is cashback a ripoff (merged)

hardtarget · 10-07-2006, 14:52

is it true that sites like onestopphoneshop and e2save dont give you the cashback that you are entitled to?

they say send in your bill every 4 months but loads of people have told me its not worth it and they dont give you the actual amount

the_kop · 10-07-2006, 15:22

ive had several mates who have got their cashback, all using e2save.com

they sent out their bills via special delivery, and were very persistent in calling e2save.com to make sure it had arrived each time

as long as you make it clear you know what you are entitled to and you will follow up each time near to when u are recieving the cashback you should be fine

one tip, use the big reputable companies, who have contact numbers , and give them a call b4 u buy to get reassured

hpe that helps

hardtarget · 10-07-2006, 16:22

thanx

so how long does it take for the cash to arrive and is i by cheque or straight into ur account?

the_kop · 10-07-2006, 17:58

depends on the company's policy - these are very clear in the terms and conditions of any reputable firm - for example the carphone warehouse state clearly next to any cashback offer when the money will be recieved, i think its no more than within the month its meant to be paid eg u get a credit in month 4, 8, 11 etc

with payment types, check again with the company, some use cheques, some credit your bill, once again a good firm will make this clear!

10-07-2006, 19:41

I had a cashback deal with the carphone warehouse and when it was time to claim my rebate I sent my bills in as instructed and I received the cheque within a fortnight.

I have to admit, I was dubious but they certainly came up with the goods!!

James Clayton · 11-07-2006, 02:32

No, they bargain on most people forgetting to claim or claiming late.

DBC · 11-07-2006, 10:24

I regularly listen to a BBC radio consumer programme and every week they have several complaints from people who are having difficulty in getting their cashbacks paid. In my opinion these schemes are so designed in such a way that as many obstacles are put in the way as possible.

One favourite ploy seems to be the "lost paperwork" excuse. The telephone company insists that they have never received the bills and there is no way that the customer can prove they haven't sent it. The company already has a record of charges , so why do they insist that the customer send them in to them ?

coopermanyorks · 11-07-2006, 10:48

Hi

I have seen many people fall foul of this system , by sending in the wrong monthly bill or sending it to late etc

I have used DAP successfully on 4 phones and never had a problem getting the rebate , reading and following to the letter which bill and when they want it and by what date and send it by recorded / special delivery

But the wife got her latest 3 phone from

http://www.just3g.co.uk/handsets.html

and her next bill due end of this month is the 6th monthly bill but it will be the first we have applied for redemption on , they are due on 6th , 9th and 12th monthly bill

I am very sceptical on this one and they are over £100 each.......yikes

DBC · 11-07-2006, 10:51

So why do they make these schemes so complicated? . Just colour me cynical.

russellelly · 11-07-2006, 11:00

Of course they want you to bugger it up, but I've had no bother willl Carphone Warehouse and their e2save site.

coopermanyorks · 11-07-2006, 11:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by DBC

So why do they make these schemes so complicated? . Just colour me cynical.

I agree

to make people fall foul and fail to claim / pay out.

I recall in a conversation with a Three agent , they were paying between £300 to £400 to say DAP for ever 3 phone DAP sold. Basically buying customers as this was more than the yearly contract

DAP are then giving you a proportion of that to induce you to buy from them by offering it free for a certain period of months , by redemption .

The companies hope you will either forget or make an error in your claim so they can keep the money.

They know who you are , when you purchased the phone and when the redemptions are due , why don't they just refund the money automatically when its due if there is no trickery involved .

I note that Vodafone and T mobile are no longer sold by DAP

Ps

Anyone know a current phone with a full Qwerty keyboard ? god I miss my Nokia 5510 for texting

DBC · 11-07-2006, 11:11

These schemes are a bit like those extended warranty schemes that the likes of Powerhouse and Courts used to sell. With those you could get your money back after five years, if you remembered to claim in the very narrow 3 week window allowed. Even if you claimed in the correct slot, then more than likely the company would claim that they never received the correct paperwork five years before and, of course, there was no way to prove that it had been sent.

tommo2006 · 13-07-2006, 09:21

Mobileshop.com , e2save and dialaphone are all reliable with sending out the cashback . I have claimed from all 3 companies with no problem, of course they want you to forget to claim or send wrong bill , after all they are there to make money.. all you have to do is put in a reminder on your phones calendar of the due dates to send the required monthly bill.. ded easy..

hardtarget · 13-07-2006, 10:19

so do you send the bill as soon as it comes then?
and how do you send it?
is it possible to send it by fax?

im specifically talking about orange here but also thinking about getting odafone

13-07-2006, 13:55

You follow the terms and conditions of your individual offer.

