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What's the best cashback deal for online ticket purchases atm?
- Thread starter Bungle73
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Quidco eventually got back to me over my previously declined Virgin transactions and said that, because I was using my Annual Gold Card when booking, Virgin wouldn't pay cashback - it was either/or (a no-brainer of course - 18p cashback vs several £ with the Gold Card). But this despite the fact that they happily paid out last time when I booked in exactly the same way - so have they tightened up their conditions this time round? Does anyone know?
Mind you, their T & Cs are precisely the same as E Mids Trains, Transpennine etc - who DO pay cashback with a Gold Card (I've never had a single declined transaction on Quidco before Virgin started this time around).
Anyway, the latest twist is that I - foolishly - had to make a Virgin W. Coast journey for which I wouldn't be able to use my Gold Card, so I stupidly believed that if I tried one more time through Quidco, there could be no possible reason for Virgin to refuse cashback. I even unchecked the box to collect Nectar points for fear of doing anything that might give them a reason to decline.
They declined it anyway.
So now that's been added to the very long list of disputed claims I have with them. Could they possibly be banking on people losing interest and giving up, I wonder?
gray1404
Established Member
I know this crops up from time to time but I just wondered what the best cash back deal was out there right now for cash back when buying train tickets online?
I formally used Quidco and went through Virgin Trains but they have recently reduced the cash back to a very low 0.5%. I just wondered what others were using?
I formally used Quidco and went through Virgin Trains but they have recently reduced the cash back to a very low 0.5%. I just wondered what others were using?
Some recently mentioned Scotrail.
If you're buying tickets for First or Virgin services it's worth checking Nectar offers, which change on a regular basis. The best one was 1,000 points (£5) for any journey which includes travel on a VTEC service, even Haymarket to Edinburgh but I imagine they are unlikely to repeat that offer now.
If you're buying tickets for First or Virgin services it's worth checking Nectar offers, which change on a regular basis. The best one was 1,000 points (£5) for any journey which includes travel on a VTEC service, even Haymarket to Edinburgh but I imagine they are unlikely to repeat that offer now.
gray1404
Established Member
(All of these are via Quidco). Virgin have gone down to 0.5%. I hear that Scotrail is not at all reliable for the tracking so I think this is best avoided at the moment.
The best I can find now is East Midland Trains at 1% for non EMT travel. Raileasy is 2% but this adds a booking fee. Stansted Express is offering book for stations on their route. So, there does not appear to be a great deal of choice out there at the moment.
The best I can find now is East Midland Trains at 1% for non EMT travel. Raileasy is 2% but this adds a booking fee. Stansted Express is offering book for stations on their route. So, there does not appear to be a great deal of choice out there at the moment.
gray1404
Established Member
Similar rubbish cashback rates being offered on Top Cash Back as well.
I have just found a link to Complete Savings (completesavings.co.uk) via National Rail after you click to be taken to a ticket vendor. Complete savings offered you a 30 day trial for £1 - they used to offer this for free and indeed still do if you go via the right link. You then get a £15 cashback cheque after you make your first purchase with one of their partners (I do not know if any TOCs subscribe to them though) and then another £15 each month you make a purchase with one of their partners.
The joining bonus is reduced to £5 if you go directly via though their site, although they do not charge the £1 fee there. If anyone know any way you can sign up for a trail for free and still get the £15 enhanced bonus please say (and also if any TOCs have partnered up with that scheme).
I have just found a link to Complete Savings (completesavings.co.uk) via National Rail after you click to be taken to a ticket vendor. Complete savings offered you a 30 day trial for £1 - they used to offer this for free and indeed still do if you go via the right link. You then get a £15 cashback cheque after you make your first purchase with one of their partners (I do not know if any TOCs subscribe to them though) and then another £15 each month you make a purchase with one of their partners.
The joining bonus is reduced to £5 if you go directly via though their site, although they do not charge the £1 fee there. If anyone know any way you can sign up for a trail for free and still get the £15 enhanced bonus please say (and also if any TOCs have partnered up with that scheme).
Kite159
Veteran Member
Just be careful regarding cancelation periods, as IIRC a few years ago a similar site would offer a free 30 day trial but hid the fact that you needed to give them 30 days notice to cancel, resulting in many customers getting charged an annual fee
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
...who charge you £15 a month membership fee. But don't mention this anywhere on their website until you get to the signup page.
It's not cashback if you have to pay for it.
gray1404
Established Member
BUT if you cancel within the 30 days you pay nothing (or £1) so it is possible if you time it right, to make some savings 
It seems I was too quick to pass favourable judgement on Virgin.
They are now denying all my latest claims, saying that TopCashBack was not the last referrer, when it most definitely was. I don't use any other referrers to get to Virgin Trains.
It would seem that Virgin Trains are now reduced to the level of blatantly lying to get out of paying legitimate claims.
I've stopped using TCB except where they offer a cashback rate much higher than other cashback sites. They used to be good at following up on missing cashback or claims where cashback had tracked at the wrong amount but now it seems they can't be bothered. I've still got a missing cashback claim from February 2016 on my account and I had cashback declined because 'the retailer had gone in to administration' - yet companies house shows that information was incorrect and when I pointed that out to them their response was 'Oh well that's what we were told so we can't do anymore.'
The last five of my TCB transactions with VT all tracked successfully before being declined. I don't use any other referral or cashback sites for accessing VT. I am 100% sure my cookies are not compromised.
Does anyone know how I can use Data Protection legislation to force either Virgin or TopCashBack to tell me who got the commission on my transactions with them? TCB are refusing to do anything. Surely I am legally entitled to know who is claiming money fraudulently on my VT purchases?
I posted upthread about Virgin declining (through Quidco) the completely legitimate purchase I made for an intercity journey on a Virgin train, with no cards, Nectar points, Virgin airmiles or benefits of any sort. They'd initially tracked it, but then declined some days later - a now-familiar pattern. So I put in a claim immediately.
Quidco got in touch a couple of months later to say the claim had been declined. No reason. No grounds whatsoever for declining, in my view. I emailed Virgin Customer Services to complain and was promised a response. I'm still waiting.
So yes, it appears they've now simply decided not to pay out at all, despite being on the cashback sites.
Incidentally, there are now numerous reviews on Quidco all telling the same sorry story. The 'all reviews' thread - the one automatically displayed - is in date order starting with the oldest, when Virgin actually did what they promised...with the strange exception of just one single gushing 5* review from late 2016 which has now been placed at the top so it's the first one you see, followed by equally glowing raves for Virgin's speed and efficiency in paying cashback, (!) from 2013. Other 2016 reviews - not to mention 2017 ones - give a more realistic picture - but are not shown on the initial review screen. Funny, that.....
bubieyehyeh
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I've just had 11 cashback purchases on virgin trains (dating from Oct/Nov) pay out through TCB without any issues.
For a long time, I effectively created a clean browser profile (on firefox) each time to login to TCB and make each purchase and not had any issues since. I create to a script to automate it.
For a long time, I effectively created a clean browser profile (on firefox) each time to login to TCB and make each purchase and not had any issues since. I create to a script to automate it.
Hmm cashback sites are never a guarantee for a return from them and all for the sake of 3% back or something it seems like a lot of hassle for a couple of quid. Yes they all add up - I use them myself for large purchases and such like but Im well aware that it is nto a given.
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