Should I snitch on cashback 'womble'?

kwmlondon

thriftyemma wrote: »

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.

Nop. It's not theft. If you pay for an item with your own money and then claim back for that it's a legitimate claim.

If you ended up going into your overdraft that month would you be entitled to claim against your company for that fee?

No - you manage your own money and how you do that is entirely your own concern.

If it were the company's business how you paid for things and claimed them back would you expect every company to automatically deduct 1% from every expense claim because they would EXPECT you or OBLIGE you to use a cashback credit card? What about those who cannot get such a card, should they be penalised?

No - it's utter nonsense.

If the company gives me £5 to buy a packet of coffee and some biscuits for a meeting and I present them with a receipt for those items then that's our transaction complete. If I obtained nectar points, cashback, air miles whatever - it's part of the transaction outside the responsibility of the company.

If the company wants to give me a booker cash and carry card and a credit card then that's totally valid and appropriate, but most companies just want to load the responsibility and expense of the purchase onto an external body i.e. you.

It's like being a contractor. If I am paid £1,000 for a job and I manage to negotiate some part down (get a special deal on a car rental, or printing or suchlike) then that's part of my profit. However, if I make a mistake and have to book a hotel at late notice then I take the hit on my bottom line.

This is how business works.

silkcutblue

It's not snitching, it's whistle blowing.

Irrespective of what card is used to book, the price is paid for by the company and so any benefits are derived from their money. I couldn't take the company's money, put it in a bank and earn interest from it and KEEP the interest. No difference here. It's about using someone else's stake to benefit.

If in doubt, check with CAB (citizens advice bureau)

PurpleGoldFish

Let's 'park' the issue of 'Is it right or wrong?'

What has it to do with you? Why would you want to create a problem for someone or create an atmosphere in the office? The company would have paid (for example £100 if they'd gone direct to the website or via a search engine and they're still paying £100 now.

If I want to book Premier Inn for two night and I go to the Premier Inn website via a search engine, the search engine gets a commision, is that any different from your collegue in the office getting it?

2dachs

My husband works for a company in Nottingham and he has the choice of paying for train fares himself {of which he uses a famous well known cashback site for} or the choice of the company secretery doing it for him.

He then submits all of his receipts for money he has had to pay upfront to get the money back from work as expenses, work do not mind as he is one of the hardest members of the team and goes down to Brighton, Wimbledon, Ireland and even Australia to sort out their I.T. systems out.

Work sees it as a little something back for him to have as he has paid for everything out of his own pocket to start off with plus they will only claim what he submits with his receipts for their tax reasons anyway, he knows this because he has been told this.

Maybe this person is working the same way.

thriftyemma

kwmlondon wrote: »

If the company gives me £5 to buy a packet of coffee and some biscuits for a meeting and I present them with a receipt for those items then that's our transaction complete. If I obtained nectar points, cashback, air miles whatever - it's part of the transaction outside the responsibility of the company.

If the company gives you £5 to buy coffee and biscuits, and the coffee was on BOGOF, would you keep the free one? The company has not lost anything if you keep it, so it's ok to do, right? No, it's company money, it's company property. Any benefits, such as BOGOFs or cashback, belong to the company.

IDProtected

I think it would be very unkind indeed to tell tales on this person. Imagine if the tables were reversed. She has done the OP, or anyone else for that matter no harm, or has she cost anyone anything extra. If the OP's conscience is burning, have a quiet word cautioning the lady from getting in trouble with anyone. For all you know, this little bit of extra money could make all the difference to her. Do unto others ....

minicooper272

This is a really tough one. Two things come to my mind:

These days companies need to watch out for bribery laws - if she goes to a certain hotel chain just because she is getting a personal cash benefit, then it may count as bribery, in which case, if she is found out, it would affect the whole company's reputation. Most companies have anonymous avenues for you to report it through.

If she is simply booking the company's usual corporate hotel through the cashback site, then it's definitely a perk that I'd be a bit jealous of, but she needs to be booking the hotel using her own cards, and under her own name. Booking rooms for other people and using the company credit card, but gleaning cash back for herself doesn't sound right, and I don't think it's just because you're jealous. However, if you report her, and it does come out that this counts as 'stealing' you need to consider that she may get in trouble and lose her job. Is that something you could live with?

There are some valid points so far, a lot of people telling you to keep your nose out of it, but I have to ask - if you found out that this was a politician or council member who was using tax payers money to book accommodation through a cash back site, but they were keeping cash back to themselves, would you still think 'good on her for being clever?' I really don't think you would!

wildthing01

if you view the cashback not as 'extra cash' but as a discount on the booking then i think the money should go to the company - had she obtained an actual discount on the booking and then pocketed the difference, then it would surely be theft? the company must have a budget for hotel accomodation and this cashback should go back into the budget.

wurley

Office politics - The messenger is usually shot at some point .

I imagine it could cost her her job as it could interfere with her choice (conflict of interest). Would you want that on your conscience? :A

Viking Direct do something not dissimilar, they offer incentives to buy certain things that TBH aren't the cheapest/best. ViDirect know the majority of people ordering don't have a vested interest in saving money and so look for the perks, but it is not cash.

Should the incentive be shared with the whole company - Maybe pay towards the xmas party?:beer:

theresacoo76

I think it's fraud. I worked as a support worker at a respite centre and the use of personal loyalty cards at supermarkets when buying food with employers money was classed as disaplinary offence.


If the company thinks it ok then go for it but needs clarifying.

Morally, just because you can get away with it doesn't mean you should.

Is shopping lifting ok then cos the shops are insured