Swoggi penny auction site or scam?

RFW

Browntoa wrote: »

I Hope the mail has stopped taking adverts from Madbid and swoggi then


I've regularly seen adverts from both on your web site, under the area "FROM THE WEB" sponsored links by Taboola

I did ask on another thread if it was for a newspaper that had taken ads from them.

Steve_Boggan wrote: »

Hello RFW, to my relief it would not appear to be.

Perhaps they've stopped running the ads, so now they're fair game;)

Perhaps the Mail have been duped in running the ads, so they'll have plenty in their coffers to pay people for stories, so they can help them recoup some losses. How altruistic of the Daily Mail.

Browntoa

looks like he's gone off to check

Steve_Boggan

I understand if you don't want to participate, but I don't think there's any need to make this personal.

I'm asking in good faith if there's anything you'd like to contribute to the debate.

Thanks.

RFW

Steve_Boggan wrote: »

I understand if you don't want to participate, but I don't think there's any need to make this personal.

My apologies if it was considered I was making it personal, I know the high standards you have to uphold as a journalist for the Daily Mail <insert emoticon of choice here>

I've commented on this thread several times offering help and my opinions.

As a journalist hoping to work on a story how do you propose to help anyone who has lost money on any of these sites?

How much money has the Daily Mail taken from advertising these companies and how are they hoping to redistribute it?

Do you know how many ads that were run in the Daily Mail from these companies were upheld to be breaching advertising standards?

RFW

I just found this review from http://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/www.madbid.com

David_M wrote:

I joined Mad Bid after reading a 'review' on daily mail online !!! you would have thought that it was ligit !! WRONG, it was an advert written to look like it was a reporter having won an iphone for silly money. I joined, then it asked for £50, not much info to tell me that my £50 only bought me bid money ! now I have all this money and lots of bids available but nothing that I will even get close to winning due to the way it is set up.
Waste of money, time and should not be allowed to 'look like editorial' on Daily Mail online....shame on you.....you money grabbing shisters just like the website Mad bid !

RFW

It seems to have been going on for some time

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2004132

Browntoa

it wasn't a personal attack by me either , I was pointing out that even unwittingly the Daily Mail is running adverts for a site they are about to run a critical article on , its already pointed out on other forums


I was hoping if the article runs that the DM consider removing them both from the roster of adverts that appear on their own web site

Steve_Boggan

Dear RFW, I am a freelance reporter who has written for everyone from the Independent and Guardian to the Times and Mail over 33 years.

I have been commissioned by the Mail to take a serious look at these people. You seem more concerned at having a go at the Mail than the penny websites. That's your prerogative but you might be wasting an opportunity here.

If everyone on this forum feels the way you do, then please accept my apologies for taking up your time.

Steve

RFW

Browntoa wrote: »

it wasn't a personal attack by me either , I was pointing out that even unwittingly the Daily Mail is running adverts for a site they are about to run a critical article on , its already pointed out on other forums


I was hoping if the article runs that the DM consider removing them both from the roster of adverts that appear on their own web site

I'd agree with that, although I'm not sure how a big website such as the DM's could "unwittingly" run an ad for more than a year.

It seems as though it should be fairly clear to see what I was pointing out. The Daily Mail appear to have been accepting money to build up the profile of a company they now wish to "expose". I'm sure most people can see the hypocrisy of trying to expose people being duped by an advertisement that featured on the very website that is exposing it.
Rather than commenting that the newspaper Mr. Boggan was writing for had not taken advertising from the company, a quick Google check would have confirmed that that was not the case.

I'm happy for any wrongdoing to be exposed. If we could get confirmation on here that the Daily Mail will no longer be carrying ads from Madbid, either in print or online, that would be even better.

Steve_Boggan

Dear RFW,

I'm not sure we're going to get anywhere with this.

You asked me if the Mail had been named in an ASA ruling which you posted. I ran a word check through it and no, the Mail wasn't mentioned.

Newspapers run ads all the time from companies that they also criticise - supermarkets are a particular case in point where, for example, cruelty to farm animals is uncovered. It's called good journalism because it isn't influenced or tainted by the advertising side of the business.

As I explained, I am not an employee of the Daily Mail so I have no control over its advertising. I really just wanted to do my job as a journalist exposing wrong-doing but you seem to have other ideas.

I hope other members of the forum will excuse me/us.

Best wishes,

Steve