Real-life MMD: Should I share utility switching c...

[purple.sarah]

I would keep the cashback or spend it on something that benefits the whole household. Your housemates are already benefiting from saving on the bills.

[milvusvestal]

Keep the money.

As you say yourself, you've done all the hard work and achieved a saving for your flatmates already. Look upon it as your commission.

[nczm]

I think you should keep it, but I do think you should agree it with your house mates first - I'd be amazed if they don't tell you to keep it for the leg work.

If they insist in sharing the pot I'd just keep that in mind for anything future (whether you chose to disclose is up to you) after all you've saved £150 whats £30 one off when that £150 each year

[crogers]

No way-you've done the legwork, trawled the net and saved them a few bob. Consider this your commission

[Ebenezer_Screwj]

I agree with all the posts that say this cashback is your commission on the deal. Don't be a mug.

[alfacat]

Originally Posted by koru

Do as you would be done by. This is usually a good guide to ethical dilemmas.

this is the maxim I try to live by too and in this instance if I was a housemate and the op advised me what they'd done I would have no issue with them keeping the money as reward for their initiative and time, and for saving the remaining housemates £150 a year.

"fair exchange is no robbery!"

[NSG666]

You have not said how many you share with. If there's two then you've just saved someone £75 - if that someone were me I'd be happy for you to keep £15. If there are five of you then you have saved them £30 each - is it really worth faffing around offering them £6.
BUT, the fact that the question has been asked suggests a feeling of guilt that I would not have had. In your case, use the £30 to buy some drinks for you and your housemates.
NOTE your name is on the bills so you are responsible for paying them even when one or more of your housemates can't pay you 'cos they are a bit strapped this month or decide to do a bunk.

[PollyOnAMission]

Every bill switch is another potential cashback earner, just like every trip to the supermarket is another potential reward points earner. If you earned Nectar points on, say, toilet roll for the whole house, would those points be shared? Probably not, but you would give each housemate their opportunity to earn reward points in turn if they want to.

I would see household bills in a similar way. It would be fair to share out the bill switching between housemates, so each has the opportunity to earn their own share of cashback. If, for whatever reason, they decide they don't want to take on that responsibility then that's up to them. But they'll lose out on the potnetial cashback and should be made aware of this.

If one person takes on all the bill switching without consulting the others, therefore not allowing them to get their share when actually they might prefer to take on a bill and have the option, then I'd say it would be fair for that cashback to be shared amongst the household.

[rainsong]

I did the same thing, and used the cashback to pay off our bills for the first few months.

After that, no one in the house paid me for the bills in the following months! I'm still chasing them up 6 months later!

I say keep it. Good guys finish last, sadly.

[Indi 2000]

It is only moral if you tell your flatmates what you have done and you intend to keep the money because you feel you have earned it fair and square. If you choose not to tell them then you have something to hide and are acting immorally. This is only a moral dilemma if your morals are questionable in the first place.

[janiebquick]

Morally, you should share it. However, you could claim you only got £100 cashback and split this with them.......

[his missus]

If you were to find out one of your flatmates got £30 cashback for having bought/sorted something for the house or if one of them had switched the gas/electric via a cashback website and earned some £s, would you expect them to share? Your honest answer to this will determine what you should do.

[ja9_c]

I say keep it! You have put all the leg-work in therefore should keep the cashback. Plus we are not talking hundreds of pounds (even though it unlikely I would change my decision!)

[mrsgreenfingers]

I suggest you tell your flatmates of your dilemma and let them decide. I would hope they'd say "well done - keep the £30 and thanks for saving us on our bills". Everyone wins and is happy. If they want you to share the cash at least you know you've not deceived anyone and your conscience is clear.

[gloucesteroldspot]

Speaking as someone who has never actually received a 'cashback' despite doing everything right to get them, I would say forget it. Cashbacks are mostly a con.

[dave2]

Share it. The "cash back" is simply a discount.

If you're having difficulty understanding this, consider what your position would be if the amount was being deducted from the first bill instead of paid to you directly. The only difference that way is that it is harder to hide it from your housemates; the principle is exactly the same.

Or how about if you'd needed to pay a one-off £30 fee to be able to access this best deal. Would you get your housemates to chip in on that? Why would it be different when the cash is coming in the other direction?

Or how about your flatmate has two deals for Sky package, one £40/m and another £45/m but with £100 cashback (per year or whatever). Would it be okay for them to get the £45 and pocket the £100? But would it not be stupid to get the more expensive £40 deal?

Everybody is expected to hunt for deals and do the legwork and everyone shares the cashback.

(BTW, while trivial perhaps, if you were to be conisdered to be acting as an agent it's technically illegal to keep the cash back as "commission" unless you obtain permission from your principals.)

[ellesbellesxxx]

I would stock up with things for the house like loo roll, tea, or put it aside for the next bill to soften the softened blow!

I once bought some books via cashback site for school, then bought books for school with the cashback so that they benefitted - and I felt like I had got them a bargain xx

[Tiggy10]

The same thing happened in my house last year. My house mate who got it just put it towards the total of our next bill instead of splitting it, which was very kind. I might not have done the same

[Talent]

No. Keep it for yourself.

[tgroom57]

Keep the cashback - it's all yours. You did the legwork and earnt it.

They are already set to share a saving of £150 p/year because of your action. That's extra money they will have in their pocket because of you -to do with as they please.

Keep the cash-back for yourself as reward. If it should come to light then I hope your timely action (and the £30) will inspire them to look for ways to save money on the other household bills. Look at it this way, if your house-mates decide you're onto a good thing and do something similar with 2 other bills, you could all be a further £300 /year better off.

Tis a good thing to have a MSE in the house.