New Petrol Discount Card

optique

Pipeline is quickly looking like a total rip-off merchant -- got another spam email for some spurious, useless commission-generating referral service again today -- have now had approaching ten of these, and getting more and more frequent.

If the guy running it has that attitude to things (sending out spam email for non-optimal products to get commissions), then it seems highly unlikely that he will ever launch a pipeline card that passes on the benefits to the customers.

Martin -- maybe time to remove all recommendation of Pipeline from the article? It appears to be a mere spam-trap.

judderman62

I've had no such spam - what makes you think Pipeline is at the root of it ?

BenefitMaster

I have had this spam, thankfully Pipeline was free to sign up for.

Marmalade by comparison, can't even find my subscription... Looks like it's Barclaycard I'll be chasing under section 75...

NickCouchman

optique wrote:

Pipeline is quickly looking like a total rip-off merchant -- got another spam email for some spurious, useless commission-generating referral service again today -- have now had approaching ten of these, and getting more and more frequent.

If the guy running it has that attitude to things (sending out spam email for non-optimal products to get commissions), then it seems highly unlikely that he will ever launch a pipeline card that passes on the benefits to the customers.

Martin -- maybe time to remove all recommendation of Pipeline from the article? It appears to be a mere spam-trap.

I have heard of seeing double, but Mr Optique definitely needs an optician if he can count ten offer emails from Pipeline. After a great deal of thought, Pipeline passed on it's first-ever member's earlier this month. That's one, OK? Not ten. One. After six months.. We get offers of discounts every week and we turn them down as irrelevant or poor value. The offer of 20% off the very latest Navman SatNav direct from the manufacturer was a superb deal.

None of the Internet sites (apart from the ones that 'forget' to add VAT and delivery could get close. It could even have gone out as a Money Saving Best Buy - it is certainly the cheapest price by far

We asked for feedback and most of our members were very happy to receive the information - even the ones who weren't interested in a new Sat Nav. A few - a noisy few - have jumped up and down and screamed about 'spam'. One or two have even blamed us for the increase in unsolicited telephone calls they have experienced recently - despite the fact that we don't even ask for telephone nunbers.

We have explained our motives and our decision to each of them individually and invited them to unsubscribe if they are not happy.

Our view was that this was away of giving money-saving benefit now on something relevant to motorists while we are all waiting for the card. We KNOW it is taking a long time - it shouldn't be hard to fugure out why. It is still free, you still have nothing to lose. There are still no ads, Ben is still funding it with his own money, it is still not making any profit and we do NOT accept that our recent Navman offer was spam.


Nick Couchman (PipelineCard)

bs7

NickCouchman wrote:

A few - a noisy few - have jumped up and down and screamed about 'spam'.
[...]
Our view was that this was away of giving money-saving benefit now on something relevant to motorists while we are all waiting for the card. [...] it is still not making any profit and we do NOT accept that our recent Navman offer was spam.

You can try and suggest the offer is not "spam". But clearly your own terms and conditions label it as outwith the terms and conditions you imposed on the use of data. OR alternatively the sale of "cheap" satnav equipment is now a Pipeline activity:

Your Terms and Conditions state:

By registering on the Pipeline website, you agree to receive any messages that are sent to you in relation to fuel discounts and other Pipeline activities.

There is nothing on the site that would suggest the Pipeline activities extend to anything beyond a fuel discount card, and therefore i cannot see how you can suggest it is anything other than "spam".

The Privacy Policy says:

Your information will only be disclosed to third parties where we are obliged or permitted by law. Specifically it will not be sold or passed on to marketers.

and

We will not spam you - we will not enable others to spam you.

I'm not sure how informing people that nothing has been achieved but adding on an "offer" achieves the spirit implied by the Terms and Privacy Policy.

Unless the sale of GPS equipment is now a new Pipeline activity it would seem at odds with that Term. Likewise, it may not have been "passed on to marketers", instead the marketing is being done directly by Pipeline.

"We will not spam you" seems unequivocal - however, how do you define "spam" - unsolicited? unwanted? irrelevant? inappropriate? To me that email qualifies as spam - i didn't sign up to receive any information about GPS equipment - and thus it was "unsolicited" in that respect, it was definitely "unwanted", it's pretty much irrelevant to getting a discount on fuel, and the entire email was "inappropriate" as it didn't actually have anything to do with, what i was led to believe, was the whole purpose of Pipeline.



Although are you stating that there was no commission whatsoever resulting from the advertising of the "amazing" offer?

judderman62

have to agree with this post.

It does qualify as Spam - no question

Col_in_LB

Where's the big drama? What's the problem really?

If you think it's spam & you object then unsubscribe, or delete it & move on with your day. That's what I did - quite simple really.

Still I await the discount card but in the meantime I've lost nothing & it's cost me nothing, other than a couple of minutes' surfing.

Can't believe some people are getting so wound up by this. Oh well!

cheers
Col

gromituk

NickCouchman wrote:

Our view was that this was away of giving money-saving benefit now on something relevant to motorists while we are all waiting for the card.

Oh how saintly!:rolleyes: Tell me - how much kick-back do you get if people respond to these offers you so graciously provide for them?

Art_2

gromituk wrote:

Oh how saintly!:rolleyes: Tell me - how much kick-back do you get if people respond to these offers you so graciously provide for them?

When companies provide links to other sites they generally get a fee for any business introduced to the site. Here on moneysavingexpert you will notice that we are told which links pay a fee for introductions and which do not.

Pipeline recently recommended energyhelpline. They will receive a commission for any business done through their link. Rates of commission vary but 2% is not uncommon.

These links are very common on websites. Some of the most common are Amazon, CDWow and Play.com all of which pay a fee for any business done.

Regards,
Art.

gromituk

Exactly. So no weasel words please: it is not simply "away [sic] of giving money-saving benefit now on something relevant to motorists" - it is a way of making money for the people who run this website, and it is not what people signed up for.