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

JimmyTheWig

patchwork_cat wrote: »

That is where you are wrong .

If you clicked on a link to a cheaper utility provider (for example) from his site he got the knock back from money supermarket (eg- other companies paid him too) - 60 % of £16 mill I believe last year alone. You therefore did not get the cashback from Quidco or TCB. I actually didn't click through, but loads obviously did.

This would only be the case if you did this knowing that you could go through cashback and chose not to because you wanted to help MSE.
I don't believe that many people would do this.
I'd bet that the vast majority of people who click through on an MSE link would go directly to the provider if they didn't click from MSE. And so it would be the company who would benefit.

meher

Editorial code, whilst it enhances good conduct and business practice, can safely be expected to be amended and to evolve over time. So it is not as if it is the ultimate constitution. Not that I don't think it is not an empowering one, just that I wouldn't depend on it being the highlight of mse's continuity. This is, imo, now a subsidiary of another company, whichever way we spin it, period.

patchwork_cat

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

This would only be the case if you did this knowing that you could go through cashback and chose not to because you wanted to help MSE.
I don't believe that many people would do this.
I'd bet that the vast majority of people who click through on an MSE link would go directly to the provider if they didn't click from MSE. And so it would be the company who would benefit.

The answer was in response to Martin not taking anything off the users. He did.

tyllwyd

More on SugarPuffgate - it seems possible that Martin in fact eats supermarket rice crispies out of a Kellog's packet (Woman magazine, Jan 2012):

But it seems Martin and Mrs MSE have something in common. ‘She may hate me saying this, but she’s actually tighter than me,’ he laughs. ‘We did a quiz on my site called ‘How tight are you?’ I scored 41%, but she scored 51% – things like transferring own-brand goods into posh brand’s packaging (eg ricepuffs in a Rice Krispies box). I wasn’t surprised. I don’t see myself as tight. I’m careful, but that’s different.’

JimmyTheWig

patchwork_cat wrote: »

The answer was in response to Martin not taking anything off the users. He did.

I still disagree.
In the general sense the user got the same deal that they would have got if they hadn't clicked the MSE link.

StaffsSW

poppy10 wrote: »

Why? None of the money he made came out of your pocket.

Quite a bit came out of my pocket after he plagiarised one of my websites and passed it off as his own tool...

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

I still disagree.
In the general sense the user got the same deal that they would have got if they hadn't clicked the MSE link.

And tell that to people who are stuck with the Equifax recurring charges who signed up after his recommendations (for which he got a nice affiliate payout from the links on This Page)

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4016025
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3960381
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3897739

And what about all of us who used to enjoy free banking until he got hold of the "blame someone else" culture, told them to get compinsayshun, meaning many more of us have to pay banking fees, despite having an account in credit?

Cheap, but at what cost?

JimmyTheWig

StaffsSW wrote: »

Quite a bit came out of my pocket after he plagiarised one of my websites and passed it off as his own tool...

If this is true then I hope it gets sorted out and you get appropriate credit and payment.
But it's not particularly relevant to this discussion.

And tell that to people who are stuck with the Equifax recurring charges who signed up after his recommendations (for which he got a nice affiliate payout from the links on This Page)

I'd still argue that they're in the same position they would have been in if they had signed up for the deal by going to Equifax directly.
Interesting example, as it happens, as I signed up for that after Martin suggested we did so to gain via cashback.
ETA: Just checked the article you linked to and it still says about going through cashback. So if people followed Martin's suggestions then Martin wouldn't have made any money out of them at all.

And what about all of us who used to enjoy free banking until he got hold of the "blame someone else" culture, told them to get compinsayshun, meaning many more of us have to pay banking fees, despite having an account in credit?

We've never had free banking. It's always been charged for somewhere along the line.
Martin has campaigned for the cost of banking to be fair. I haven't got a problem with that even if it means the likes of you and I end up paying a little more. We're not subsidising those who go over their limits, we're just no longer being subsidised by them.

meher

StaffsSW wrote: »

And what about all of us who used to enjoy free banking until he got hold of the "blame someone else" culture, told them to get compinsayshun, meaning many more of us have to pay banking fees, despite having an account in credit?

Cheap, but at what cost?

Well, we enjoyed free banking because of folks who wanted more than they could afford to and paid for the services we use as well - to strike a balance somewhere and actually to campaign for it is a big thing, typically socialist and entirely credible. Just that it is inconvenient for us to see the bigger picture because it has put a pressure on the rest of us to be a little socially responsible and pay for our share of use of services and not exactly live on those who are burdened with bank charges.

ps: only just noticed Jimmy's response

PaulJM

patchwork_cat wrote: »

What gets me though is the amount of profit he made last year - £13mill I believe. More than the second highest CEO in FTSE 100. Topped only by the boss of Barclays.

All on the back of a website called Money Saving Expert - I am totally disgusted.

Although the guy is a bit annoying, and maybe there is some duplicity (based on the imagine he conveys, fanboys, nothing he's done), he's a right to make a snot load of money, on a site we've all enjoyed.
Let's not be all jealous eh?
We should all just be a bit, quietly suspicious of him and the site.

UnderPressure

Well well well, some of us really need to learn some manners here!

What is it? Jealousy? Why the outrage from some of you? You can sit back and moan and groan about this deal but the fact of the matter is MSE is and always has been a money making business, Martin and the team have never hid or denied this fact, you would be absolutely amazed at just the running costs of this 1 site, not making money could never have been an option.

It is true some people on this forum really go the extra mile, helping people as much as they can in any way they can, it is one of the reasons why this forum is so popular but the forum is only 1 very small side of the business. A meeting place for like minded money saving people and also a place where other can seek help and advice, great, what brought us all here to begin with? Did we all wake up 1 morning and think, right today I am going to spend all of my time on the Martin Lewis's forum dishing advice to others that need it, or was it more a case of we came because we needed advise, we wanted to take advantage of the special offer forums, we wanted to find ways of saving more money? People's relationship with the forum then changed in whatever way they wanted it to, nobody asked anybody to do anything they do on this forum, they did it all of their own backs and I am sure it is appreciated by many many people.

Is there anyone here who has not saved money in some way? Has MSE sent you a bill for a percentage of the money you saved? Would you prefer it if they did not sell to MS and instead asked you for a percentage of your savings? Has MSE ever actually ASKED any of you to do anything?

Do not be fooled into thinking MS are handing over this money for a forum, they are not, the forum although popular IS only a small percentage of MSE business and to be frank from what I see on here a good percentage of the time is probably more of a thorn in the side of MSE than anything else!

Martin has probably worked 80,90 maybe even 100 hours a week or more for the last 10 years to build HIS business, how can any of you possibly be upset with him cashing in his hard work for what seems to me a deal NOBODY could or would say no to? Do you really think he should have turned round to MS and told them no they can keep their many millions as it might upset the forum?? Get real people!

FACT Martin over the last 10 years must have saved hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people many many many millions of pounds, you do not build a business this big with the presence in the media MSE has through sitting on your bum and waiting for it to happen, he and his team deserve all the financial reward they are about to get for all the hard work and dedication they have shown other people over the last 10 years.

Martin well done to you and your team, the latest dot com millionaire and I for one think you deserve every penny, I bet you have not stopped smiling yet and why should you

If the site turns into a MS shrine full of MS offers and nothing else then that will be their doing and you can vote with your feet if you want to, who knows what the future holds, Martin Lewis does not come across to me as a "yes" man, I am sure as long as he still hold the reigns the same ethos will continue.

Rant over............