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

spiritus

I am surprised of the reaction to this news.

Did you not all realise that MSE was a revenue making website ???

Ok, the forum might be free from ads but the rest of the site is heavily linked to advertisers and works on the affiliate business model i.e. you click on the cheapest travel insurance cover and it takes you to xxx.com who then pay MSE a small commission.

When you have LOTS of visitors then this quickly adds up. MSE made £ 16 million in revenue from ads along in the last twelve months.

command

Well, at least I hope that MoneySupermarket.com will remove this annoying smiley from the site: :money:.

Ken68

My guess is that Martin was encouraged to stay on for three years as part of the deal.

mbailey

A happy day for Martin, but a Very Sad day for MSE. :-(

To me the main advantage of MSE was independence and to know what was being said had no bias. Ok so for 3 years we might still have that, but after 3 years have passed and Martin has left what will be left of MSE...

If we take the example of financial products, for years Martin has been telling us to goto a true independent financial advisor who is not tied to any lender. Taking Martin's own advice, MSE can now no longer be trusted.

A sad day for money saving. :-(

MillicentBystander

Ken68 wrote: »

My guess is that Martin was encouraged to stay on for three years as part of the deal.

I think the fact he could average £9 million/yr bonus with no financial risk may have also had some say in this

PS has it been published what the financial criteria/target is for this £27 million bonus? Surely in the interests of transparency it should be?

Lotus-eater

Ken68 wrote: »

My guess is that Martin was encouraged to stay on for three years as part of the deal.

ATM Martin is MSE, over the next 3 years you will see him withdrawing more and more from the MSE trademark. Of course he had to stay on, that was never in doubt.

Then he'll be able to say at whatever time, "look I hardly have anything to do with MSE anymore, I'm going to spend more time with my family and let MSE be run by the team that runs it so well already"
And I'd just like to say, I don't blame him at all for that.

thelawnet

poppy10 wrote: »

Was surprised to hear MSE makes £15.8m a year in revenue. That makes the purchase price look cheap.

£16m is not much from 13 million users. Even Facebook makes more than that (per user), and Facebook is not able to push high-commission financial products in the way MSE can.


Let's be honest, MSE is a massive underachiever, financially, the new owners will be looking for ROI.

If I were a shareholder of MONY, I'd be demanding a big increase in revenues.

That 'skimlinks' consultation not so long ago? The few moaners can shut up.

(More) Articles selected for their commission potential - of course.

This site SHOULD change, and change dramatically. If it doesn't, the interests of its shareholders are not being served.

WISHIWASRICH_2

pokey128 wrote: »

I really liked Martin but now I see him for the money grabbing expert that he is

Who made his money on the back of the debt laden, bankrupt and poor. I hope he enjoys it.

I'm afraid I'll never see him in the same light again.

SailorSam

pompeyfaith wrote: »

Please remember a comparison site is not necessarily the cheapest option always get quotes from various sources, it was the reason direct line pulled out.

I've heard Martin saying that very same thing when he's been on Tv, and he's said it again on here, with just the one purpose ........ to help us all save money. And now he's getting called just 'cos he's making himself a few bob.

verysillyguy06

First of all would others have done something different in his shoes (piggy bank)?

Probably not but it does not mean it would have been done in the same way.

1. Was it fair?

I dont think so as there were no indications this would happen unless you read the article in the Guardian and had a crystal ball.

2. Is ten million enough for charity?

Not if you think that he is keeping 76

I would be most peeved as Board guides as his insistence that moderators and paid ones are too expensive....

It raises the question if that was the reason the forums had been kept vigorously tight recently...all trouble makers yellow carded or banned until the deal was done

3.It is a slap in the face of morality on the pure level as yes, I agree that he had earned from us already and was a cooperation in a sense, he also played the card of being joe average taking on the big boys...


4. We should re-name the site


I agree....


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