Should I snitch on cashback 'womble'?

DKLS

Do the staff who are traveling collect any Airmiles or equivalent?

tain

kwmlondon wrote: »

Our company has systematically shifted people from using company credit cards to paying themselves and then claiming the money back. There are many reasons for this but they are all, every single one, to benefit the organisation and not us. However, the advantage for us is that we can use cash-back/reward cards if we so chose, but it's only really any good for people who are money savvy and have good credit histories.

I'm about to get a new mortgage and had to put £350 on a credit card to pay for an event and I am fuming that they're taking their sweet time to pay me the money back.

So, if it's your own card you're buying with then any cashback or rewards you earn are 100% yours as you are taking full financial responsibility for the purchase and they are simply reimbursing you.

This is a good point. If the company is essentially forcing you to make company purchases with your own money, then it's entirely fair game.

duchy

I used to work in business travel - Lots of flights but also hotels.

The travel management company I worked for would often invite the bookers (usually secretaries and PAs) out to dinner or lunch sponsored by a specific hotel or hotel chain and before Christmas we (the travel agents) would be asked to nominate which bookers were the most active with specific companies (airlines, hotels etc) and that list was passed to the company at their request and the booker would get a gift usually decent booze or expensive chocs. Another example is Marriott have a bookers incentive scheme. If a secretary or PA books a meeting or conference they get Marriott reward points which can be saved up and exchanged for hotel nights, flights or other gifts.

It is pretty much a bookers perk -and I don't see many companies bothering with something as insignificant as a cashback site by comparison.

I think the OP should mind her own business-as the booker has talked openly about it -odds are it isn't an issue for the company.

The biggest use I can see for this thread is for MSEers who travel or stay at hotels for work (or whose partners do) and will now be alerted to the fact there's some MSEing to be done

neil_fenn

it is a tricky situation, but is it really that different to getting Tesco clubcard points for example when you fill up a company car on a fuel card? just a thought!! i do it and just think it is a little bit of a perk.

badger484

I used to make bookings a lot at work, and used cashback sites, and netted myself over £300 from it.

I never mentioned it to anybody, as I knew people would just think it was wrong without actually realising how it worked.

At the end of the day, I was doing my job in exactly the same way, but just clicking an extra link to get through to the booking website. I was only getting £2-3 per booking, but I made a lot of bookings. The company details or card numbers etc didn't get entered into the cashback website or anything sinister like that. It wasn't costing them anything. The cashback isn't instant either, in some cases you have to wait months for it.

Surely it's just common sense? Perk of the job and all that...

thriftyemma

I think either way it is theft. If the booker is using the company credit card, it has tax implications. If they are using their own card, I would say that's classed as expenses fraud. If a booking cost (let's say) £100, and the booker got 10% cb, the total paid would be £90. But she still submits a claim for the full £100. In my eyes, that's theft.
All these people saying keep quiet, it's none of the OP's business, would you say the same if the booker was booking themselves a holiday on company expenses? Where do you draw the line? It's ok to steal one night's stay, but 10 nights is too much?! Theft is theft.
I think it's the OP's civic duty to report it, and all the people calling sour grapes are just condoning theft.

Robbo1967

Unless you know all the facts, I would stay out of it. You don't know what has been agreed / discussed and you'll end up looking silly and petty if you complain to management. You'll end up hurting your own reputation. If what she is doing is against policy, it will come to light, especially if she's bragging about it. If its not, well done to her for using her initiative. The company are still paying for the same for the service.

duchy

If the company was generating enough volume then the booker wouldn't be able to get cashback as there would be a company hotel rate (corporate rate) which wouldn't be eligible anyway so my guess is the OP either misunderstood or is exaggerating the £80 per month figure.

Exile_geordie

I reckon its MSE Debs who is doing this and trying to throw Martin off the scent.

seems a lot fo cashback for a hotel room unless its multiples at once but I still say its very dodgy ground and could be gross misconduct

poet123

My husband has a Secretary but whilst she is brilliant at the admin side of things she is not too hot on travel (style of hotel, location,etc) so I generally book his hotels. He pays for them upfront and claims back the cost in batches. I always use the cashback sites to book hotels. Perfectly legitimate imo.