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Rakuten Global & Ebates

Talk about your experience, good and bad, here.
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Dub Rubb
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Re: Rakuten Global & Ebates

Post by Dub Rubb »

yinzburgher wrote:
deckeda wrote: Wed Jan 02, 2019 6:49 pm I recently signed up to Ebates but haven't bought anything. One of my recent emails is pushing the browser plugin. There's one for Chrome and I think one for Safari and so on.

Setting aside for the moment that I'm NOT an "extension" sort of user (not even to block advertising) is the Ebates extension useful? They claim (from the email touting it):
  • "Activates Cash Back directly at store sites" (How, and what's the alternative process ... waiting for someone somewhere to manually tie the purchase to Cash Back?)

    "Automatically applies the best coupons for you at checkout" (OK, sounds good guess)

    "Tells you where to find lower prices when you're shopping at stores that don't offer Cash Back" (Assuming this is true, why would they steer you to someone not in their retailer network?)
**************
Watching from the sidelines ... I find this all interesting, frightening, amusing, and probably something geared more for you big kids spending hundreds and thousands, with the attention span long enough to sort it all out to reduce risk.
IMO, If you want to get the most out of Ebates, you need two things. The extension/add-on, and patience. The extension does do the things you listed above, although not always perfectly.

It activates the cash back and records your retailer visit as a "shopping trip" by clicking on the icon on your browser toolbar. The alternative is to start at the Ebates.com website and navigate to the retailer's site. It is wise to always check the main site regardless, to get all of the fine print and details of the cash back. For instance the fine print for this latest RGM deal stated that purchases made on the app were not eligible for cash back (This was not a post hoc change, it was clear from the start). Let me say that I also thought I was not a "browser extension" type of person and it can be very annoying when it continually pops up as I jump from one ebay listing to the next. But the benefits outweigh the annoyances for me.

It also can automatically try all the relevant coupon codes in hopes of finding the best one. This is a bit clunky. If your add-on is activated, when you get to checkout and click in the promo code box, a little pop-up will ask you if you would like to try a coupon. You click yes and it automatically tries each and every promo code that it has listed on the Ebates site. For a site like Ashford with a lot of codes, this can take a while. You can watch as this happens and occasionally a promo code will take money off but then continue through all the other codes and at the end tell you that none of them worked. Even though you saw it work with your own eyes. Just go back and manually apply that code. Also you will find that there a codes that are specific to Ebates so that's what you're stuck with. But there may be a better code listed on Retailmenot.com or elsewhere. Just having the extension doesn't guarantee you will get the best codes, but it does help.

It does occasionally tell you where you can find a better price on a product. It doesn't steer you from a Ebates partner to another retailer not in their network but rather the other way around. For example, you are browsing Jomashop (which is not eligible for cash back) and you click on a watch that is actually cheaper at Overstock (eligible for cash back). A little pop up will appear to alert you and direct you there. Sometimes the pop-up is correct but often it is wrong because it reads the regular price and not the sale price. The technology is imperfect so the add-on is definitely not a good substitute for being a thorough browser and deal-finder.

Mostly what the extension gives you is peace of mind. There is no shortage of HUISABH members typing anxious Ebates/RGM posts over in the deals thread because their cash back has not come right away. I agree that it would be better if it always worked that way. But when you click on the extension icon, it changes color to let you know that cash back is activated. You can relax and you are free to browse and decide and checkout with the peace of mind that comes from seeing that the icon is the correct color and cash back is activated. Rather than continually checking. Then after your purchase you get a large pop-up that confirms your cash back and lets you know when you can expect it to post to your account. I find it good practice to screen shot the initial pop-up that shows you've activated your cash back and again when the second pop-up comes up that's shown you've completed a cash-back purchase.

I have often had cash back that doesn't post to my account immediately or sometimes doesn't post at all. But I always get it. I try to wait a while to give Ebates a chance to post it. If it doesn't happen, you can click on the help tab on their site. Enter all the information it asks and sometimes your cash back comes immediately. Other times the Ebates algorithm doesn't immediately approve it but instead sends it to a person to look it over. I think one time that first level person had to send it to a higher level for approval. Once I had to call and talk to a nice person and explain some nuances of my particular online purchase before it was approved.

