Topcashback Questions & Answers

Chrysalis

I remember the one and only time I used one of these dodgy cashback sites, I think was topcasback but might have been quidco.

It was when I signed up to plusnet.

When I did the order it said tracking was completed fine, and the only thing to wait for was my service going live.

Now before I say what happened next it is important to realise when ordering broadband you have a short cooling down period, and once the service is live the contract cannot be cancelled penalty free.

Every single day prior to it going live tracking reported success.

The day it went live it reported failed to track, cashback invalid.

Support requests to the cashback provider got nowhere.

Thankfully plusnet got it dealt with via their escalation staff, it took over a month but I eventually got what I was owed.

I was never told what the exact problem was that caused it to change to fail, and why it waited for weeks after the sales transaction to change to fail.

What I found very telling was that the plusnet rep even admitted to me that if every single cashback was paid out, it wouldnt be a profitable business strategy, it only works because they dont pay out on all cashback sales.

hybernia

B_M wrote: »

https://register.fca.org.uk/ShPo_firmdetailsPage?id=001b000000MgCI0AAN

The important bit, as advised by the FCA and confirmed by the Financial Ombudsman, is the 'principal' part.
The 'principal', Rias in your case, is fully responsible for the actions, or lack of, from their Appointed Representive (AR).
I've lierally quoted the whole script to Barclays today! Lets them know they can't fob you off!
Fire off a direct complaint to Rias - mis-selling of a financial product due to non-payment of promoted cashback via their AR. If they tell you to wait, advise them the Financial Ombudsman states any cashback incentive offered should be paid in a reasonable time and certainly within four months. They would take on your claim if you haven't been paid within four months, but you must lodge a direct complaint first, to allow up to eight weeks for the merchant to investigate your complaint. Just in case it's a simple 'admin error'.

Good luck, you will get paid, but with many financial cashback offers from TCB, it's best to get it yourself! Rarely does it go smoothly!
Rias will know the exact time and date you clicked via TCB to Rias, it's time-stamped.
Please update as it appears to be the 'silly season'.

B_M: Thank you so much for your help here: it's much appreciated.

I certainly take your point about the difference -- legalistically speaking -- between agents and principals, and readily agree with you that in this regard, Top Cashback is acting merely as agent.

That said, however, the lack of definitive action from Top Cashback as agent in regard to the conduct of the principal which it is representing raises doubts in the mind of both myself and my OH as to the effectiveness of current regulatory oversight of the entire cashback business model as it currently functions in the UK.

Top Cashback earns a profitable income for serving as an inducement platform.

Good luck to it.

Its offers, however, are extended in unambiguous terms, such that less experienced consumers might be led into thinking that they're not dealing with a middle-man / third party, but with a "principal".

I suppose I'm fortunate in that my OH is anything but unfamiliar with the process of assisting in the drafting of Private Member's Bills in much the same way that he is anything but unfamiliar with assisting me in the process of pushing a shopping cart around Tesco's.

Right now, Top Cashback's total helplessness -- or Top Cashback's total apathy -- in resolving this issue is prompting him to wonder whether any cashback website should be allowed to operate in the UK without a prominent home page disclaimer to the effect that it is only a third party to whatever contractual arrangement may arise from any offer that it chooses to publicise . . . and is therefore entirely unable to provide any guarantee that any promises extended on its website will be honoured.

No such disclaimer currently appears on any UK cashback website of which I'm aware. If it did, the likelihood of consumers avoiding such sites would be high and the profitability of same, seriously impacted. Top Cashback may not like that prospect, but people like my OH and myself have an even stronger aversion to being treated as half-wits: "waiting for merchant" indeed . . .

Of course, in a reasonable world within which business is transacted in a reasonable fashion, no such eventuality need ever come to mind -- but after almost 5 months of waiting for action from the agent of a principal with whom that agent is continuing, to this day, to enjoy a commercial relationship, the thought is unavoidable that the question of UK cashback regulatory oversight may now merit investigation at a high level.

