Moneysupermarket.com not giving me my cashback

4$£&*(£$&*(!

I heeded the warnings and locked in on British Gas's December 2009 price guarantee back in July. Good job I did too as around a week later the plan was removed, then the big hikes started just after this and the former plan I'd just left rose well above the BG rates.

Anyway this is all painting a picture. The real problem is with Moneysupermarket.com. I used the £30 cashback link via this site to switch. The confirmation email came through on 26th July, telling me my cashback would happen once they have confirmation my application has been successful. This is normally 2-3 months and certain cases can take up to 6 months. Fair enough, I would think the 'certain case' catagory is for exceptional cases where there are problems with the switch.

On 20th September I emailed asking when I'd receive my cashback and was told 31/10/08. Bit long, after the 'normal' period, but fair enough. So when it didn't arrive I started to get annoyed. My switchover took place in early September with no hitches whatsoever.

Today I'm told by the person who originally quoted 31/10/08 this is the wrong date, apologising for delays and inconvenience. I've said this isn't good enough and I want my money by the end of this week. I've also advised them I'll lodge a formal complaint with Energywatch, British Gas and the Office for Fair Trading as essentially I believe an email confirming the date I'd receive cashback is a contract that has been broken. Because of my job I have easy access to legal advice and I'm told I stand on excellent grounds for a broken contract.

I also said in the email to Moneysupermarket.com I'll be posting info online, so here it is. Comments as always are very welcome.

Premier_2

1. Expecting to wait 3 months before you are paid cashback is nothing special.

2. You will only get cashback once the supplier gives the switching company their money.

3. British Gas won't care about you not getting cashback - their contract is with moneysupermarket.com regarding commission for getting a customer to switch, not with you.

4. Best of luck with your claim to energywatch - they've been disbanded!
Their replacement is Consumer Direct who are also the consumer facing side of the Office of Fair Trading. My personal experience with Consumer Direct (not energy related) is not to waste your time and energy with them - they often do nothing or worse still give incorrect and misleading information.

If you really want to find out where your £30 is and when you might receive it, follow the advice given by Scott Byrom (moneysupermarket.com Utilities Manager) in this thread:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=981789

MoneyMiser

CitySlicker wrote: »

Today I'm told by the person who originally quoted 31/10/08 this is the wrong date, apologising for delays and inconvenience. I've said this isn't good enough and I want my money by the end of this week. I've also advised them I'll lodge a formal complaint with Energywatch, British Gas and the Office for Fair Trading as essentially I believe an email confirming the date I'd receive cashback is a contract that has been broken. Because of my job I have easy access to legal advice and I'm told I stand on excellent grounds for a broken contract.

But you are getting the cash back as stated in your post so......

1) Why are you complaining? Once the supplier pays their commision they will forward you the cash back.

2) You have no legs to stand on at all. As you have stated the cash back can take up to six months for whatever reason.

3) Why all the hassle over £30 when they have said they will pay you?!


I'm sorry if this sounds harsh but it is people like you who will get these kind of deals shelved because the companies will just think it is not worth the hassle.

Martin openly advertises these websites to switch because it gives customers a little something extra. So quit moaning because in this day and age there are far bigger problems in the world.

MM

BigDave_Cash_Saver

CitySlicker wrote: »

I heeded the warnings and locked in on British Gas's December 2009 price guarantee back in July. Good job I did too as around a week later the plan was removed, then the big hikes started just after this and the former plan I'd just left rose well above the BG rates.

Anyway this is all painting a picture. The real problem is with Moneysupermarket.com. I used the £30 cashback link via this site to switch. The confirmation email came through on 26th July, telling me my cashback would happen once they have confirmation my application has been successful. This is normally 2-3 months and certain cases can take up to 6 months. Fair enough, I would think the 'certain case' catagory is for exceptional cases where there are problems with the switch.

On 20th September I emailed asking when I'd receive my cashback and was told 31/10/08. Bit long, after the 'normal' period, but fair enough. So when it didn't arrive I started to get annoyed. My switchover took place in early September with no hitches whatsoever.

Today I'm told by the person who originally quoted 31/10/08 this is the wrong date, apologising for delays and inconvenience. I've said this isn't good enough and I want my money by the end of this week. I've also advised them I'll lodge a formal complaint with Energywatch, British Gas and the Office for Fair Trading as essentially I believe an email confirming the date I'd receive cashback is a contract that has been broken. Because of my job I have easy access to legal advice and I'm told I stand on excellent grounds for a broken contract.

I also said in the email to Moneysupermarket.com I'll be posting info online, so here it is. Comments as always are very welcome.

:mad: :mad:
To be honest this kind of "complaint" drives me mad and it’s an example of why many companies withdraw, or don’t bother doing, promotions for us to all get a little something extra.

If you are getting your cash back, have had an apology, had a plausible explanation and have been offered a new date I think you need to have a word with your boss as you clearly have too much time on your hands in the "job" that you are talking about.

Bottom line is that in the T&C's it says their decision is always final, you agreed to it when you signed up. You LEGALLY can’t pick and choose to abide by some parts of the conditions and not others, and what do you think someone is going to do? Award you Millions for Breach of contract?

Sorry to be a little direct, but if they now don’t pay you THEN you should take them to the cleaners……..;)

Plushchris

Having to wait a bit to get £30 doesnt really justify all the complaining and "legal action" talk.

Its £30 after all, you already said it was a good job you switched as the tariff was removed the week after you switched and its probably saved you a packet.

To go into talks of legal action when they havent actually said they WONT pay, just that there is a delay is, to be frank, pathetic.

You'll get your £30 eventually and then you'll say you'll never use them again, which doesnt really matter as you wouldnt get the £30 next time anyway as they only ever pay it once.

Why didnt you use energyhelpline? they are Martin's top pick.

Premier_2

Plushchris wrote: »

...Why didnt you use energyhelpline? they are Martin's top pick.

Probably because moneysupermarket.com pay £30 for a dual fuel switch, whereas you only get £30 with energyhelpline by switching to 2 different suppliers (else it's just £15)

Plushchris

Premier wrote: »

Probably because moneysupermarket.com pay £30 for a dual fuel switch, whereas you only get £30 with energyhelpline by switching to 2 different suppliers (else it's just £15)

Ah yeah, so its greed!

I'd rather go with a site that Martin recommends as being most reliable and get £15 than go to one he doesnt and get £30

(although I dont really do either)

4$£&*(£$&*(!

Some quite harsh words there, and we're all entitled to an opinion.

My complaining, whether you agree with it or not, has worked and the cash back has now been paid into my account. It's my view if a company promises something it should not change the goalposts and whilst others in this thread have not agreed, I'd take the same position in an instant should anything like this happen in the future.

Plushchris

But seriously, when were the goalposts changed and how?

You said in your own post that they say it could be up to 6 months wait for cashback in some cases and they had never said you wont recieve it, just that there was a delay. The switch sites work on commision from the suppliers, the cashback comes from the site not the supplier, why would they give you cashback before they have the commision from the supplier?

Your complaining probably had little or no impact on a cashback payment that was going to be made anyway and your threats of legal action over £30 probably gave everyone in the moneysupermarket office (and on here) a good laugh that afternoon.

As for taking the same position again, thats not likely to happen as moneysupermarket only ever pay cashback once anyway.