Has The Original ShopBack 'gotyourback' Been Laid off or Changed?

arcticmonkey on 18/04/2024 - 21:50
Last edited 19/04/2024 - 14:48 by 1 other user

Hi all, in my view, the replies from 'gotyourback' have been very different since around the time ShopBack announced mass layoffs.

Since then, I've found the replies from 'gotyourback' to be less personable, less localised (to the Australian style) and what seems like copied and pasted verbiage as opposed to truly helping people like 'gotyourback' did in the time passed.

Does anyone share these views or have any insights?

I don't feel like I can trust ShopBack's first line email/chat support so I'm keen to know if 'gotyourback' is still a helpful resource or if they have started becoming a copy and paster from templated responses.

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Comments

  • CrispyChrispy on 18/04/2024 - 21:51
    +1

    or if they have started becoming a copy and paster from templated responses.

    Why not ask them?

    @gotyourback

  • Dumax on 18/04/2024 - 21:56

    What makes you assume that gotyourback was ever a single person?

    • arcticmonkey on 18/04/2024 - 21:56
      +4

      Consistency in responses up until the layoffs. In my view, the style has changed after that.

  • Outrageous on 18/04/2024 - 21:59

    Are Ozbargain accounts transferable?

    • Moderatormoocher on 19/04/2024 - 09:55

      Generally no, however we have had store accounts available for a while now. Store accounts make it easier for businesses to manage their communications with users, especially those that have multiple team members.

  • MS Paint on 18/04/2024 - 22:03
    +3

    I think they are using ChatGYB for replies now.

    • arcticmonkey on 18/04/2024 - 22:05

      Would explain the less personable and more scripted sounding responses.

  • mitt on 18/04/2024 - 22:50
    +2

    The account is either under new management or not receiving the same man-hours. There has been a noticeable change both to GYB and shopback as a whole.

  • King Tightarse on 18/04/2024 - 23:10
    +1

    I think there is a style change too.
    I PM-ed them about something and the original would always greet me personally but this was much more formal and generic responses

    • arcticmonkey on 19/04/2024 - 07:39

      Exactly. Often correspondence with Asian offshored teams is scripted and impersonal and that's how I feel it has been since the layoffs.

      Wouldn't surprise me one bit if they laid off what I (and probably many others) see as one of their most valuable performers. It happens in tech.

      Would be great if they could confirm.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 18/04/2024 - 23:17
    +5

    Who knew cr and sb would end this war with a double ko…

    Announcer: Wait .. what’s that???! BY GOD ITS… ITS… TOP CASHBACK RETURNING FROM THE SANDPIT WITH A MOUTHFUL OF SAND AND WITH A STEEL CHAIR!

    (The last proper interaction I had with gyb was around December and they seemed kind of the same then)

  • knobbs on 19/04/2024 - 09:01
    +3

    100% not the same person as before. I believe when they stopped posting the deals particularly at midnight the owner of the account swapper. DMs just aren't the same personable chat

  • zerog101 on 21/04/2024 - 16:18
    +1

    Even their support only contacts you out of hours. So someone in India using ChatGPT I assume.

  • arcticmonkey on 21/04/2024 - 16:54
    +1

    The silence from GYB is deafening despite being tagged in this thread and responding to other posts during this time.

    They've probably decided to ignore this thread and hope it blows over or they need to check in with their manager on how to respond as they don't have a template for this.

    Very disappointing that one of their most helpful people may be gone as I find their email/chat support to be atrocious.

    • trixieb on 21/04/2024 - 18:22
      +1

      There isn't a template yet for GYB's response. Can't copy and paste.

      Was the previous GYB the same person from 2018 which was when ShopBack deals were first posted here?

      If it was, I'm a bit surprised he didn't mention his departure unless he was advised not to by management.

      GYB's comments on 17th April contradicted previous comments. That was when it was obvious to me that GYB had definitely changed. I haven't been with ShopBack long and hadn't noticed much difference before.

      I think new GYB started in April on OzB. Original GYB left in March which seems to coincide with ShopBack's layoffs. There was a two week break on OzB. Surprisingly they didn't launch the new St George partnership on OzB.

      Although new GYB isn't as helpful or knowledgeable, at least there is still a rep here unlike Cashrewards.

      • arcticmonkey on 22/04/2024 - 19:23

        CashRewards has been CrapRewards for some time. Hopefully the new CMO they hire will bring some life into them.

