ShopSmarterReviews 331

I received a check for 85 cents. A rebate for the purchase of a pkg of athletic socks. I had ordered them from Target and picked them up at the store. Previously, I had been denied a rebate on tires I purchased at Walmart becaise I picked up the tires at the store. When I pointed out the inconsistency to Shopsmarter, and asked again that my rebate for the tires be approved the "new" reason for denial came back. " Tires are not eligible for rebates" Looked to me like they were grasping at straws to find a reason to deny this. I'm starting to think they don't like me.

10% cash back on everything you buy online from lots of well-known retailers sounds wonderful, but the fine print would kill the deal if only they actually included the fine print. What they don't tell you anywhere upfront is that you're going to have to subscribe to a $10 per month membership in order to enjoy the benefits of this fantastic service. In other words, you're going to have to purchase at least $1200 of merchandise on websites carefully linked through Shopsmarter browser screens (in order to get credit for the purchase), just to recover the cost of your membership. But you won't learn about this subscription cost in the explanation of the service, or in the Terms of Use or Terms of Service, or even in the FAQ pages of the website. ("Does it cost anything to become a member?" Gee, I really think that might be a Frequently Asked Question. But apparently not.)
When you do read the fine print in the Terms it becomes quite clear that there are a number of ways in which your purchase can easily fail to qualify for the cash back discount. Making sure you don't make a simple mistake in how many screens you have open, in which the transaction is completed, etc., could make an online shopper a nervous wreck.
Yeah, I really would like to get 10% of my purchase back (to a maximum of $1000 per year--which is really a net of $880), but not if it's going to cost me $120 a year for the opportunity. And not when I have to sacrifice the simplicity of the online shopping experience companies like Amazon and Jet have shown us can also deliver great values as well.
Shopsmarter is not being honest with its target customers by hiding its high costs of membership, which makes its service offering a bad deal in dollars and cents for truly smart shoppers.

UPDATE 8/29/2016
Following the response from Shopsmarter.com, I think it's appropriate to point out that the company spokesperson confirms that the cost of the membership isn't mentioned or detailed (or even subject to discovery) until you're asked to input your credit card information. My primary objection to the website is lack of transparency---be honest with your prospective customers and tell them that there will be a fee for membership upfront, and make it easy for them to know how much the cost of membership will be. If you don't want to scare them away by putting it on the first page, fine, at least include it in the FAQs where logic dictates it should be properly placed and easily found. It should also be in the Terms of Service or other "fine print" sections under a clearly labeled sub-heading "Membership Fees." This is not rocket science. When a company doesn't make it easy for customers to see and understand their obligations there's usually a clear intention on the part of management. Consumer-friendly (and respectful) companies don't act in that manner, and if Shopsmarter.com truly is a consumer-friendly company, it will make these simple but important changes.