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MSE Discussion: MoneySavingExpert.com to join the MoneySupermarket.com group
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What, within 5 minutes of signing up?
I don't think so... not from you signing up to this site at least.
No, last week.
Last week, but first time ever they have popped in to my inbox.
(Another subject: I thought that there was a little sign that came up next to my posting saying 'be nice to newbies' or some such)0 -
There is. Have a nice day(Another subject: I thought that there was a little sign that came up next to my posting saying 'be nice to newbies' or some such)
2kWp Solar PV - 10*200W Kioto, SMA Sunny Boy 2000HF, SSE facing, some shading in winter, 37° pitch, installed Jun-2011, inverter replaced Sep-2017 AND Feb-2022.0 -
No, last week.
Last week, but first time ever they have popped in to my inbox.
(Another subject: I thought that there was a little sign that came up next to my posting saying 'be nice to newbies' or some such)
What? Someone dares to contradict your assumption and you start implying they're not being nice enough for you?
For the record, I haven't had any MSM emails either.0 -
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.
Something I noticed recently, which maybe was happening before but I didn't know, is that some URLs are banned, for what look to me like 'commercial' reasons.
e.g. tiny url (I assume because they don't get affiliate commission?), and a site called mobiles dotcom, which I read has not been paying commission due to its affiliates...
I think once you get over the fact that MSE is mainly an affiliate site like thousand of others, but just more successful (and less upfront) than most, things start to make sense and you accept its limitations.
If you see it as a money saving/consumer rights user-led community, then you are bound to be disappointed.
That's why I'm still here, I take things with a pinch of salt, more that I did before. You have to, when the difference between recommending site x (without commission) and site y (with commission) can be millions ££, it's just can't be 100% impartial.
But MSE, both the main part and the forum, have a lot of useful information, that I use as good pointers, rather than the Bible of money saving. 0 -
I believe that tiny url is banned because it is impossible to see where you are going to end up.terra_ferma wrote: »some URLs are banned, for what look to me like 'commercial' reasons.
e.g. tiny url (I assume because they don't get affiliate commission?)
As a forum user, I am not allowed to post an affiliate link which benefits me. If I do so, it will be clear fromthe link that is what it is. But if I did that via a tiny url it wouldn't be clear. So I believe that is why it is not allowed.
That's the view that many sites take. They only recommend sites that pay commission.when the difference between recommending site x (without commission) and site y (with commission) can be millions ££, it's just can't be 100% impartial.
That's not the view that MSE has taken. MSE has recommended the best buy regardless of commission.
MSE has turned out to be the most successful and, presumably, the most profitable.
Why would they now change the business model to match that of those sites that are less successful and profitable?
You see, it's better to recommend site X this week (when it is the best buy) and get no commission then site Y next week (when _it_ is the best buy) and get a million pounds commission than it is to recommend site Y both weeks (even though it is not the best buy the first week) and get a quarter of a million pounds commission each week because you've lost 75% of your audience by failing to recommend the real best-buy the first week.
Absolutely. I think that has always been the point.But MSE, both the main part and the forum, have a lot of useful information, that I use as good pointers, rather than the Bible of money saving.
On the bottom of every page it says "always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances".0 -
[/QUOTE]QUOTE=JimmyTheWig;56131935]
That's the view that many sites take. They only recommend sites that pay commission.
That's not the view that MSE has taken. MSE has recommended the best buy regardless of commission.
Is this your opinion, or based on evidence? I wonder if anyone has actually checked that they actually do what they say.... not saying they aren't, just wondering if we are taking their word for it, or we know for certain.
I don't use their deals that much, I rely more on the forum, so I've never really looked into it.You see, it's better to recommend site X this week (when it is the best buy) and get no commission then site Y next week (when _it_ is the best buy) and get a million pounds commission than it is to recommend site Y both weeks (even though it is not the best buy the first week) and get a quarter of a million pounds commission each week because you've lost 75% of your audience by failing to recommend the real best-buy the first week.
People trust sites based on perceptions, not facts. E.g. lots of people buy staff from ebay even if it's more expensive than other sites like Amazon, simply because they perceive ebay to be cheap. The really really clever way to do it would be to push affiliate links and convince people they are cheaper (some areas are very complex, and it's difficult to compare like for like anyway), particularly when the differences are very subtle, or depending on circumstances.0 -
My opinion, based on what I have seen and the fact that there are very knowledgeable people on the forum who would speak up if the real top picks were being missed.Is this your opinion, or based on evidence? I wonder if anyone has actually checked that they actually do what they say.... not saying they aren't, just wondering if we are taking their word for it, or we know for certain.
I don't use their deals that much, I rely more on the forum, so I've never really looked into it.
I agree. I used to work in a computer shop, about 5-10 years after Amstrad were the best machines to own. People always used to come in wanting an Amstrad because they had heard they were the best. Amstrads at that time weren't as good as other cheaper makes, but they were trading on their reputation.People trust sites based on perceptions, not facts.
Turning that into an analogy, we would tell customers what the better machines were. This could be seen as the MSE approach. Maybe another shop down the road wouldn't tell their customers that better machines were available because they got a good mark-up on Amstrads. This could be seen as the "other sites", e.g. Motley Fool I believe, approach.
But what's to stop me from saying "Oh yes, sir, a good choice. I've got one right here", despite our policy of recommending the best machines? Nothing, if the customer didn't know any better. But what if there was a group of people outside the shop (i.e. the Forum) who would discuss what we were selling and what we were saying to customers. They'd soon notice if we were flogging poor equipment and tell people about it.
That's why I think the Forum ensures that the main site keeps on track.0
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