Topcashback & similar: vendors bumping up prices

thebigbosh

I've lost it with TCB. I've seen this so many times and each time they turn around and say "no it's not", or "we'll look into it" and the bumping stops for a while.

Here's the typical example:
Click a link through TCB, get a price. Compare with click to the site directly (going incognito mostly too). Get different prices. 
Here's a specific example:
Looking for home insurance. Find a great price on Moneysupermarket. See TCB offers £30 cashback on home insurance so click through (same details, again incognito) and find the best quote via TCB link is £35.43 more expensive. 
IT'S REALLY ANNOYING! The whole idea of cashback is meant to be getting it back on your spend but these days they're so familiar with the process so many companies simply bump up the prices they're quoting. 

Anyone else see this? I'm fed up of reporting to them as nothing ever happens. 

MattMattMattUK

thebigbosh said:

I've lost it with TCB. I've seen this so many times and each time they turn around and say "no it's not", or "we'll look into it" and the bumping stops for a while.

Here's the typical example:
Click a link through TCB, get a price. Compare with click to the site directly (going incognito mostly too). Get different prices. 
Here's a specific example:
Looking for home insurance. Find a great price on Moneysupermarket. See TCB offers £30 cashback on home insurance so click through (same details, again incognito) and find the best quote via TCB link is £35.43 more expensive. 
IT'S REALLY ANNOYING! The whole idea of cashback is meant to be getting it back on your spend but these days they're so familiar with the process so many companies simply bump up the prices they're quoting. 

Anyone else see this? I'm fed up of reporting to them as nothing ever happens. 

It happens with some sites via Top Cashback and QuidCo, not with others, for example EDF, BT, Dell and John Lewis did not increase prices when I checked them ahead of placing orders (using a different device, on a VPN so no way for them to see it was linked), other retailers do increase prices when going through one of these schemes.

I do not really see what you are going to "report", it happens with these types of schemes, it is something many are aware of, which is why we check prices both ways before purchasing through them. 

MidlandsGlory

some of the comparison sites do their own deals and get discounts from insurers directly, I have seen that when going directly to an insurers site direct (not via TCB) rather than via say Comparethemarket, but only sometimes.
When we recently insured my sons first car, all the main comparison sites came up with the same price of about £950 with the same insurer.
We went to the specific insurer via Topcashback and the quote was £850, plus we have about £50 cashback tracked (insurance always takes a long time to pay out but usually does for me)

sairy.gamp

thebigbosh said:

I've lost it with TCB. I've seen this so many times and each time they turn around and say "no it's not", or "we'll look into it" and the bumping stops for a while.

Here's the typical example:
Click a link through TCB, get a price. Compare with click to the site directly (going incognito mostly too). Get different prices. 
Here's a specific example:
Looking for home insurance. Find a great price on Moneysupermarket. See TCB offers £30 cashback on home insurance so click through (same details, again incognito) and find the best quote via TCB link is £35.43 more expensive. 
IT'S REALLY ANNOYING! The whole idea of cashback is meant to be getting it back on your spend but these days they're so familiar with the process so many companies simply bump up the prices they're quoting. 

Anyone else see this? I'm fed up of reporting to them as nothing ever happens. 

My experience entirely. I leaves a bad taste in the mouth somehow.
One to watch...
TCB - Gocompare - Zenith Insurance