MSE Discussion: MoneySavingExpert.com to join the MoneySupermarket.com group

DevilInDisguise_2

chriswatts wrote: »

A very strange announcement since if you want to save money you don't click through on sites like moneysupermarket and instead go back to a cash back site like Topcashback. So they claim the site will stay independent but we'll have to see if anti-moneysupermarket posts go walkies and if we all get Spammed from Moneysupermarket!

The adverts will come quicker than a randy 17 year old after seeing his first naked woman.

DevilInDisguise_2

jd87 wrote: »

I still don't understand what "personal details" people think have been "sold" here. The only personal information the site holds is our email addresses. Anything you have ever posted in the forum is in the public domain anyway and always has been since the moment you clicked submit.

Has this not answered this???

Many people use their real name in their email address......


Or is that not personal?

patchwork_cat

I feel utterly betrayed although I should have realised that his affiliate links were a sort of non flashy advertising. Despite the ' no adverts fighting your corner' blarney, that has been an out and out lie.

Oneday77

I get spammed from Moneysupermarket anyway, I've been using them for years. So they have nothing to gain from getting my details here, that is assuming they ever do.

The website has maintained on multiple occassions that no details will be sold on to another party and that they will stay seperate. In my eyes that means that to do anything to the contrary would invoke an investigation from the Data Protection Comissioner. Which with 13million unique users would be huge ball to drop and incur the wrath of them.

They would need to issue new terms and conditions for users of the site before they could pass the details on and even then give you the option to opt out.
MSE has an image, MS.com has just paid £87million to buy it. They won't just spray it up a wall.

hippyadam

Shock as man sells own website!

News at 11!

John_Pierpoint

I am amazed how everyone has jumped to conclusions.
A monetary figure has been put on the value of MSE, and MSE will become part of a quoted company created by Simon Nixon.
I have not explored the accounts of Money Supermarket but I would think that Simon Nixon and Martin Lewis would have effective control of the company. Other shareholders are "hitching their wagon to a star" - hoping they will turn out to be a pair of rising stars. So now everyone can buy a piece of the action if they really want too

I doubt this instant wealth will make an immediate difference to Martin and his new "magnate" partner.

Martin needs to be aware that "success" and "power" can actually change the chemistry of (especially) male brains, which is one of the causes of resulting hubris. [There is also a female tendency to veer towards the "Do you know who I am..." queen bee attitude to life.]

We will have to see how things work out, now that we are in the double dip of what may turn out to be the nastiest recession in over 100 years. What is Simon Nixon up too, having raised a huge chunk of money from his internet venture.
This web site is not exactly in the Opodo or Tripadviser league. http://www.simonseeks.com/

Here is a mail order site that sold out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screwfix
and then it reappeared:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toolstation
then it sold out:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8990455/Mark-Goddard-Watts-secures-second-fortune-with-Toolstation-sale.html

The only thing in a world economy that is certain is change.

Here are some statistics about MSE & MS taken from Alexa:

Alexa Traffic Rank: 1,580 Traffic Rank in GB: 52
Sites Linking In: 6,892

Alexa Traffic Rank: 4,489 Traffic Rank in GB: 167
Sites Linking In: 11,308

I will leave you to explore which site is which and note how long the eye balls stay per visit on each site.

I do hope the site will retain a fighting fund, for seeing off the various shysters, who are outed on the forum.

pixiechick wrote: »

How many of the so-called 'unique users' are actually AEs?

I think that is one of the reasons for the falling Facebook share price.
I wonder if there will be a due diligence investigation into our forum "sockies" [a term of endearment for "Sock Puppet" or multiple identity]

Lotus-eater

Oneday77 wrote: »

MSE has an image, MS.com has just paid £87million to buy it. They won't just spray it up a wall.

Quite, some of these scare stories are a little silly.
What worries me, is that MS will mess around with MSE until everyone leaves. Not that they want everyone to, but surely they can't leave it exactly as it is for ever, they're never going to get their money back.

This is the best all round forum out there, the skills will scatter if it goes wrong. I think that's a shame.

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

innovate wrote: »

How about setting up an alternative forum everyone can migrate to? All you need is a sound strategy that explains the value over and above MSE, a couple of servers, a webmaster, a few mods, a bit of marketing to make people aware of your site, and a bit of money cover the expenses of all the folks needed to keep things ticking over.

Who knows, if you get it right, you might be a multi-millionaire in 10 or so years time!

Congratulations to Martin on being such an astute and successful business man!

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3994161

Sparklez30

Well my (probably unimportant) take on the whole thing is that I obviously consider it a hypocritical move for the "consumer champion" to sell out to a corporation however had it been me I'm not sure I would have turned down the money either. But I would of course have expected some to lose faith in me.

I suspect the site will remain much the same for 3 years but then I would expect that if Martin Lewis does not stay on then there can be no guarantees that the site will remain "independent" and then it becomes less reliable for me (depending of course what I am coming here for).

I will, as I usually do, play it by ear and if I don't like what I see I will not frequent so much (I'm more of a lurker than a posted usually).

mushypeaman

All the best Martin. Whatever happens, you deserve your success. :wave: