Really not impressed celebrity (cashback warning)

[chelseauk]

Back in May we had a wonderful 2 week trip with Celebrity. When we booked we went via a cashback site called quidco, and we should be due to get a payment of about £96 (which nearly paid for parking). Shortly after they stopped the offer but hey we was still going to get it right ?

 

I've just had this response from quidco. "unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we have been unable to get a response from the retailer" and so they have closed the case and bang goes the cashback.

 

I know cashback is never guaranteed but you'd at least hope they may respond to the sites support when they contact them.

 

So a word of warning if you see celebrity offering cash back via a site like this, and assume you won't get it.

Edited August 12, 2014 by chelseauk

[Christine Frances]

After googling "quidco reviews" and "quidco problems" I don't think the problem lies with Celebrity.

[Sloop-JohnB]

In truth, this isn't probably Celebrity's fault at all (although easy enough to blame them cause that is ultimately the end product you wanted)

 

In reality... You have to remember that you gave your money to the middle man... QuidCo who was the one you actually bought the service / goods from

 

I cannot therefore say I am all that surprised... When it comes to 3rd Party anything

 

The Internet is full of 3rd Party Retailers... Some operate "above board" and a lot do not

 

Just a fact of life

 

Not familiar with QuidCo... But guessing if you read the "fine print" they are within their rights to take your money & run on any offer

 

Have seen too many times similar things happen with other 3rd Part Sellers (some of them with very well know names like Group*n, Hot**** etc)

 

What one is doing is buying an item on spec from the 3rd Party seller "As Is"... And so if it fails or doesn't pan out as one expected... So be it

 

Companies often turn to 3rd Party Sellers when they want to / need to generate quick cash flow or move a particular item. If they run out of product or worse end up going belly up the buyer is out of luck. Period. Again all covered off in the fine print that is provided by the 3rd Party.

 

Cannot tell you how often I've read on line that someone is now in possession of a worthless offer / coupon etc.

 

Sorry, it happened to you.

 

Cheers!

Edited August 12, 2014 by Sloop-JohnB

[cle-guy]

As others say, likely falls in the issue with Quidco.

 

If I were you, I'd write Celebrity directly, providing proof or payment, the offer you had, and other relative details, as well as forward Quidco's official response, and Ask Celebrity to comment.

 

I'd email it as well as send by some sort of land based paper traceable mail, to let X know you are concerned enough to take the time to write by post. Post-based querier often get far greeter attention than simple emails do in my experience.

 

It's quite possible X cut ties with them due to their lack of service and failure to honor the contract and terms Quidco had between them and Celebrity, and therefore Celebrity is unable to provide the rebate to Quidco to then provide to you.

Edited August 12, 2014 by cle-guy

[Sloop-JohnB]

As others say, likely falls in the issue with Quidco.

 

If I were you, I'd write Celebrity directly, providing proof or payment, the offer you had, and other relative details, as well as forward Quidco's official response, and Ask Celebrity to comment.

 

I'd email it as well as send by some sort of land based paper traceable mail, to let X know you are concerned enough to take the time to write by post. Post-based querier often get far greeter attention than simple emails do in my experience.

 

It's quite possible X cut ties with them due to their lack of service and failure to honor the contract and terms Quidco had between them and Celebrity, and therefore Celebrity is unable to provide the rebate to Quidco to then provide to you.

 

Very astute comments about how the business world works... Particularly that last bit.

 

Cheers!

[JKHawaii]

I agree that OP should have titled post "Problem with Quidco". Any reputable company would have given you the cashback regardless of their discussion or disagreement with Celebrity.

 

Although I spent 2 miserable years in the UK, I live in the US ............... I've never heard of any "cashback" deal from Celebrity or any other cruise line here. Thus, I have to conclude problem is with Quidco and not Celebrity.

[cle-guy]

I agree that OP should have titled post "Problem with Quidco". Any reputable company would have given you the cashback regardless of their discussion or disagreement with Celebrity.