If you think it is too complicated or don't understand, walk away.

DBC · 13-07-2006, 17:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawson

You follow the terms and conditions of your individual offer.

If you think it is too complicated or don't understand, walk away.

Even when people follow the terms and conditions they are still failing to get the money. The favourite ploy is for the company to say they have not received the proper paperwork and it's impossible for the poor punter to prove otherwise. There was a guy on the radio the other day who has not received his money for two months. The company say they have paid it into his bank account, but even after sending copies of his bank statements to prove he hasn't received it, they insists they they have sent it. So it's stalemate.

By the sound of it their customer service is appalling. He had to wait ages for them to answer the phone , then the person he is supposed to talk to is always "in a meeting" and the promised return phone call never materialises.

13-07-2006, 17:08

Send all the paper work by Special Delivery then you have proof of postage and can check on the net that it gets there then if they try saying we haven't got it you can prove it was sent and signed for.

13-07-2006, 18:15

Whilst I agree there some cash back deals are scams (whether because the retailer just makes up reasons to not pay or more usually disappears without trace before it's time to cough up), and all rely to an extent on you getting it wrong/forgetting, the 2 retailers in the OP are now part of the Carphone Warehouse group. As such, (since the time they have become owned by cpw) there have been few problems with these companies providing people follow the terms & conditions.

Keeping records of everything is also a wise move.

The cpw are not going to disappear without trace within the next 12 months like some small retailers might, so any problems together with supporting evidence will result in a successful claim in a small claims court if needed.

DBC · 13-07-2006, 18:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanwilliams479

Send all the paper work by Special Delivery then you have proof of postage and can check on the net that it gets there then if they try saying we haven't got it you can prove it was sent and signed for.

As I noted above, the guy even sent his bank statements to the company showing that he did receive is money, but the company are insisting they paid it. So much for providing them with proof.

13-07-2006, 19:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by DBC

As I noted above, the guy even sent his bank statements to the company showing that he did receive is money, but the company are insisting they paid it. So much for providing them with proof.

If it is a cpw company you are referring to, get him to send them a letter giving notice that if he doesn't receive the money within the next 21 days he will commence legal action action. Such notice should be sent via recorded delivery to the registered office of the company concerned.

It is not for him to prove at this point that he has not received the money, it is for them to prove he has!

I never send copies of my bank statements to any company. Any person who requests me to I ask for copies of their own personal bank statements - that usually makes them adopt another approach.

All they need to do is ask their bank to trace the payment and obtain proof from their own bank the account the funds were transferred to. If they can obtain that, they should send that to your friend and he can pass that to his bank and ask his bank to investigate why it is not showing in his account.

Of course, as I mentioned before, if it is not a respectable company such as the cpw, any action taken to recover the money may be case of throwing good money after bad.

DBC · 13-07-2006, 19:23

No , it wasn't a CPW company. It's was called "Free Phones For Life" or some such name.

13-07-2006, 19:24

I agree with trhe above post. Companies threaten us with legal action when we owe money so why not fo it back? He's entitled to it and has proof he hasn't recieved. If they have sent it to the wrong account in error thats their fault not your friends he is still entitled to the cash back.

13-07-2006, 19:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by DBC

No , it wasn't a CPW company. It's was called "Free Phones For Life" or some such name.

I haven't heard of them. Has anyone else?

DBC · 13-07-2006, 19:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanwilliams479

I agree with trhe above post. Companies threaten us with legal action when we owe money so why not fo it back? He's entitled to it and has proof he hasn't recieved. If they have sent it to the wrong account in error thats their fault not your friends he is still entitled to the cash back.

It wasn't a friend , just some guy who was speaking on the BBC Three Counties Radio consumer programme. As I said above, this same programme is getting about 6 complaints a week from listeners who are having problems with getting cashback from various phone companies.

13-07-2006, 19:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by DBC

It wasn't a friend , just some guy who was speaking on the BBC Three Counties Radio consumer programme. As I said above, this same programme is getting about 6 complaints a week from listeners who are having problems with getting cashback from various phone companies.

Oh right I see I apologise. Just goes to show the rest of us to go with a well known company such as CPW.

10-07-2006, 14:52	#1
hardtarget Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 3,149	is cashback a ripoff is it true that sites like onestopphoneshop and e2save dont give you the cashback that you are entitled to? they say send in your bill every 4 months but loads of people have told me its not worth it and they dont give you the actual amount

13-07-2006, 09:21	#13
tommo2006 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 111	Re. Cashback Mobileshop.com , e2save and dialaphone are all reliable with sending out the cashback . I have claimed from all 3 companies with no problem, of course they want you to forget to claim or send wrong bill , after all they are there to make money.. all you have to do is put in a reminder on your phones calendar of the due dates to send the required monthly bill.. ded easy..

