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

cit_k

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver wrote: »

I was thinking that. Raw Data of the MSE Forums et voila! a vast Research base for Moneysupermarket, with Martin exploiting us in a typical Multimillionaire mindset that is give folk the teeniest amount and himself a massive amount.
I really hope he is a people person who cannot be brought off by High society who despises his people agendas.

What people ideas?

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

Mental Health and Debt.
@cit-k I admit I am cynical but it would be nice to see his Surviving the Baptism of Fire (Any invites he gets)

Mandelbrot

I see the OFT is looking into the matter ...
http://www.moneymarketing.co.uk/adviser-news/oft-to-review-moneysupermarketcoms-acquisition-of-moneysavingexpert/1053726.article

terra_ferma

Mandelbrot wrote: »

I see the OFT is looking into the matter ...
http://www.moneymarketing.co.uk/adviser-news/oft-to-review-moneysupermarketcoms-acquisition-of-moneysavingexpert/1053726.article

Old news. Martin said that at the very beginning

Q. Is this definite? We hope so, the deal is signed, contracts have been exchanged, but as is common with these things, final completion is reliant on a few things, but primarily clearance by the Office of Fair Trading (which could take a few months).

fermi

Anticipated acquisition by MoneySupermarket of MoneySavingExpert

13 Aug - Full text of the decision regarding the anticipated acquisition by MoneySupermarket of MoneySavingExpert

Affected market: Consumer finance advice websites

No. ME/5505/12

Found not to qualify.

PARTIES

1 MoneySupermarket.com Group plc (MoneySupermarket) is active in the provision of price comparison services. It provides customers with online services enabling them to search and compare, in one place, a wide range of products

2 MoneySavingExpert.com (MoneySavingExpert) is active in the provision of unbiased consumer information and recommendations aimed at saving money for the general public.

TRANSACTION

3 On 1 June 2012, MoneySupermarket signed a conditional agreement to acquire all of the assets of the MoneySavingExpert business. The parties notified the transaction on 6 July 2012. The administrative deadline is 3 September 2012.

JURISDICTION

4 MoneySavingExpert generated a turnover in the UK of approximately £16 million for the year ending 31 October 2011, so the turnover test in section 23 of the Enterprise Act 2002 (the Act) is not met.

5 On the basis of the information available to it, the Office of Fair Trading has decided that the anticipated acquisition of the MoneySavingExpert Business by MoneySupermarket.com Group plc does not qualify for investigation under the mergers provisions of the Act, because neither the UK turnover test nor the share of supply test in section 23 of the Act is met. A relevant merger situation has, therefore, not been created.

MiserlyMartin

I can see why moneysupermarket has bought MSE. Its a major competitor to it. MSM get a ton of traffic and business to its group they otherwise would not have got. Good deal for Martin Lewis too. Massive amount of money. That's Martin sorted for life. But moneysupermarket will be looking for a return on that investment from MSE's users

Ken68

I compared home insurance recently with Moneysupermarket and completed a form online which also asked for my phone number.
Before making a final decision on the resulting recommendations \I received a phone call from SWINTON who gave me a further discount, so presumably cutting out MSM/MSE

John_Pierpoint

From a "quick" scan of the annual accounts it would appear that more than half of the annual dividends have been paid to the directors, suggesting that the majority control of the company is held by the directors. (I also think there is more than one class of shares, together with outstanding options, some on behalf of the employees ).

So anyone can buy some shares and go to the annual meeting and possibly get a nice cup of tea for their trouble.

But I think that would be their sole input into changing the board's decisions.

These events only become "entertaining", when there is some serious controversy about the performance or direction of the company. This one seems to have been run with a certain creative flair.

EG
British Gas and "Cedric the Pig".

http://investing.thisismoney.co.uk/quote/MONY

Jessica74

Well done to Martin.

I applaud all your hard work. Hopefully the site continues to be successful.

MrAlveron

sablade wrote: »

A very sad day for your unbiased opinions - a sell out! We now need a new unbiased independent website.

A very sad day. It was good to be able to think that out there, there was someone that I could trust. A group / website that I could trust. That was actually 'fighting my corner' as the strap line goes.

That has been lost.

No amount of FAQs will persuade us otherwise.

I agree with the forumite who says that we now need a new unbiased independent website. We do. We now need what Moneysavingexpert was, but is no more.