 

Although I spent 2 miserable years in the UK, I live in the US ............... I've never heard of any "cashback" deal from Celebrity or any other cruise line here. Thus, I have to conclude problem is with Quidco and not Celebrity.

 

I participate with UPromise earning money for my niece's college fund for my online spending and certain restaurant spending.

 

They offer 4% back on Celebrity Cruises. I've found UPromise to be 100% accurate when making deposits to my account.

 

They also participate with other cruise companies.

 

Vendors come and go (home depot used to be one, but no more, apple was for a while too).

[wendyam76]

I too had my cash back declined this week. Rarely have problems with Quidco (had over £500 cash back from them) so I do believe them when they say Celebrity failed to reply to them. When I checked yesterday they were no longer on Quidco. Wish I knew the reasons why they failed to respond to Quidco.

Wendy

[kevinyork]

I use Quidco, and other referral sites, often.

 

They are not third party agents as such, simply a referral site. You find the retailer you are interested in, click on the link and are taken direct to the retailers site. So the OP will have booked direct with Celebrity. Celebrity should then pay the perventage commission to Quidco who pay it to the customer. Quidco are not at fault here if they have approached Celebrity and they have not responded. Thats pretty unfair of X. Quidco have introduced a customer to them but X dont want to pay the referral fee. There is one proviso here...sometimes even if you have clicked through Quidco to Celebrity's site that doesnt register with Quidco (sometimes due to your cookies or cache). If that didnt happen then your cashback claim fails.

 

To the OP I believe you can view the tracked click through on Quidco's site showing the date and time you clicked to go through to the X site. I would take a copy of that page and armed with your booking reference write to X customer service saying you were introduced to X through their relationship with Quidco, you clicked to get to their site using Quidco and booked a cruise using Celebrity's site and ask for your cashback. Nothing to be lost by trying.

[cle-guy]

I use Quidco, and other referral sites, often.

 

They are not third party agents as such, simply a referral site. You find the retailer you are interested in, click on the link and are taken direct to the retailers site. So the OP will have booked direct with Celebrity. Celebrity should then pay the perventage commission to Quidco who pay it to the customer. Quidco are not at fault here if they have approached Celebrity and they have not responded. Thats pretty unfair of X. Quidco have introduced a customer to them but X dont want to pay the referral fee. There is one proviso here...sometimes even if you have clicked through Quidco to Celebrity's site that doesnt register with Quidco (sometimes due to your cookies or cache). If that didnt happen then your cashback claim fails.

 

To the OP I believe you can view the tracked click through on Quidco's site showing the date and time you clicked to go through to the X site. I would take a copy of that page and armed with your booking reference write to X customer service saying you were introduced to X through their relationship with Quidco, you clicked to get to their site using Quidco and booked a cruise using Celebrity's site and ask for your cashback. Nothing to be lost by trying.

 

• It's possible the OP failed to click the appropriate designated link
  
• It's possible the OP wasn't signed into their account
  
• It's possible OP clicked the link then left the booking site then came back following another external link, thus losing the proof of link from Quidco
  
• It's possible X had a contract with Quidco to allow only NNN number of bookings per month and Quidco failed to stop bookings and that canceled the contract X had with Quidco
  
• It's possible X had a term contract with quidco that expired before the cruise happened and Quidco failed to alert the customer
  
• It's possible Quidco hasn't even contacted X about the situation and is instead simply blaming the cruise line
  

 

And of course it IS possible X really is at fault and is doing nothing about it.

 

But there are a large number of issues that can be causing the issue that we will never find out about. That's why the customer should provide their documentation direct to X and forget about Quidco as their query is not being satisfactorily handled by Quidco. I'd also ask Quidco to forward all emails they sent to X about the issue, for this query process with X. We know emails to X always result with an automated "we received your query and will get back to you", so this should be had as well.

 

That X no longer participates in the program leads me to believe there was likely some sort of contractual breech between Quidco and X that canceled the agreement.

Edited August 13, 2014 by cle-guy