        I wouldn't say the current rep is going to be of any help if they're based offshore and regurgitating from templates. The email service is there for that.

  • dust on 24/04/2024 - 12:05
    +1

    For those in Sydney who attended one of the SB sponsored events a few years ago, we probably met the person who ran the GYB account. Wouldn't be difficult to reach out to one of them to confirm the account is now run by a new person but it seems obvious that there has been a change even without confirmation.

    • scotty on 24/04/2024 - 15:20

      That would be ShopBack's Xmas party in 2018. They also co-sponsored one of the OzBargain meetup that year at Spawn Point in CBD. I think their Xmas party was by invitation only to their top users. I've seen the photo floating around somewhere but have no idea where :P

      As of @gotyourback, please note that it is a store account that is shared by multiple individuals, sometimes at the same time. There are multiple individuals behind that account (all with their own personal accounts). Sorry we do not have records of which actual ShopBack employee replied your comments or private messages.

      ShopBack Australia is also a very different company now comparing to 2018. They were utilising OzBargain as their launch pad here in Australia, and now they are doing more than $3B in sales with their retail partners. OzBargain might still be important but I doubt it's their priority anymore.

      I think it would be best to contact them directly for support than expecting answers from their reps here.

      • dust on 24/04/2024 - 15:27

        I think their Xmas party was by invitation only to their top users. I've seen the photo floating around somewhere but have no idea where :P

        I believe it was for top Shopback users and OzBargainers. It looked like there was only one couple who who invited as a top Shopback user and they stood out like a sore thumb. (It was very easy to spot who they were.)

        This is one of the shots from the night.

        • scotty on 24/04/2024 - 15:44
          +1

          Oh. The photo was from the OzBargain birthday party co-sponsored by ShopBack.

          I was talking about this ShopBack event at Shelbourne Hotel in July 2018 (Xmas in July theme) that was just invite-only for the top users back then. I also got to meet Henry their CEO there.

      • arcticmonkey on 15/05/2024 - 20:46

        While it is a store account, I feel there has been a major change and a much more inferior service since the ShopBack mass layoffs.

        • trixieb on 15/05/2024 - 21:10
          +1

          @arcticmonkey Probably new staff that don't appear to know their T&Cs or care.

          ShopBack is recruiting and also launched in New Zealand last month

          https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/845747

          • arcticmonkey on 15/05/2024 - 21:45
            +1

            @trixieb: This would be incredibly frustrating for their ex staff I'm sure.

            These irresponsible tech companies play with people's lives. The ones that make the bad decisions (the so called founders or leaders) keep their jobs while others suffer.

            A good leader would've been able to foresee things like this rather than hiring a quarter of staff only to lay them off and then hire elsewhere.

            • trixieb on 15/05/2024 - 22:05
              +1

              @arcticmonkey: Sadly lay off the experienced staff and hire cheaper labour eg some ads are for interns

  • Quarter Pounder on 18/05/2024 - 21:15

    i think ozb GYB got moved to choice cheapies, getting the old GYB responces there

    • arcticmonkey on 21/05/2024 - 22:02

      Link to their profile? First I've heard of this.

        • arcticmonkey on 22/05/2024 - 00:22

          Thanks but it doesn't look like the old GYB to me.

          If he was still at the company, I'd expect someone from SB to jump in (he was tagged in at the start of this thread) but the stone wall silence is deafening.

  • LachlanBenson on 21/05/2024 - 21:57

    Given the current state of Shopback support, is there anything more I can do to get support with a missed cashback than to lodge a missing csshback issue & hope for a response within 120 days?

    I have to unfortunately report another missed cashback issue, this time with the upsized 125% purevpn promotion.

    Completed all tasks within SB app browser, transaction was not tracked.

    • arcticmonkey on 21/05/2024 - 22:01

      Doubt it. ShopBack is less valuable to me now as there's no recourse to get help outside of offshored copy and pasters.

      Gutting the original GYB from OzB sums up the tech industry in a nutshell based on what I've seen and heard.

      25% (including no doubt many high performers, potentially including the original GYB) laid off yet the poor performers with the family connections and the management that made these bad decisions I bet would've stayed.

  • itsfree on 23/07/2024 - 10:20
    +1

    Just DM'd GYB today and definitely not the same guy - much less competent. But thankfully they did resolve it when I re-sent my upsized cashback email screenshot. Definitely faster and easier than using the stupid chatbot.

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