Meantime though, a complaint will be made tonight to RIAS along the lines you've so kindly suggested.

I would also hope that the Top Cashback representative on here (of whom no criticism is being made in my posts) might like to remind his / her colleagues that not all consumers are so passive that they're meek enough to be put on hold indefinitely.

Regardless of who consumers are waiting for, or how those people seek to fine-print describe themselves -- agents, or principals -- it ultimately makes little difference: a contract is a contract is. . .

A contract.

Thanks again, B_M.

B_M

hybernia wrote: »

Thanks again, B_M.

Thank TCB.
If my cashback had gone as it should, I wouldn't be posting on this forum. Sadly, issues with financial product purchases via TCB are troublesome, hence keep on coming back!

No need to go too deep, but anything regulated means it's easier to get your cashback yourself via a direct merchant complaint - mis-selling or unfair contract etc, etc. Utilities, phones etc and obviously the financials.
Although the major cashback sites handle millions of pounds per year, they aren't yet regulated! Crazy?
Plenty of opportunity for 'naughtiness'.

Again, many, many different merchants, many different Affiliate Networks, but one common denominator.

Best wishes, but don't forget the compensation for doing TCB's work.

hybernia

B_M wrote: »

. . . . No need to go too deep, but anything regulated means it's easier to get your cashback yourself via a direct merchant complaint - mis-selling or unfair contract etc, etc. Utilities, phones etc and obviously the financials.
Although the major cashback sites handle millions of pounds per year, they aren't yet regulated! Crazy?

Best wishes, but don't forget the compensation for doing TCB's work.

Hello again, B_M: I've now had time to read through this lengthy MSE thread and have to say that your presence here and constructive contributions are enormously helpful.

OH and I had never previously given much thought to the way UK cashback sites are operating, so ironically it is indeed a case of "thanks to TCB" that we're both now much more aware than before.

What is proving to be a particular cause of irritation as well as concern is the way a boiler-plate "Waiting for merchant" script is being deployed by Top Cashback in regard to unpaid cashbacks.

Whether intentional or not, this really is disingenuous, communicating as it does the impression that Top Cashback is just like any other passenger, waiting impotently at the stop for the next cashback bus to finally turn up.

But Top Cashback isn't a passenger.

Top Cashback knows exactly which company / service it is itself representing. Top Cashback knows from its own data exactly how that company / service is operating. And Top Cashback knows exactly how and with whom to deal with -- promptly and directly -- in the event of a long delay, or even the non-appearance, of that cashback bus.

We will see how things now progress, because the RIAS cashback isn't the only one which, several months on, is still unforthcoming . . .

. . . and in regard to which Top Cashback is yet again giving every appearance of having to stand helplessly alongside us in the bus shelter, trusting to luck that something will soon turn up.

Hmmmm.

B_M

If TCB put in the same or even a tad less focus on the back-end (payable cashback) as they do on promoting, the front-end, things might be better.
There is a reason why TCB won't kick off a stink with the Affiliate Networks and merchants, they are 'in bed with them'. They attend the same social events and prize giving galas. Imagine how that would be if TCB did take them on?
One thing that annoys me, is when TCB state (recently above as seen to another member), that there is nothing further TCB can do!
They, TCB, could do what I've done and advise the member of an alternative route. Direct complaint to the merchant and or Ombudsman or Regulatory Body. It sure works!
Why don't they do this? Member focused? You decide.

**** an update to my Barclays saga from TCB!

I have been able to uplift the amount for you. We are looking in to why this amount didn't uplift to stop this happening again.

Quite remarkable within 24 hours of contacting Barclays, but they did state they would act immediately as they take mis-selling complaints very, very seriously.

A shame this wasn't the initial response as it wouldn't have involved Barclays and would have saved both them and myself extra work! I'm still allowing my complaints to be investigated as there is a BIG problem with financial promotions via TCB, especially the ones that are supposed to be 'uplifted'.
Definitely a TCB 'exclusive'.