10-07-2006, 15:22	#2
the_kop Forum Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 146	ive had several mates who have got their cashback, all using e2save.com they sent out their bills via special delivery, and were very persistent in calling e2save.com to make sure it had arrived each time as long as you make it clear you know what you are entitled to and you will follow up each time near to when u are recieving the cashback you should be fine one tip, use the big reputable companies, who have contact numbers , and give them a call b4 u buy to get reassured hpe that helps

10-07-2006, 16:22	#3
hardtarget Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 3,149	thanx so how long does it take for the cash to arrive and is i by cheque or straight into ur account?

10-07-2006, 17:58	#4
the_kop Forum Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 146	depends on the company's policy - these are very clear in the terms and conditions of any reputable firm - for example the carphone warehouse state clearly next to any cashback offer when the money will be recieved, i think its no more than within the month its meant to be paid eg u get a credit in month 4, 8, 11 etc with payment types, check again with the company, some use cheques, some credit your bill, once again a good firm will make this clear!

10-07-2006, 19:41	#5
jamsarnie Posts: n/a	I had a cashback deal with the carphone warehouse and when it was time to claim my rebate I sent my bills in as instructed and I received the cheque within a fortnight. I have to admit, I was dubious but they certainly came up with the goods!!

11-07-2006, 02:32	#6
James Clayton Banned User Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 799	No, they bargain on most people forgetting to claim or claiming late.

11-07-2006, 10:24	#7
DBC Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: East Midlands Posts: 3,955	I regularly listen to a BBC radio consumer programme and every week they have several complaints from people who are having difficulty in getting their cashbacks paid. In my opinion these schemes are so designed in such a way that as many obstacles are put in the way as possible. One favourite ploy seems to be the "lost paperwork" excuse. The telephone company insists that they have never received the bills and there is no way that the customer can prove they haven't sent it. The company already has a record of charges , so why do they insist that the customer send them in to them ?

11-07-2006, 10:48	#8
coopermanyorks Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: In Gods Own County Posts: 20,678	Hi I have seen many people fall foul of this system , by sending in the wrong monthly bill or sending it to late etc I have used DAP successfully on 4 phones and never had a problem getting the rebate , reading and following to the letter which bill and when they want it and by what date and send it by recorded / special delivery But the wife got her latest 3 phone from http://www.just3g.co.uk/handsets.html and her next bill due end of this month is the 6th monthly bill but it will be the first we have applied for redemption on , they are due on 6th , 9th and 12th monthly bill I am very sceptical on this one and they are over £100 each.......yikes

11-07-2006, 10:51	#9
DBC Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: East Midlands Posts: 3,955	So why do they make these schemes so complicated? . Just colour me cynical.

11-07-2006, 11:00	#10
russellelly Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Scotland Posts: 10,720	Of course they want you to bugger it up, but I've had no bother willl Carphone Warehouse and their e2save site.

11-07-2006, 11:03	#11
coopermanyorks Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: In Gods Own County Posts: 20,678	Quote: Originally Posted by DBC So why do they make these schemes so complicated? . Just colour me cynical. I agree to make people fall foul and fail to claim / pay out. I recall in a conversation with a Three agent , they were paying between £300 to £400 to say DAP for ever 3 phone DAP sold. Basically buying customers as this was more than the yearly contract DAP are then giving you a proportion of that to induce you to buy from them by offering it free for a certain period of months , by redemption . The companies hope you will either forget or make an error in your claim so they can keep the money. They know who you are , when you purchased the phone and when the redemptions are due , why don't they just refund the money automatically when its due if there is no trickery involved . I note that Vodafone and T mobile are no longer sold by DAP Ps Anyone know a current phone with a full Qwerty keyboard ? god I miss my Nokia 5510 for texting

11-07-2006, 11:11	#12
DBC Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: East Midlands Posts: 3,955	These schemes are a bit like those extended warranty schemes that the likes of Powerhouse and Courts used to sell. With those you could get your money back after five years, if you remembered to claim in the very narrow 3 week window allowed. Even if you claimed in the correct slot, then more than likely the company would claim that they never received the correct paperwork five years before and, of course, there was no way to prove that it had been sent.

13-07-2006, 10:19	#14
hardtarget Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 3,149	so do you send the bill as soon as it comes then? and how do you send it? is it possible to send it by fax? im specifically talking about orange here but also thinking about getting odafone

13-07-2006, 13:55	#15
dawson Posts: n/a	You follow the terms and conditions of your individual offer. If you think it is too complicated or don't understand, walk away.

