Topcashback [Edited by ForumTeam]

Not a scam. But it's anything but what it might seem.

The impression given is of a straightforward purchaser-retailer contract via the Top Cashback platform. Then, when the retaler pays to TCB the "cashback" stipulated at the time of purchase, TCB passes it on.

Dream on. TCB is at the end of a money-hungry chain of invisible networks and affiliates over whom it has no control. Not surprisingly, then, it doesn't mention them. Way back when, Oliver (one of the founding duo) used to write a little TCB blog for members, where the notion of "simple as 1, 2, 3" was vigorously extolled. It still is.

The first time most TCB members discover that it's not that simple is when "waiting for merchant" appears on their accounts week after week, month after month. It's not that TCB is denying anyone the money. It's that all the invisible money-rakers in the chain are holding things up -- and can, in some situations, hold things up to the point where no cashback is paid at all.

"It wasn't tracked" (oh yes it was.) A "network" reports it wasn't tracked. (Who that?) An affiliate says, it wasn't tracked. (Who he / she / it?)

The cashback notion is as daft as it gets because it ISN'T a cash back. It is a REBATE. You pay more than you should in hope of getting back, in the form of a rebate, some of the money that has already gone out of your bank account.

Yes, of course, you're told you've "earned" that money, but you haven't. Only the gullible go around saying how much they've "earned" from cashback sites. What in fact they've got is a percentage rebate on what they've paid out -- if they ever get it at all, because many a month can go by due to "network delays" and "affiliate delays" before even a penny turns up. The so-called "earnings" wouldn't ever be "earned". . . if the purchaser hadn't spent her / his money first.

None of the cashback sites are scams. None. They're businesses. TCB's annual accounts are there for all to see at Companies House, including all the £millions profit racked up year on year for providing an advertising platform for its "partners". The American operation, to which it seems the OP's experience may relate, may be different, and not as successful: certainly, last time I looked, the USA's Better Business Bureau did not rate TCB in its accredited membership.But perhaps Americans aren't too enthusiastic about "cashback schemes" as being in a consumer's best interests.

I don't use any cashback site, having had experience of all of 'em in the past. They're not transparent. And they're not dependable. If there's a screw-up in the mysterious "networks" or equally mysterious "affiliates" then all they can report is that "we're working to get this sorted" in amongst repeated repeated bulletins of "waiting for merchant".

Why anyone bothers with such sites is mystifying, preferring as they do the gamble of a possible some-time-maybe-later-maybe-never rebate on money they have already paid out to minimizing what they actually pay out in the first place.

A discount at the point of sale provided by a retailer at check-out or by voucher code -- and more and more are going the voucher route as it saves them forking out fees to cashback site advertising platforms -- may not be as substantial as the "earnings" seemingly promised by cashback sites but (a) the discounts are real; (b) they don't require 'tracking'; (c) they don't involve multiple, invisible third parties; (d) they don't require anyone to wait, and wait, and wait to get back some of their own money because (e) the transaction was over and done with at the time of purchase.

If the OP has a problem with a cashback site, the solution is obvious. Don't use it. Don't moan about it on here. And don't accuse it of being a scam. Because it isn't. It just dresses up, for the gullible, the concept of rebate as 'cashback' -- or, rather more preposterously, as 'earnings'. Save your money at the point of purchase --not months afterwards (if at all) when others have had ample time to profit from it.

MidlandsGlory wrote: »

Why would you not use one?

For example we run all the comparisons and check all the direct insurers and the best price we can ever get for annual car insurance is about £250.

So we go via TCB and get the same cover with a major insurer with £40 to £60 cashback. Yes it takes a long time to pay, because in this case you could cancel the policy during the term.

But I have not in many, many transactions had a failed tracking for years and the only failed payouts were for things I had returned for refund, so fair play.

These sites get a lot of flack, but in my experience its down to 'operator error' rather than the cashback sites.

My method is, shop around and search in my usual Chrome browser. When I decide I am going to buy something, I setup the basic account login identity on the shops, clear any baskets or quotes. Then abandon it, close Chrome fully.

Open good old Internet Explorer (I don't use it for anything else), log into Topcashback, let it open the site I wanted, log in with the identity I created, make my purchase with a fresh basket then log out. Tracks 100%.

Partly because I have not been anywhere near my 'target' seller with Internet Explorer there are no other cookies or data stored by other referrers or even Google to confuse who actually referred who to who or when.

So far over £1300 over the years that to not have taken would have been stupid, and just biting my own nose off.

People can moan about them all they like, I am more than happy to keep racking up the savings.

I agree.

Yes they can be frustrating at times but on the whole most times my purchases track.

I have never paid anymore when using these sites than I would have done any other way so the cashback is a bonus and we have had well over £1000.00 to date.

I also make use of the bonus payout when you convert your cashback to a gift card

No way is TCB a scam!.

Long may it continue!

Read the T&Cs on each company page before clicking through from Topcashback or Quidco. It tells you what to do to help that companies specific tracking software track your purchase. It will also tell you what their validation periods are, I find that contractual based companies take longer than retailers, this is because of the time it takes for them to match up your policy numbers with what they have on file against the cashback sites or...you may buy a policy a month or so before it's even due to start etc... they may need to wait for the "cooling periods" to end to make sure you don't cancel, otherwise they'd be paying out cashback for someone who cancels their policy before the cooling period is up or something! As in, they're making sure you actually bought & won't leave them after reeving cashback. If you're not happy with the waiting times for all this to be processed, then find a voucher and save immediately. Or find a cheaper company if you can. I don't understand why people think they should receive their money instantly. There are so many things that need to be checked, even I understand that. And then time for processing payments etc etc...the way i see it, if i don't get the cashback, i did something wrong! If i get it, it's a bonus!

also, don't use safari or mobile (all my purchases track as I follow the rules *cookie clearing & purchasing immediately etc)...except one which i did recently which was through my mobile, so I have a claim in for that as we speak haha!)

WARNING - PROBLEMS WITH TESCO DIGITAL GIFT CARDS (TDGC) ISSUED BY TOPCASHBACK (TCB)

PLEASE READ THIS - OTHERWISE YOU COULD LOSE MONEY.

UPDATE to my previous post.

As of 1 November 2018 I have still not had this fiasco resolved.

Because Tesco staff have confirmed that the TDGC is definitelyon their system, I asked Tesco to cancel the TDGC and replace it with Tesco coupons (as Quidco has previously done in this situation) but Tesco refused - passing the buck to TopCashBack.

Tesco suggested I transfer the TDGC to my mobile and have the image on my mobile scanned in-store. This I did - but yet again it was invalid. (A fourth wasted journey).

I have informed Citizens Advice Bureau of the situation, who have passed the case on to Trading Standards.
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