My T.

FYI: This is NOT intended for anyone who signed up through the Amora offer. I don't know the details on that, but after some searching, it looks like that deal is over, which says a lot about it.
I hope that most of this will help those who haven't signed up yet & those who blindly signed up (again, not the Amora people). Blindly, I'm sorry, that is harsh, but c'mon, it's true. "pestered, pushed, etc." into signing up? It's a pop-up, people. You are signing up on your own free will, for goodness sake. I'll admit, I've done it in the past with something else, & learned the hard way, but lay the fault at my own feet, unless things were literally hidden & unavailable. That isn't the case here at all.
The main thing I see people upset about is the: $12.97/month fee. Being "stolen from? Scammed?" Its right upfront! You can not sign up without having your eyes pass over it, in normal font size, with the heading in Bold, as you're filling out the information.
Either way, why is anyone giving their credit card information, especially to a company they know nothing about, without reading all the terms? Its a hard pill to swallow, but take responsibility. After learning my lesson with things like this, I wait (its so tempting to jump right in!) until Im sure Ill make at least $25/month to make the monthly fee worth it & until I know I'll have the time to be on top of every possible way to earn money, because unlike most similar sites, it offers way more than just click-throughs.
The other reason Ive seen is that they must wait up to 60 days after a purchase to get a check. This is the same with Ebates & other similar sites Why? Most stores will not pay fs, Ebates, etc. until its been 60-90 days & you havent returned the item. Thats understandable.
As for the fee itself, it can be seen in a number of ways. Since I've had the fortune & misfortune of owning my own business in the past, I see it as this: 1) They are a business. 2) Overall, if you shop a lot on line, they pay out a LOT more than the other sites like Ebates. Ebates is for average online shoppers. I was on it for 7 years, still use them some, explanation coming, and with all my tons of shopping, I never got anywhere near the $1000+/year! Complaining they have a cap of $1000? And, when it is in their terms of Service? I didn't even make $1000 after 7 years with Ebates!
How do they give people so much in return if they aren't making any money? Yes, fs gets paid by the stores for every person who shops through them. But, if people don't shop, they get nothing. Plus, unlike other similar sites, you always get 10% back. NOTE: spending refers to the specific shops that are affiliated with fs, not all of your online spending. Spending up to $130/month? (your net, $13 fee - $13, net earned = $0), this definitely isnt for you. Spending $300/mth? (Earn $30, Net $17@ fs. As opposed to earning approx $6-$15 from the average 2-5% back paid by other sites), this might be for you. Spending $400 or more? $27+ net? You tell me.
For me, personally, I see the $12.97 an incentive to keep me focused & on track. But even more, $12.97 is MUCH Less than the gas I would spend driving to all these stores! I removed 1 star because I do have to spend more time than I think I should, making sure I get everything I can from every order. I know they could set up the system to make things more streamlined. Although, it is Work, a job that I'm getting paid for! How can anyone complain? As with most income, you must earn it. And most jobs would cost you more than $12.97/mth in gas & uniforms, etc.
I use Ebates, as well as a couple of other sites, by quickly comparing against fs 10% and what their extensions show me when they pop up at check-out (see more on that below). And, if you shop on line a lot, getting paid for doing so, it's worth every minute! I'm disabled, can't drive or walk much, so I do all my shopping, other than perishables, for myself & family, on line: at least 3 orders/week off season. Christmas, at least double. No, Im not rich by any means. Just think about how often you stop by the grocery store, pharmacy, Big box store, etc. every week. I just do that on line. And Im sure, like me, many of you spend more than $400/mth on these things.
If less than $400/mth isnt going to change soon, go check out Ebates /RetailMeNot/Piggy/Honey (for Ebates, go through one of the many referral links on here from other reviewers. I'm not going to compete, LOL. I dont see these, so here are links for Piggy- https://www.joinpiggy.com/r/111 (I get a referral bonus, you'll probably earn more than on Ebates, usually offering 1-3% more) & Honey@ joinhoney.com/ref/lm5sac. With Honey, you dont get much for your shopping, but using the extension on Amazon will save you a ton of money (I average $0.50 - $6.00 per item): it automatically shows you who has the lowest price for any given product. Awesome! What a time saver & assurance that you are getting the best deal! Again, if you want to get the most out of these, use them all. With the extensions for each one, you'll know immediately who you'll get the most money on any shopping trip.
I've used all of those for a long time & they fit best for low-medium online shoppers. Or, for those who simply dont like the idea of paying a monthly fee, no matter how much you make.
I really do hope this helped at least a few people. Writing this took me a while & it wasn't just because I hope I'll get at least 1 referral, LOL, which really was an afterthought near the end. If you see I'm just another person on here trying to save/make as much as I can (disability checks are a joke!), please use those referral links. If I just irritated you, or whatever, I still urge you to sign up on your own to get the most back from your shopping! Good luck out there! Remember, you are the only one who can protect yourself. Caveat Emptor Buyer beware.
Good Luck & Happy Shopping!
Sample of the term of SERVICE: The Most Important thing to read, probably 3 times over like I did, which is on the same page where you enter your credit card, so that you have all the info before signing up. There are a LOT of reasons you might not get money back. Such as, and these are JUST A FEW, NOT ALL:
Reasons why a participating retailer may not report a purchase to us, including but not limited to the following actions on your part:
O You go directly to the retailers website without using FreeShipping.com links.
O You complete multiple transactions without returning to our website.
O You contact a participating store to change, cancel, or return an order.
O You fail to abide by the restrictions imposed by a participating retailer. To view a specific retailers restrictions, please click the cash-back restrictions link on that retailers FreeShipping.com page, or click the Cash Back Restrictions footer link on the member website.
>This one is huge. Almost a deal-breaker, until I found enough shopping sites I use that rarely/never have coupons anyway. There are coupons, but only through the guidelines, some of which are here:
You use an external coupon that was not found on a participating retailer's FreeShipping.com page at the time of your transaction. To ensure that your purchase will be eligible for cash back, only use the coupon offers found on a participating retailer's FreeShipping.com page.
Any of these actions, will NOT be eligible for cash back. These are NOT ALL the reasons:
Orders that are returned will not be eligible for cash back.
Any order that is deemed a high-volume/reseller order, in FreeShipping. Coms sole discretion, FreeShipping. Com membership benefits are only available to personal, non-commercial purchasers.
Purchases of gift cards and/or e-gift cards.
If any item in your order is purchased with a gift card, store credit or store "cash", that purchase, in its entirety.
Purchases that contain items "shipped to store. Your purchase must be shipped to a residential, non-retail location.