13-07-2006, 17:04	#16
DBC Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: East Midlands Posts: 3,955	Quote: Originally Posted by dawson You follow the terms and conditions of your individual offer. If you think it is too complicated or don't understand, walk away. Even when people follow the terms and conditions they are still failing to get the money. The favourite ploy is for the company to say they have not received the proper paperwork and it's impossible for the poor punter to prove otherwise. There was a guy on the radio the other day who has not received his money for two months. The company say they have paid it into his bank account, but even after sending copies of his bank statements to prove he hasn't received it, they insists they they have sent it. So it's stalemate. By the sound of it their customer service is appalling. He had to wait ages for them to answer the phone , then the person he is supposed to talk to is always "in a meeting" and the promised return phone call never materialises.

13-07-2006, 17:08	#17
RYPW Posts: n/a	Send all the paper work by Special Delivery then you have proof of postage and can check on the net that it gets there then if they try saying we haven't got it you can prove it was sent and signed for.

13-07-2006, 18:15	#18
dawson Posts: n/a	Whilst I agree there some cash back deals are scams (whether because the retailer just makes up reasons to not pay or more usually disappears without trace before it's time to cough up), and all rely to an extent on you getting it wrong/forgetting, the 2 retailers in the OP are now part of the Carphone Warehouse group. As such, (since the time they have become owned by cpw) there have been few problems with these companies providing people follow the terms & conditions. Keeping records of everything is also a wise move. The cpw are not going to disappear without trace within the next 12 months like some small retailers might, so any problems together with supporting evidence will result in a successful claim in a small claims court if needed.

13-07-2006, 18:59	#19
DBC Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: East Midlands Posts: 3,955	Quote: Originally Posted by ryanwilliams479 Send all the paper work by Special Delivery then you have proof of postage and can check on the net that it gets there then if they try saying we haven't got it you can prove it was sent and signed for. As I noted above, the guy even sent his bank statements to the company showing that he did receive is money, but the company are insisting they paid it. So much for providing them with proof.

13-07-2006, 19:17	#20
dawson Posts: n/a	Quote: Originally Posted by DBC As I noted above, the guy even sent his bank statements to the company showing that he did receive is money, but the company are insisting they paid it. So much for providing them with proof. If it is a cpw company you are referring to, get him to send them a letter giving notice that if he doesn't receive the money within the next 21 days he will commence legal action action. Such notice should be sent via recorded delivery to the registered office of the company concerned. It is not for him to prove at this point that he has not received the money, it is for them to prove he has! I never send copies of my bank statements to any company. Any person who requests me to I ask for copies of their own personal bank statements - that usually makes them adopt another approach. All they need to do is ask their bank to trace the payment and obtain proof from their own bank the account the funds were transferred to. If they can obtain that, they should send that to your friend and he can pass that to his bank and ask his bank to investigate why it is not showing in his account. Of course, as I mentioned before, if it is not a respectable company such as the cpw, any action taken to recover the money may be case of throwing good money after bad.

13-07-2006, 19:23	#21
DBC Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: East Midlands Posts: 3,955	No , it wasn't a CPW company. It's was called "Free Phones For Life" or some such name.

13-07-2006, 19:24	#22
RYPW Posts: n/a	I agree with trhe above post. Companies threaten us with legal action when we owe money so why not fo it back? He's entitled to it and has proof he hasn't recieved. If they have sent it to the wrong account in error thats their fault not your friends he is still entitled to the cash back.

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is cashback a ripoff (merged)

13-07-2006, 19:25	#23
RYPW Posts: n/a	Quote: Originally Posted by DBC No , it wasn't a CPW company. It's was called "Free Phones For Life" or some such name. I haven't heard of them. Has anyone else?

13-07-2006, 19:29	#24
DBC Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: East Midlands Posts: 3,955	Quote: Originally Posted by ryanwilliams479 I agree with trhe above post. Companies threaten us with legal action when we owe money so why not fo it back? He's entitled to it and has proof he hasn't recieved. If they have sent it to the wrong account in error thats their fault not your friends he is still entitled to the cash back. It wasn't a friend , just some guy who was speaking on the BBC Three Counties Radio consumer programme. As I said above, this same programme is getting about 6 complaints a week from listeners who are having problems with getting cashback from various phone companies.

13-07-2006, 19:59	#25
RYPW Posts: n/a	Quote: Originally Posted by DBC It wasn't a friend , just some guy who was speaking on the BBC Three Counties Radio consumer programme. As I said above, this same programme is getting about 6 complaints a week from listeners who are having problems with getting cashback from various phone companies. Oh right I see I apologise. Just goes to show the rest of us to go with a well known company such as CPW.