TLDR - You should get the Ebates browser add-on/extension.
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This was the most in depth and helpful post I have seen in this subject. Now I don't have anything to add. Just be patient. It will probably work out. The only advice I have is to be comfortable with the purchase price WITHOUT cash back, just in case. There are no guarantees. I have gotten all my cash back (though my 6 week struggle with befrugal wasn't easy) every time with a little patience and persistence.

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Slant
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Re: Rakuten Global & Ebates

Post by Slant »

Bad news for me...so my recent 26% Ebates cashback purchase from Rakuten got cancelled by seller net de udetokei wasshoimura. Got an email from them saying:

"We are afraid to announce you but we have many troubles of the payment from your country and also troubles of custom today.
We can't send you the product. We decided not to accept the orders from your country.

Sorry for the inconvenience.
Thank you for your understanding."

Thing is, I've purchased from this store before (mind you, a few years back). Sounds like they've had trouble with Canadian buyers?
Last edited by Slant on Sat Jan 05, 2019 10:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Rakuten Global & Ebates

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Edit: nevermind ignore this lol

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Re: Rakuten Global & Ebates

Post by uvalaw2005 »

RGM invoices and ebates cash back showed up for my purchases overnight. Thanks to all for the advice. Remember when checking out with PayPal to select your card with no foreign transaction fees and choose to pay with yen. After selecting your card, if it showing a price in USD and PayPal's exchange rate, click the link that says "View conversion options" and choose yen.

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Re: Rakuten Global & Ebates

Post by yinzburgher »

Same. My cash back has posted and I've received shipping info. I forgot to switch payment from USD to JPY in PayPal to save on PayPal's currency conversion fee. Hopefully I'll remember next time.
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Re: Rakuten Global & Ebates

Post by mplsabdullah »

I got hit on the conversion rate as well. However I don't have a card without exchange rate fees so I'm not sure how much difference it would have made if I used my bank card rather then my PayPal balance anyways.
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Kirk B
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Re: Rakuten Global & Ebates

Post by Kirk B »

I have not received an invoice yet from my seller on Rakuten. The shopping trip did register with a check mark and I did get the cash back amount posted to my Ebates account. I am going to send the seller an e-mail to make sure I did not miss the invoice. I am going to ask them to take out the taxes (trying to be proactive on that to sweeten the deal, they include taxes in their sales). I also want to ask them to ship a specific way. I saw this comment from "pneuma2018" in the old 2018 bargain thread:

If you check the old WUS thread, you will see people's rebates got rejected by eBates because the seller did not use the GR shipper. Indeed, most GR sellers use EMS instead of the GR shipper. Since eBates only pays out its rebates once every 3 months, they can remove the rebates before the pay out and it happened to me. So, the conclusion is that some people never had problems with eBates and some did. If you are going to make a big/Grail purchase and the discount depending totally on eBates, you need to balance out the possibility that eBates may refuse to give you the rebates.


My seller did not specify a shipping method. How should I ask them to ship? Should I just say, "Please ship using Global Rakuten shipper." Does the GR shipper have a name or is that it? I mean do they specifically use DHL or someone else? I know I do NOT want FedEx because of customs fees.
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Re: Rakuten Global & Ebates

Post by uvalaw2005 »

Kirk B wrote: Fri Jan 04, 2019 1:28 pmMy seller did not specify a shipping method. How should I ask them to ship? Should I just say, "Please ship using Global Rakuten shipper." Does the GR shipper have a name or is that it? I mean do they specifically use DHL or someone else? I know I do NOT want FedEx because of customs fees.
EMS.
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Re: Rakuten Global & Ebates

Post by ILiveOnWacker »

I’ve been doing some math and it looks like the cashback that I’m getting is based on the price (and exchange rate) at the time when the order was placed.

I was hoping that it would be based on when the cashback was reported, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.

This “matters” since the exchange rate has changed a bunch since the 26% cashback was available.


