iPhone £150 cashback offer on Vodafone with Quidco

The_Boss

Hi guys,

I was going to renew my Vodafone contract with an Iphone - but seen the £150 cashback with Quidco offer for a new line through them.

Would I still qualify for this even though I already currently have a Vodafone account? I'd obviously set it up through the link and online and then give a month's notice on my current account in a few weeks time. I dont want to start a new number and new account though if I'm not going to qualify for the £150.

The_Boss

Also, my company has a 'preferred supplier' agreement with Vodafone, meaning we get 20% off line rental with them for new contracts. This has to be applied to the account within 28 days. Would this affect Quidco paying the cashback? I'd assume so as they'd be getting less of a cut from Vodafone but want to check first as it may work out better in the long term to take the company discount over the cashback.

To qualify for the discount, we log into out work intranet, follow a link (presumably to the Vodafone site) and enter our company group (WPP) and employee number - so no voucher codes or anything being used at the time of applying for the offer.

Guys_Dad

Bird in hand, Boss. You currently get preferred supplier deal from Voda that gives you reduced line rental. That's your Bird in Hand.

Search this forum for MSE members who are still waiting for their Voda/Quidco settlements for months or, in some cases, over a year. Mine only came 9 months later as a result of being informed who the affiliate company that supposedly handles the cash transfer was and getting on to their CEO.

That's your Two in the Bush, if you get my drift.

The_Boss

Thanks for the reply. I thought Quidco were supposed to be reliable? Are they not generally recommended?

Exhortation

Quidco are generally reliable but there seems to be this ongoing issue with Vodafone, for some reason.

Jon_01

Yeah, Quidco are, as a rule fine. The problems come when you add Quidco to Voda. All you can do is wait and hope. Chasing through Quidco gets you no where and Voda don't want to know (because their agreement is with Quidco, not you).

In any event, you'd have to port your number out of Voda and then back to get the offer as its for new customers only. If you started a new contract they wouldn't move your old number over to it. Its called a 'backdoor upgrade' and the networks really don't like them. ..

The_Boss

Jon_01 wrote: »

Yeah, Quidco are, as a rule fine. The problems come when you add Quidco to Voda. All you can do is wait and hope. Chasing through Quidco gets you no where and Voda don't want to know (because their agreement is with Quidco, not you).

In any event, you'd have to port your number out of Voda and then back to get the offer as its for new customers only. If you started a new contract they wouldn't move your old number over to it. Its called a 'backdoor upgrade' and the networks really don't like them. ..

The way I'd proceed is start a new account/new number and then cancel my current agreement in a few weeks when I can give a month's notice. I'm not fussed about porting the number at all to be honest.

mobilejunkie

As (according them them recently) I have earned more from Quidco than any of their other members I can only contradict the general consensus that they are "reliable" or "fine" NOW, or that it's merely a prpoblem with a single merchant - Vodafone. I have lost several hundred pounds since Quidco changed about a year ago - their systems, their promotions, their concern for their members and they policing of merchants (now completely non-existent). I no longer use them since they cannot be trusted, definitely aren't reliable and don't give a toss about their members. Their only concern is increasing their membership to earn more than the £5 million they now squeeze out of their members every year - and will say or do anything despite the fact that their actions are usually the opposite of their words. A year ago my feedback would have been the exact opposite - BUT they HAVE changed. Beware relying on ANY cashback from their merchants and don't bother putting in an "enquiry".

A year ago (and for 2-3 years before that) I would hapily have carried out transactions on Quidco in the knowledge the indicated cashback would materialise in due course - and that if it didn't Quidco would try VERY hard to get it back. They even paid voluntarily when they failed to recover cashback from more than one year earlier. Now they do absolutley nothing and on their own blog for disatisfied members there are pages and pages of angry punters. They used to give the percentage of satisfied to disatisfied - was around 70% disatisfied until they removed that particular function.

Unfortunately there are no cashback sites anywhere near as good as Quidco used to be - but now there can't be too many that are worse.

Lynsey

Jon_01 wrote: »

Yeah, Quidco are, as a rule fine. The problems come when you add Quidco to Voda.

Add to that Three Mobile, lots and lots of financial issues/declines, the great DGM fiasco which cost the hundreds and hundreds of Quidco members thousands and thousands of pounds for a management gamble etc., etc., etc, and even more etc's.
They are definitely not fine as a rule, though one or two may escape their many many issues may think that. Have a look at the Quidco moan zone, it may just change your mind.

Interesting post MJ and unfortunately it's true. A lot would take your advice and expertise on Quidco as it's up there with your expertise and knowledge of mobile cashback issues/problems - good solid honest advice.

Lynsey

Guys_Dad

Lynsey wrote: »

Add to that Three Mobile, lots and lots of financial issues/declines, the great DGM fiasco which cost the hundreds and hundreds of Quidco members thousands and thousands of pounds for a management gamble etc.

Can you, MJ or anyone who knows please explain the way in which DGM and other afiliates are involved in this. I am trying to get to the bottom of it both on here and off line with Quidco and Vodafone.

Briefly, for those who may not know, when you buy through Quidco and Vodafone, Vodafone (and other merchants) don't settle directly with Quidco - they go through an intermediary affiliate company. DGM was one such company that went into liquidation last year or 2009 with a whole bunch of cash they were processing for Quidco - and, I believe, Topcash.

Now I know for an absolute fact that much of the delay currently being experienced by MSE members waiting for Quidco/Vodafone cashback lies at the door of a certain affiliate company who are supposed to be processing the claims.

I am intrigued with your comment about a "management gamble" Lynsey and would love to know more, plus can anyone tell me just why an affiliate company is needed as an intermediary and why neither the merchants or Quidco seem to be policing them?

I am waiting for £135 cashback from Quidco for an energy swap and a financial transaction. I am still within the anticipated payback timetable and both transactions have tracked, but I sincerely hope that they are not going to be processed through the affiliate company referred to above.

Lynsey

Guys_Dad wrote: »

I am intrigued with your comment about a "management gamble" Lynsey and would love to know more, plus can anyone tell me just why an affiliate company is needed as an intermediary and why neither the merchants or Quidco seem to be policing them?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2600107

Post #191, though lots of reading there.
Basically Quidco's management still allowed Quidco members to make transactions via DGM despite them fully knowing DGM weren't making payments. Quidco state they were paying members out of their own pockets believing they would be paid by DGM - this is despite them stating and still stating now that cashback will only be paid once received.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, DGM went bust and Quidco have so far and will probaly not pay their members the losses occured despite the Quidco management having a major part in this.
Surely a Quidco management risk should be just that - the management should lose out and NOT the members involved?? Other cashback sites have paid their members for DGM transactions.

Lynsey