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[MSE Lawrence]

Poll ran 02-10 March 2009:

Are you a cashback connoisseur?

Over the last few years, a raft of cashback sites have sprung up, offering you a cut of the ‘affiliate revenue’ they receive, so that if you buy products through them, you get cashback on top (see top cashback sites and the cashback maximiser for more). Regular MoneySavers swear by them... but how widespread is their usage?

Which of these is nearest your experience?

A. Never heard of them. 12% (716 votes)
B. Don’t understand them. 15% (856 votes)
C. Can’t be bothered. 18% (1043 votes)
D. Used to but given up now. 4% (232 votes)
E. Only for big things. 4% (216 votes)
F. Occasionally. 13% (750 votes)
G. Usually. 13% (776 votes)
H. Always, I’m a cashback connoisseur. 20% (1169 votes)

Voting has now closed, but you can still click 'post reply' to discuss below. Thanks

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[cornishstud]

Wow... never been first poster! Hehe
I use quidco, the best in my opinion. £5 fee, after that 100% of cashback is all mine. Mwahahaha.

[gaz_jones]

H for me

Always go through cashback sites no matter what!! I use topcashback. Perhaps there is a better one to use? I've only had one problem with them but they're half way through sorting it out now I hope £0 joining fee and you keep 100% cashback Not sure how their rates compare to other sites :S

[Jennifer_Jane]

I'm also a Quidco fan. Signed up for a few of the cashback people, then stuck with Quidco. Just liked their website more, I think, seemed simpler than the others. So far, I have 'made' over £800 tax-free since Oct 2007.

Jen
x

[competitionscafe]

Originally Posted by cornishstud

I use quidco, the best in my opinion. £5 fee, after that 100% of cashback is all mine. Mwahahaha.

Topcashback has no fee and 100% of cashback goes to the user, plus they have more merchants as Quidco refused to work with/fell out with Affiliate Window (one of the big UK networks) - so you won't get cashback on Quidco for any merchant exclusive to Affiliate Window. http://blog.affiliatewindow.com/?p=154
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...tml?p=12791703

Why pay £5 when you can get a better service and more choice for free?

[janeymates]

I am surprised at the results of this poll.
21% said 'Can't be bothered' It really only takes a couple of extra clicks and you've effectively saved/made money.
Obviously you have to make sure you are getting the best price, then check for cashback and if it's available, it's easy money!
To date i've had £637.87 from Quidco,
Better off in my pocket I say!
I do a lot of my shopping online though, including Home/Car insurance etc which tend to be the bigger payers.
What does everyone else think?

[Jennifer_Jane]

Totally agree with you, janeymates, it's just so easy. So in just over a year, I've made the same amount of money (actually more as it's tax-free), as the salary increase which I had to work extremely hard, and fight for. Love Quidco.

Will take competitionscafe's comment, though, and actually compare other cashback sites again. I did a bit and Quidco came up better than the others, but you can get complacent and it's worth investigating.

Jen
x

[prasm]

I agree it is just a few clicks....and it has good returns....

I checked Topcashback some time back and while it does seem to have more retailers, what I did not like was they asking to lower the antivirus security...i prefer not to compromise on online security for any cashback site however good it is....

So in my opinion Quidco is still the safest top site...

[Mum_of_3]

I clicked the can't be bothered as after using cashback sites in the past & never-ever getting the money I was owed out of them (about £100 over 2 sites), I now believe it's a waste of my time!

M_o_3

[meggsy]

I would have voted but I use http://www.buy.at/fundraising/ which means that my favourite sportsclub receives some money.

[CAE]

I use Rpoints. There is also a highest cashback guarantee, so I then check the other sites and claim extra as necessary. No problems with getting the actual cash.

I have tried to explain this to some of my colleagues, and they don't understand how it works. I then offer to do their insurances for them, and get the cashback. I usually share it though. Of course we make sure it is the best deal anyway.

[rag31]

When buying a few big items we searched around cashback sites and found they never had the best prices, so now we don't bother.

Plus, we try to buy second hand as often as possible.

[dillydilly]

just broke through the £1000 barrier with this month's payment from Quidco - and they gave me some cashback from a query I put in two years ago, said they were clearing the outstanding filing with some spare cash... what nice fellows...

[g4kvi]

Not on the same level as some but MADE about £100 over the last year at myshopforcash. That's at least a few take always, and for doing nothing!!

[7th Song]

Cashback may be easy, but I can almost always pay less with a few minutes research and occasionally a bit of haggling. The same applies to the various screenscrapers, I check them but only to confirm that I had done better somewhere else.
What's the point in a £5 cashback when you've paid a tenner more?

[jackie1969uk]

I always use a cashback site before buying anything online and tend to stick to Quidco. I ahve yet to come across a price higher by going through Quidco site and being re-directed to the retailer, actually I usually search fort he cheapest product online then look for the cashback link in Quidco after finding the price I am willing to pay.

[smiley0405]

If you have a particular product in mind, put in the brand and product number or as much details as you know, eg Nintendo DS Lite into google.co.uk but instead of clicking ok, choose More - Shopping from the top options. This will then show you where you can get the cheapest product, then go to Quidco, or other (I use quidco) and login and then look for that retailer, follow the link, and bingo, not only have you ensured you have the cheapest product, you have got money back for yourself. I also use easyfundraising.org, when I'm feeling virtuous, this can raise money for your local school (as long as it is registered).

[jinkssick]

made around £180 from quite minimal use. £35 for tiscali, £30 for broadband £10 from a hotel I booked just yesterday.

to be honest anyone who doesnt care, really should get their belts on and sort it out as easy money is simply going down the drain.

i think people think you have to send a letter, then receive an email back, input a 28 digit code and then call the company where you will then receive your £30 cashback.

all it is is going to quidco or topcashback, going through them. simple.

[skoda38]

after 20 years of putting it off, we have just had sky. got free sky + box ,plus free installation. using a code from the sky users forum. thought i would try for quidco aswell and got £80 cashback. easy money,

[Cooper11]

Just recently had a baby so bought loads of things online from mothercare, boots etc. all through TopCashBack. Including my car insurance I've ended up with over £200 casback so far which i wouldn't have got otherwise. Cashback sites really are a hidden gem..if you're not using one you're losing out...it seems a hard concept for people (i.e. my friends) to grasp but once you've used them once you realise how easy it is to get money for nowt !