MSE News: Over 40% of cashback site users don't get paid

A question about : MSE News: Over 40% of cashback site users don't get paid

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:

More than four in ten online shoppers hoping for a rebate have not received payment, a study shows ...

Read the full story:
Over 40% of cashback site users don't get paid

Best answers:

• I probably use cashback sites more than most & I've read the article on Consumer Intelligence & it's findings are from 1000 people which is a very small proportion of cashback users so the data may not be valid.
  I've earned over Ј2000 in the last few years from cashback & although I've had to put in a few claims, they've always been awarded in the end although some have been a bit slow coming through, which I think is more down to the merchant that the site.
  Sites I'd recommend are Topcashback, Fatcheese, Getpoundsback.
  Not sure where there got the data about least complaints about Cashbackkings, they have had numerous problems over the last couple of years which is well documented in the cashbackkings forums.
• I only use Top Cashback but I've never had a problem - Paddy Power took a long time to track (4 months!) but we got there in the end.
• you just have to laugh at the title of this article...In fact, it's the worst article I've ever seen on MSE!
  The article claims that "over 40% don't get paid" based on the fact that 41% make a complaint. However, 37% of them don't get a rebate..so, 63% do! If 63% of the 41% do get paid after raising a query then 15% of cashback site users have not been paid for a transaction made through a cashback site...
  Now, given that the average quidco member has been paid Ј262 ( taken from quidco site) the average user has made quite a lot of transactions...Even if the average was 10 transactions that gives a 1.5% chance of having a transaction not tracked or paid...
  Statistics eh!
• I Love using cashback as an extra way to make a bit of money....I currently use Topcashback. Although most things track I am still waiting for 3 things....and of course they are some of the higher money values that im waiting for!! But otherwise its all good fun and hopefully will pay out soon
• I've made a fair bit from daily clicks and no spends
  If I make a purchace I go through either
  TopCashback (honoured DGM payments) have a fair pay policy
  GetPoundsBack (honoured DGM payments, customer service exceptional, have a forum
  Fatcheese (honoured DGM payments) cashback guarntee, brilliant CS, have a forum
  and all pay out when they have your money
  As for the rest I wouldn't trust with a purchace cashback,
  If they can't even track the daily clicks and no spends what chance have you got with a purchase
• I am with Quidco and yes, I have had few problems and had to query some transactions, but so far I've earned over Ј300 on just ordinary shopping.
  I don't believe for a minute that 41% people never got paid ANY cashback from cashback sites.
  Sometimes there are glitches, more to do with merchants (who refuse to pay out and are then dropped) then with the cashback sites as such I think, but that claim I simply do not believe.
• This month 170 quid expected at Topcashback did not turn up which is about par for the course - probably it will eventually get paid but almost without fail it takes 2 or 3 (r more) months longer than they suggest. Still, I only use topcahback because the quidco tracking and chasing was so poor and CashbackKings, who in my opinion track better and pay quicker, started paying a lot less than the other two.
• had about Ј2500 in last couple of years .. used to be with quidco but last 12 months just TCB .
  Occassionally have to chase them but so far not failed to receive a penny.
• I would just like to highlight the ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE benefits of using cashback websites compared to using Martin's click through links that "help the site".
  I think MSE is NOT giving the best advice to consumers at all, in this instance.
  If for example, you follow Martins links and click through MSE to change energy supplier you might get a bottle of champagne or Ј30.
  HOWEVER if you use the comparison sites yourself, work out the best deal, clear your cookies THEN switch through Quidco or Topcashback or whoever you could be well over a hundred quid better off!!!
  Martin says that he has made a lot of money from the site, if that is the case why does MSE continue to hand out such self serving, poor advice that makes the MSE site wealthier???
  Just how much does MSE make from these click through links????
  I may have lost the odd pound or 2 whilst using switching websites, I have however benefited to the tune of HUNDREDS of pounds by ignoring MSE's bad (and self enriching) advice...
  Your choice
• As informative... or misleading this article may be, depending on the ones point of view, I am not going to go into that debate and will instead ask some advice as to what we as consumers can do about it if not being paid our well deserved cashback from certain sites? Surely some sort of protection must be available to consumers in these cases and seeing that some sites are making fortunes on us there must be a way to held them accountable??
  Like a number of others I have been using few different cashback sites, but one in particular has proved to fail their promise, namely Mrs Cashback. I have had some cashback from them in the past and have therefore continued using them but now I have number of transactions that are either showing as Untracked or Pending for absolute ages (the winner must be one from 2007!!!), At the same time curiously some of the recent (small) transactions are showing as available in my total?! All attempts of contacting them fall on death ears or get an automatic response at best and now the website itself seems to be unavailable?! Martin, surely this is worth a proper investigation?
• "Cashback should be seen as an added bonus, rather than a core part of the decision for getting a product.
  "Never count the cash as yours until it's in your bank account as things can, and do, go wrong." "
  Why?
  Cashback is a material part of an offer - you can't use it to make a sale and then say it isn't there. If payment isn't timely or isn't made at all, you should be able to claim the money.
• As has been said a few times already I find the article lacking in essential clarification - so much so that it could be misleading. I've earned thousands from cashback sites over the years. Have I ever had a tracking failure or decline? - you betcha. I've raised enquiries of course. Have any of these failed (for whatever spurious reason [or none!] to pay? - sadly yes (not many)... but going by this article I'm in the "over 40%".
  I'd hate to think this article puts off anyone who so far has not been bothered with all this cashback malarkey (and bizarrely there are still lots).
• "the actual site you are buying from."
  Quidco for example says "Just start your purchase at Quidco" so you purchase the cashback from the cashback site by starting your purchase there instead of with the merchant or another business. Cashback is their offer. If you start your purchase there, the offer is they pay the cashback.
• I buy a lot of stuff from Mothercare via Topcashback and for some reason it never registers but it does track. Then I fill out a little form and Topcashback gets me the money. Technically I guess I am one of the 41% but I have always got my money and I do not blame Topcashback as it is clearly a Mothercare fault.
  Articles like this will make people think cashback sites are scams and they will miss out on savings