Buy a Thermomix from an authorized Thermomix Advisor (previously 210220044, from January 1st it’s 8000000068) and someone you can trust. I didn’t want to write this post but have had to out of necessity. I wanted to warn my client base and those who search online about scam websites selling Thermomix. My title says it all, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is”, so read on why you need to buy only from an authorised Advisor.

Vorwerk sells Thermomix via direct sales model, through Advisors. Since COVID we have also started selling online (see below) but we do not offer discounts on Thermomix TM6 ever, although occasionally we have head office customer offers. Below is an example of the last 3-months’ offers from Thermomix UK.

December 2020:

Bundle of Festivity – buy a Thermomix TM6 and get a Thermoserver, Christmas Apron, and ‘A Very Thermomix Christmas’ for an extra £20.

So our Thermomix TM6 remained at £1149, but you were paying an extra £20 for the bundle.

Black Friday 2020

For Black Friday, Vorwerk UK had a bundle of the Thermomix TM6/ Thermomix TM5 for £1599.

A fabulous deal for anyone who was gifting a Thermomix as a present (which many of you did) or keeping one for their main house and taking a second to their second/ holiday home.

So our Thermomix TM6 remained at £1149 with the Thermomix TM5 costing £450. The Thermomix TM5 was only sold for a 2-week period and was never available on its own. We only ever sell the latest and current model. I’ll be honest, we had TM5s lying around in the warehouse and we wanted to sell them on and this was a good time to do it. Vorwerk got rid of their stock and many, many customers took advantage of our class digital model at a substantial reduced price. As soon as the Black Friday offer was over, it was over.

October/ November 2020:

Rockstars – we introduced our Stoneware Collection and our offers were various different packages of the Stoneware collection. You could take the Ultimate Bundle which retailed at £1284 which included all 4 Rockstars and the Betty (£85), our most expensive stoneware casserole dish was free.

Other options included Starter Kits (Paul and Anna), and 10% off individual stoneware.

So our Thermomix TM6 remained at £1149, but you were paying an extra for Rockstars which were discounted.

 September 2020

Thermomix TM6 at £1149 on a zero-percent interest offer which worked out at £95.75 per month.

Again, the Thermomix TM6 remained at £1149.

We offer finance options all the time, usually 9.9% with Ikano bank. Customers can choose 12, 24 or 36-month options and it works out at around £5 a month extra. But when we have a zero-percent offer, it’s a great way to spread the cost of the Thermomix out with no interest charges and it’s a high sales month for us as a result.

As I mentioned earlier, as we’re on COVID working practices, the head office has temporarily offered online ordering to make it easier for customers. However, as you can see it’s still at £1149.

https://www.vorwerk.co.uk/shop/thermomix/thermomix-tm6/p/62149

You will need to add my Advisor number for your sale and TM6 account to be linked to me.  My Advisor number 210220044 (up to 31st December 2020), and from 1st January 2021, my new Advisor number is 8000000068.

Mostly, my clients pay over the phone with me after they have had several email exchanges/ phone calls/ demonstrations with me so they already know me and have a relationship with me personally.  I use my online Advisor portal and during the checkout process, you receive a one-time-password over your banking app/ to your mobile, which authorizes the sale. A one–time password (OTP), also known as a one–time PIN or dynamic password, is a password that is valid for only one login session or transaction, on a computer system or other digital device. This creates security for you as the client and trust that I am an authorized representative of the company.

For those who are shy of online sales, then we also have a third option, to create an invoice for you. A proforma invoice is a preliminary invoice, created and sent by a business to outline its intent to deliver goods or services to a customer. Proforma invoices usually include a price quote, information on how to make a payment, and other details about the transaction. This is usually the preferred method for business and commercial customers but can be done for domestic purchases too.  When I am dealing with clients, for example, a mother living in Hong Kong buying a gift for a daughter in the UK, this is the method I use too.  I need all the purchasers/ delivery details before creating an invoice but once it’s done, the head office sends you the invoice and you can then pay into the authorized Vorwerk UK bank account. Transfers for UK banks can take 1-2 days and for foreign transactions can take 7-10 days. Once Vorwerk has received the money in their bank account, the Thermomix is dispatched the next day.

With a purchase from Vorwerk UK, you are buying directly from the manufacturer with products delivered from our central warehouse in Birmingham via DPD.  You receive a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty. All Thermomixes come with 6-months Cookidoo. You get an Advisor with an official Advisor number to offer you pre-sale, post-sale demonstrations, and on-going support. We have Branch offices that we will be inviting you to for cooking classes and workshops; we do virtual classes while we are in lockdown.

So nowhere are we offering a discount on the newest, latest model of Thermomix TM6. So when you see a post like this online – do not believe it. It’s too good to be true. Vorwerk UK is aware of these websites but it takes us a long time to track them down and close them down.

Another fake site that has been brought to my attention is this one

Yes, it looks official but it’s not.

Yes, they have cleverly used a domain name like https://thermomixonline.com/ or https://buythermomixlonine.com but they are not an official channel.  You cannot buy a Thermomix for £977 or anything less than the RRP of £1149.

Yes, they are offering freebies such as cookbooks, a scraper (what is that??), a bowl brush, etc, but any decent Advisor offers thank you gifts anyway. We don’t advertise this publicly but all you have to ask and usually we are happy to bundle something up for you.

But once you go down the checkout process with their websites, they start giving you bank account details and asking you to make transfers, rather than going through an online checkout process they as you do a bank transfer with a dodgy bank account.

We as a company never discount the Thermomix TM6. We don’t need to. Whether you are an individual buying one or a commercial restaurant buying 10, the price is the same (those registered for VAT can get their VAT back). As a consumer myself, I actually like this as it keeps the value of my purchase.  With one price, I don’t feel I am being cheated by buying a Thermomix this month and then realizing that in the sale a week, a month, or even 6-months later, it will be less.  The Thermomix is an investment and a considered purchase which is why we offer a full-no-obligation cooking experience pre-sale to help you make informed decisions. No pressure, just a helping hand to answer all your questions. It’s like buying a Louis Vuitton Handbag or diamond ring, it’s an investment. You buy a brand or a quality product for a reason. Or an Apple phone or a BMW. You are buying not only a product but a brand that is reputable and trust-worthy. A brand that you can trust.

So if you have stumbled on my website and this blog post, know that you can trust me. I have been an Advisor for over 12 years with an Advisor number 210220044 (from January 1st 2021, its 8000000068). Check out the rest of my website, and social media such as my Facebook and Instagram pages. Customer feedback and testimonials are some of the most trusted forms of independent feedback, so see my Google reviews.

I have had too many clients reach out and been stung by this scam/ fake websites, so please don’t let it happen to you. STOP. Think, it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Ankita Stopa, One Girl and her Thermie

Thermomix owner, blogger, recipe developer…expert!

Independent Thermomix Advisor and Team Leader, Canary Wharf

Mobile: 07977563537