Topcashback questioning me

[Queenofheart]

Has anyone had issues with TopCashback querying high travel bookings?

I’ve had a message saying that as part of their routine checks they’ve noticed I book a high volume of travel and want to verify my activity before releasing my funds. They’ve asked why I make the bookings.

I’ve replied explaining that I'm not a business, reseller, or travel agent, I am not making bookings for family and friends who don't have TCB and let me book their business and holiday travel. That was 2 days ago, I’ve had no response since, and my account is still frozen.

Has anyone else experienced this? Thank you.

I think you might have breached their terms and conditions by booking on behalf of others too regularly. IIRC they allow this occasionally but it is subject to a fair usage policy which perhaps you have breached. Or if it's regularly through a single retailer, the retailer might have queried it for fair usage themselves rather than topcashback.

Egglio · Today 16:58
I think you might have breached their terms and conditions by booking on behalf of others too regularly.

OP specifically says that she isn't doing this.

I am not making bookings for family and friends who don't have TCB and let me book their business and holiday travel

Ah sorry! I misread! I'm guessing that is what they are checking though, so their decision could go either way.

@Egglio TBF, it is a bit of a convoluted sentence (sorry OP!)

How large and frequent are the claims they're querying? Just out of interest for others who might travel a lot and use cash back sites (not me, unfortunately!).

Really sorry ive got a typo

I’ve replied explaining that I'm not a business, reseller, or travel agent, I AM making bookings for family and friends who don't have TCB and let me book their business and holiday travel. That was 2 days ago, I’ve had no response since, and my account is still frozen.

Hi, thanks for feedback, are you not allowed to book on behalf of others, should it just be personal use? i.e. just me?

I do all my travel through one retailer to earn points but also use lots of other retailers

Lots of travel, daily bookings
not that large, less than £200 a booking but frequent

Made a typo sorry, I’ve re-sent it

from their T&Cs:

”4.1 One account is allowed per person. We are happy for you to make the occasional cashback transaction on behalf of other family members or close friends. This is subject at all times to fair usage and one account should not be used to make purchases on behalf of many other people.”

I read this as one or two not many.

Daily bookings?! You'll definitely have gone over a fair use policy, or breached the rules of using it for other people

Wow interesting thank you for that

You have friends wanting daily bookings? That’s likely assumed you’re an agent

Oh! Weirdly a few months ago I was questioned by top cash back because my husband tried to cash out to our joint account that I had previously cashed out into. They accused us of being the same person and said it was against the terms and conditions! We ended up sending a bank statement and marriage certificate which felt ridiculous. I wonder if they have started clamping down on things?

I do bookings for work colleagues travel too but not sure now I’m allowed by the sounds of it, hence me not telling them that ? 😕

I’ve just read on Reddit saying you are allowed to book for others I’m confused now 🤷🏼‍♀️

Their T&C clearly state their fair use policy and you have clearly broken it. For all they know you could be using it on a commercial basis and making bookings every day is really a bit much.

It will be the volume, and perhaps if you're booking for different places on the same day, ie it will be unusual in one family to be flying to Mallorca and New York during the same week, multiple times.

But why are you doing this? I understand you wanting to maximise your cashback, but it sounds like a lot of faff to be constantly making bookings for other people. Why don't they just sign up themselves, do their own admin and earn their own cashback?

Ok, just to be clear, I book for my family and friends, not on a daily basis, just now and again and they are happy for me to get the cash backfor that

I’ve just booked a big holiday for me, which I do a couple of times a year, my DH and our friends so that came to £0000’s

And I also book in my work capacity for colleagues who travel a lot

I was a team PA years ago, I use to make a nice little bit booking hotels for executives via top cash back. Nothing ever used to happen, my account was never banned or questioned.

Exactly… this is what I’m doing too, they are getting their cut so why are they bothered 🤷🏼‍♀️

The point is their t&c clearly state only the occasional booking for others is allowed. It’s not for you to question why. It’s their terms. You’ve ad admittedly booked regularly for others specifically to get a kick back. That’s not allowed.

you’ve said in one reply that’s it’s ‘lots of travel on a daily basis’ but then you’ve said not daily.
im not sure which one is correct but you have said ‘lots of travel’ so that’s not occasional is it.

I can’t imagine they’d allow that.

Pretty sure many employers would have an issue with this too. Some have policies on using/earning points and credit on loyalty schemes. Again probably fine for just yourself but not the rest of your colleagues.

So are you using your personal cashback account to book travel for work purposes for other people? Most companies have a gifts and hospitality / anti bribery policy. If you are getting cashback for booking a specific supplier this could be in breach of that policy.

25 years ago I went on work trips all the time, the PA’s used to book them and get points to spend on items from a catalogue. That wouldn’t be allowed where I work now.

Sounds like you are over the fair usage limit with TopCashback so they will probably close your account unfortunately.