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Kirk B
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Re: Rakuten Global & Ebates

Post by Kirk B »

ILiveOnWacker wrote: Fri Jan 04, 2019 2:06 pm I’ve been doing some math and it looks like the cashback that I’m getting is based on the price (and exchange rate) at the time when the order was placed.

I was hoping that it would be based on when the cashback was reported, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.

This “matters” since the exchange rate has changed a bunch since the 26% cashback was available.
You are most definitely correct. My cash back was also calculated based on the exchange rate when I purchased. I don't have a problem with that. It only seems fair as I knew what the deal was when I made the purchase and that deal is locked in - the cash back AND the purchase price. You wouldn't want either to change later. Well you do now because the exchange rate has shifted unfavorably, but what if the exchange rate had shifted the other way and the rate was locked in later? Seems only fair to lock everything in at the time of the sale. Unfortunately the sales price though is locked in at Japanese Yen and the exchange rate has changed unfavorably. That's not really GR's problem or the seller's problem, it's your problem and my problem depending on where you live. Technically I'm still paying the same cost in Yen, just not USD. Hopefully that rate plummets to 0.0088 over the weekend and then you'll be glad you got your cash back locked in at 0.0091! :lol:
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Re: Rakuten Global & Ebates

Post by ILiveOnWacker »

Kirk B wrote:
ILiveOnWacker wrote: Fri Jan 04, 2019 2:06 pm I’ve been doing some math and it looks like the cashback that I’m getting is based on the price (and exchange rate) at the time when the order was placed.

I was hoping that it would be based on when the cashback was reported, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.

This “matters” since the exchange rate has changed a bunch since the 26% cashback was available.
You are most definitely correct. My cash back was also calculated based on the exchange rate when I purchased. I don't have a problem with that. It only seems fair as I knew what the deal was when I made the purchase and that deal is locked in - the cash back AND the purchase price. You wouldn't want either to change later. Well you do now because the exchange rate has shifted unfavorably, but what if the exchange rate had shifted the other way and the rate was locked in later? Seems only fair to lock everything in at the time of the sale. Unfortunately the sales price though is locked in at Japanese Yen and the exchange rate has changed unfavorably. That's not really GR's problem or the seller's problem, it's your problem and my problem depending on where you live. Technically I'm still paying the same cost in Yen, just not USD. Hopefully that rate plummets to 0.0088 over the weekend and then you'll be glad you got your cash back locked in at 0.0091! :lol:
That’s what I’m hoping for, but my guess is that it goes up to 0.96!


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Re: Rakuten Global & Ebates

Post by ILiveOnWacker »

If you bought from “Closer” you may have luck asking them to remove taxes from your order.

I was in communication with them before the 26% cashback dropped (in anticipation of 20% cashback) and they said they could remove them.

The original PayPal link did not have them removed, but I followed up and they took them out.

26% cashback, 8% reduction due to taxes and 6% back in Rakuten points (standard 1% + 5% PayPal bonus) equates to a pretty slick deal!


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Re: Rakuten Global & Ebates

Post by mplsabdullah »

Paid for my watch from Seiko 3s after midnight on the 4th and it hit customs in Chicago this morning [emoji106]
%99 of people do not notice or care whats on your wrist. All that matters is that YOU like what you see.
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Re: Rakuten Global & Ebates

Post by Robotaz »

mplsabdullah wrote:Paid for my watch from Seiko 3s after midnight on the 4th and it hit customs in Chicago this morning [emoji106]
Let’s hope it doesn’t sit there forever.
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Re: Rakuten Global & Ebates

Post by mplsabdullah »

Robotaz wrote:
mplsabdullah wrote:Paid for my watch from Seiko 3s after midnight on the 4th and it hit customs in Chicago this morning [emoji106]
Let’s hope it doesn’t sit there forever.
I slipped the guy at the desk a $20 [emoji6]

January 5, 2019, 5:34 pm 
Departed USPS Regional Facility 
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER  
Your item departed our USPS facility in CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER on January 5, 2019 at 5:34 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination. 
%99 of people do not notice or care whats on your wrist. All that matters is that YOU like what you see.
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