GIMP Version: 2.8.4
Operating System: Windows
GIMP Experience: Beginner Level

---

The changes I make using the Cage Transform tool are not accepted when I hit the enter key. Is this a common problem?

I was playing around with it a few minutes ago and It doesn't do anything I want. I have no control what-so-ever. When I press enter, it goes back to the beginning instead of making a change. I hate it.
It has just made it to my ignore list.

Create or adjust the cage
When activating the Cage Tool this option is selected. You can now click in the image to make anchor points around the desired area. If you need to add anchor points at a later stage, you click on this option.
Deform the cage to deform the image
GIMP switch to this option automatically when the cage outline is finished. Now you are able to drag the anchor points around in the image and even outside it to transform the picture. The transforming starts when you release the mouse button.
YOU DONT NEED TO USE THE ENTER KEY

I've done all that. When I select another tool or do anything else it reverts back to original image. Then on the bottom it prompts me to hit enter to commit the transform.

I find Cage Transform to be a very buggy tool and yes, if you do anything other than press enter it will revert back to the point at which you started. Other times, I get the similar behavior as to what you are seeing, or when I drag one of the nodes, it creates a new image on another part of the screen, instead of transforming the image I have caged.

After several uses, it seems Cage Transform can get confused and I have to restart GIMP, then use a new copy of the image I'm trying to transform, just to make Cage Transform work as advertised.

So, it's not just you.

I have artefacts created from the bad transformations (some sections are transformed, others aren't:

I gave up on the cage tool a long time ago and in my opinion, it needs to go back to the drawing board to get some major surgery everywhere.

as far as I understood, the cage tool is NOT assumed to transform an image but part (or parts, one after the other) of an image.
I made a very stupid test but in the direction I said.
I write the word "test" on a white background.
The I put a cage around one of the letter (four anchor points).
I moved as I wanted the anchor points.
At the end of the distortion of the first letter I pressed "enter" and the modification was saved.
I did the same for the second letter.
Then with the third letter.
I got my final text distorted as I wanted to get it.
I know, it's a useless example, but I made it to clarify that the tool operates only on a well defined section of an image.
Hope could be of some help for somebody...

I still get the same issue in GIMP 2.8.10 . It seems to be the same bug from GIMP 2.8.4(and perhaps before)

I concur with previous writers, the cage transform tool misbehaves. IMHO, it is a place holder for the n-point tool to come with gimp 2.10.

I would try iwarp tool or warp-transform tool in 2.9.1 development version from here.

When I use the cage transform tool I always get an error message and then Gimp is closed.

I do not use this tool. But reading this thread I checked.
After enter, the transformation happens smoothly.
I had no error message.
I used this tool to move the right arm of the keeper.