Making smoothies out of the credit crunch (quidsinuk.co.uk)

Member Name: sirg0508

Product:	quidsinuk.co.uk
Date:	07/10/09 (158 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Highest quality customer service

Disadvantages: A little hard to navigate

Having been an active member of cashback sites since 2004 I've seen many come and go and others stand firm but even some of the biggest have struggled in the last year or so. QuidsInUK is one of those sites that have been around for a number of years now (since 2006) and I believe to be one of the best.

There are different types of cashback sites but all of them offer a set amount or percentage in return for buying from a retailer or signing up to their websites. Some of these sites will pay you 100% commission; some will charge you a monthly fee and others will pay around 50% commission without the fee. QuidsInUK falls into the latter category with some of its merchants but currently lists over 700 retailers with 100% cashback so if you're buying anything online, search QIUK and see if you can get money back on it.

I joined back in May 2007 and one of the biggest incentives on signing up is the free £5 and who doesn't love money for nothing. There is a good selection of cashout methods including cheque (£50), direct debit and Paypal (£20) and Amazon, Play and Firebox vouchers (£20) which although I feel is a little high to reach and can put people off, doesn't include subsequent payments where direct debit and Paypal payouts are reduced to £10 and Amazon etc to £15 - cheques remain at £50. I always opt for direct debit with payments appearing in my bank account a few days after the monthly payment run on reaching the minimum approved balance. As a bonus, points can also be earned e.g. 100 points (£1) for confirming receiving a cashout which can then be converted to vouchers after reaching 500 points.

When I signed up I didn't find it the most user friendly site. Even now there are many areas to the site which makes navigation a little difficult but this is probably the only thing I'd like to see changed. Everything is hidden away under the drop down menus which although leaves it tidy doesn't make it the easiest to find what you're looking for. There have been occasions I've visited and the site has been down but on the whole I find it very reliable and if there is a problem, it will be sorted quickly.

There are times when I like to just browse shops e.g. if I'm looking for an item of clothing I will look through the list of retailers under the relevant categories but sometimes under the general heading nothing will show up (e.g. when clicking Arts). It's only after clicking the subcategories that retailers may appear which I find does take extra time. The Cashback A to Z is better laid out but in this case lists every retailer in alphabetical order. If I know I'm looking for a specific retailer I generally just type it into the search box where there can be quite a few results which may not lead to the link to buy through that retailer however. There is then also a problem that not all of the menu options then show up so requires clicking on another section to then have the option to see them.

The area I use daily however is the 'Daily Quids' earning me a few pence for clicking through to a website or doing a search for a product and clicking through to the retailers page (without the requirement of actually having to buy the product). This isn't the most exciting of tasks but when completing these daily can add up and I like having a little extra spending money. These clicks are generally approved two to five months after clicking them and can help reach the cashout level quicker if also making purchases.

The area of the site called QuidCompare is always one of the first places I will visit however when buying things online. Here QIUK offer 100% commission on purchases and currently list over 700 retailers. This isn't as many as some of the competitor cashback sites but there are many well known retailers. Slightly different to other sites it also shows individual products, their price and how much cashback would be earned on buying that product. There is the ability to compare product prices from various retailers but unless it's something like a CD where it will have its name, some items e.g. clothing can't be compared so it's more a matter of looking around. There is also the advantage of any promotional codes to use on these retailer sites too helping to save even more money. While this section only lists the 100% commission retailers, these can also be found on the main section of the site too so personal choice if searching QuidCompare or the main site.

I feel as though I've been quite negative about the site as although navigation is important detracts from the best thing about QIUK. Customer Service. They offer, without a doubt, 100% customer service and go out of their way to help any member with any query or problem. The statements are updated three times a week and I can almost say without fail. If statements are not updated members can be guaranteed an apology and full explanation of why it wasn't done - which really isn't required as they're generally done the next day.

The site owners also spend a lot of their time ensuring members are paid what they are owed. There are many networks supplying links to these merchants and while cashback is not guaranteed to track they are always chasing up late payments and keep members informed of any updates.

This is mainly where the forum comes in. While QIUK forum doesn't deal with specific account queries (this should be done through support), you can ask questions, point out any problems or ask if members are having the same problems. This is where any announcements can be found regarding the above (updates etc), payments being made or problems, members can ask general questions and even get to know each other. The forum isn't used much which is a shame and while a lot of the information may not be relevant now it's easy enough to see what date these were posted or add a new thread if you can't find what you're looking for. There are a lovely bunch of members visiting regularly and it's a very helpful place - if I've ever had a problem a member will always try and help by giving tips or advice which if it can't be sorted will usually then be helped by admin. The forum is also private so can't be viewed by non-members.

As I've said, I've been a member of cashback sites for years and good customer service is the least you can ask for. I have money sitting in another cashback site and do you think I can get an answer from that site as to whether they're going to pay out? No. It's infuriating not knowing whether or not you are going to get the money you have earned but you know where you stand with QuidsInUK.

I'd say out of all the cashback sites, QIUK is the one I visit most often with its good selection of daily clicks and most of all for the continued support of the site owners. I don't know how many active members there are but it does seem to be a lot less than some of the competitor sites and I think people are missing out because in my experience with growth of other sites, service has suffered whereas at QIUK they will go out of their way to help people. Having used the site so long the cosmetics of the site aren't as important - if I need something I know how to find it and know I can always find help if and when I need it.

Summary: Cashback site with 100% commission on hundreds of retailers and fantastic customer service!