TopCashBack_Company_Representative

Hey guys,

If you do have any questions to us please do feel free to either post them here or drop us an email at mse@topcashback.co.uk

Best wishes,
Matt

jimroy

Hi.

I've been going round in circles for months with a missing cash back claim not being rewarded and submitted a support ticket only to be advised to submit a new missing cash back claim. I can't message back to say I can't do this because the dates on your system don't match that's why it keeps getting rejected as the page won't load to send a message back.

Please help me get this resolved once and for all.

Thanks.

BraveHeart

Hi Matt,

Thank you for your response to my email.

The claims team have decided to add my 'claim on to the query log which will be sent to the network.' AGAIN!!!???
When will this be sent and will be be in the same category as all other claims?
I've waited over 4 months with the status 'submitted to merchant' and heard nothing until 'I' raised this issue with TCB. How much longer?

I now have two status's:

Under view existing claim it states 'Querying With Merchants Network (Q)'

When I click on the magnifying glass, 'Claim Status: Status Unknown (Q)'

TEAM MSE...can I approach Hotels.com directly and raise this with them?

BraveHeart wrote: »

Hi Matt,

I have received a response to my claim on TCB, but not in my favor!

Although my purchase is showing 'Confirmed', it tracked at a lower price and I am not being given my cashback of 20% as advertised at purchase.
You yourself acknowledged that there were two rates of cashback for this retailer (See below).
Plus, surely you must have records of offers provided by retailers to assist in your claims process.

If my purchase has been 'Confirmed' by the retailer, why am I not being given the full cashback I am entitled to?

B_M

Lol at the TCB claims!
I have one that was created on 25th May 2017. Tcb submitted it around a month later on 27th June.
That's as far as it's got and before I purchased the accommodation from Owners Direct, I raised my concerns earlier on this thread due to very bad reviews and Matt (TCB) stated tracking with this merchant had improved! I purchased on this 'insider knowledge' and it looks like I'll have to go direct with a complaint! I'll give it another few weeks due to the Festive Period to see if TCB really can resolve this.
Totally unacceptable!

hybernia

B_M wrote: »

If TCB put in the same or even a tad less focus on the back-end (payable cashback) as they do on promoting, the front-end, things might be better. . .

. . . Quite remarkable within 24 hours of contacting Barclays, but they did state they would act immediately as they take mis-selling complaints very, very seriously. . . I'm still allowing my complaints to be investigated as there is a BIG problem with financial promotions via TCB, especially the ones that are supposed to be 'uplifted'. Definitely a TCB 'exclusive'.

I guess any psychology undergrad would be (should be) able to identify the core appeal of any cashback scheme: tangibility of outcome. Cash that can be spent.Equally identifiable is (or should be) the lesser appeal of a cash-save scheme: intangibility of outcome. No cash at all, just an assurance that money that might've been spent hasn't actually been expended.

That same undergrad would / should be able to say that in times of economic flat-lining or downturn, when real wage growth is static (or in reverse) and interest rates are minimal, cashback's appeal is all the greater. After all, not only does the consumer get to acquire the commodity or service desired, that same consumer also gets a tangible sum of money in follow-up to her/his enjoyment of purchase. It's a savings scheme in itself: buy now, pay now, get money in the bank down the line.

Except and as ever with all behavioural patterns, there's a conditional, which in the case of cashback schemes, is blatantly obvious:

Certainty.

Because if there's no certainty of outcome, of the sheer tangibility of actual money, in actual hand, then the cashback concept fails completely.

OH has, over the years, enjoyed himself with Top Cashback, as I'm sure many others have and still do. But when (if??) this current state of affairs is resolved, he'll be closing his Top Cashback account. He seeks that which I have: the absolute and unambiguous certainty of money saved at the point of purchase. It may not be tangible. But its existence is as sure as heck a darn sight more robust than the vapour-money of some cashback deal or other.

Anyway. Good luck with your own continuing efforts!