4 red flags when shopping with Rakuten, according to retail experts
Here is everything you should know before trying to get an easy money back.
The adage "spending money to earn money" has fueled commercial companies since the invention of capitalism, but it is also the elevator ground for Rakuten. The Japan-based e-commerce platform offers an attractive proposal: you buy products , and you get money back. Of course, if you hope for a small money or even just a lot, there are considerations to keep in mind. "Buyers should not be skeptical about shopping portals like Rakuten, but there are traps of which they should be aware," Tana Williams , founder of the personal financing blog Libre of Quarter , recount Better life . Here, according to retail experts, there are four things you need to know before shopping with Rakuten.
Read this then: 5 red flags on purchases on TEMU, according to retail experts .
1 Your discount could take some time.
If you hope to get money on a quick turnaround, Rakuten may not be your best bet. Although it offers discounts on purchases made through more than 3,500 retailers (yes, really), the execution time on these discounts could take more time than you think.
"Yes, you can earn money, [however] the process is generally not as simple as it seems. One of the greatest complaints that people have is the time it takes to receive money back "," Carter Seuthe , CEO of Credit summit , a financial advice company, says Better life . "While Rakuten says the time it takes to receive your income could end up being as short as a few hours after a purchase, for most people, it ends up being about three months."
In all honesty, Rakuten operates on a quarterly payment calendar for certain purchases. You can see The full schedule here , and you can follow your payment on this page (Note: you will need to connect to your account for this link to work).
2 You do not give money to each purchase.
Rakuten's own site stipula The fact that purchases in certain windows can be ineligible for rewards of money. (You can check if a shop is part of the program by consulting its dedicated store page on the Rakuten website or mobile application.) Make sure you read the small characters before each purchase. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB
"The biggest complaint about Rakuten is that it is not as rewarding as it seems that it is the case", " Rex Freiberger , CEO and editor -in -chief of the purchasing conservation site Review gadget , actions. "Not all online stores are even eligible for these awards - the only stores that can apply are those based in the United States and Canada."
"In addition, the idea that this platform" saves "or" earns "user money is contradictory because they must first spend money for this to happen," adds Freiberger.
For more retail advice delivered directly in your reception box, Register for our daily newsletter .
3 Customers say that the support is not reliable.
"The complaints concerning Rakuten left on our revision website show that consumers often cannot reach customer service to get help," said Michael Podolsky , CEO and co-founder of the consumer defense platform PI **** Consumer , which allows users to submit opinions from popular companies. (At the time of writing these lines, Rakuten features a 1.8 rating on the site based on 227 user reviews.)
"In many messages, consumers share the problems they have with the accounts and often complain of not having received a reference bonus or a money back. At the same time, trying to call customer service from Rakuten, consumers say they are frequently disconnected. "
4 Rakuten can sometimes miss your transaction.
Thanks to a litany of reasons - whether technological problems, incorrect web browsers or the omnipresent enigma of Internet cookies - Rakuten does not always capture your transaction.
"Make sure all your transactions are recognized by Rakuten, and if not, follow-up," said Williams. "They have an easy way to submit a missing transaction: it's a simple form, and you stick to your confirmation email."
To eliminate certain potential errors, be sure to use the most up-to-date version of the Rakuten mobile application or one of Rakuten's approved web browsers: Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Internet Explorer.
"Again, if the transaction is refused, follow additional information and receptions in a timely. Waiting too long to answer means that they will make the ticket close and will not allow credit," adds Williams.
12 letters from Santa Cute who will break your heart
