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

Noz

End of an era.

penrhyn

Martin Lewis has finally monetised the site on the backs of the 1000's of regular contributors to the forum from whom the best practical advise comes.
Can't blame him for this but I'm left with a hollow feeling inside that those who willingly give their time and expertise for free have been dumped on from a great height.

Duplicate Post.

RattyDAVE

As you can see by my post count I dont post. I use this site as reference and recommend people to come here. I dont agree with this site being sold....

BUT ... You know what... I WOULD OF DONE THE SAME THING..

kabebz

I cannot believe I'm reading such selfish, negative comments! Anyone would think you were being personally mugged!

Martin continues to run the site, and campaign for us, the consumers, many of you have been here for years quite happily taking FREE advice using the FREE guides.

Martin, I'm sure has a life aside from "moneysaving'.

He clearly states in his Q and A that the site has expanded so much he himself does not have the time or experience to run the site as its massive as it had become. (it also take money to pay staff, website hosts, extra bandwidth, weekly newsletter productions, web designers, admin, and the team behind MSE and this is where I presume site revenue earned is directed, gosh and I bet Martin also take a wage himself! I expect some of you will be up in arms about that!)

MSE has been far reaching worldwide, how many of you signed up to the email so 50p was donated towards the tsunami appeal, and this site has helped many other charities before and since.

He is donating 1 MILLION to CAB for starters, and a further 9 MILLION for other charities. :T:T:T:T:T

Let get real here!

KevinG

I'm just going to wait and see what happens. I don't see the point in doing rash things like leaving the forum and unsubscribing from the weekly email. Martin has given lots of assurances about the future of the site. Are we now saying that he is untrustworthy?

Lakeuk

Congratulations Martin, you deserve it after all the work you and your team put into the site and your external media activities, long may it last :T

I originally came across the forum many moons ago having search point me to a thread on free online bets, it was my first ever bet, luckily I lost and seeing the addicted nature I felt at the time I've vowed to never bet again.

mcdogfood

This reminds me of the The Body Shop sale, when Anita Roddick floated it on the stock market, naively thinking that it would 'allow investment'. My brother did the same thing with his company that he'd built from the ground up.

Once you become part of a shareholder company, that's the end of your independence. What if next year, wonga.com acquires moneysupermarket and doesn't want to honour the editorial code of MSE because it conflicts with its business.

I struggle to believe someone who set up a site that has helped so many people (myself included), and for such a strong ethical reason, would do something as simple as a 'sell-out', but I think it's extraordinarily naive to think the site has any possibility of remaining independent.

immoral_angeluk

Have read the statement and editorial code which all seems ok but I can't help but be concerned for the future. I'd imagine as soon as Martin leaves (not that it seems he's planning to yet..) this site will go a VERY different direction.
Well done to Martin for building what started off as a tiny website into a moneysaving empire worth 87m, and to donation 10m of that to charity.

I will continue to stay and love the website so long as it doesn't stray from what it is now. Soonest sniff of moneysupermarket moneymaking and I'm not sure I'd be so keen..

brewerdave

Have to agree with post #45 - I've gained a lot of knowledge (and spent less cash!) in the last few years as a result of this site and the newsletter.Don't begrudge the MSE team their financial gain. A bit sad as I'm sure that longer term it will go the same way as TMF which as a previous poster has said, now appears to be a promo site for get rich quick schemes.I was also a member over at MoneySupermarket.com but their forums became drowned in debtors looking for a way out from their responsibilities and not much else, so don't go on there very much now.

Techhead_2

KevinG wrote: »

I'm just going to wait and see what happens. I don't see the point in doing rash things like leaving the forum and unsubscribing from the weekly email. Martin has given lots of assurances about the future of the site. Are we now saying that he is untrustworthy?

I don't know what to think. How do decide if I can trust someone who has benefited substantially from their decision?