Should MSE make sure promoted offers are ethical?

minikarter

Sorry for the long post but bare with me, I originally wrote this as an email I wished to send to MSE but then couldn't find a contaxct to send it to, so I came here instead.

To MSE,

A different question you may or may not be used to, but do you consider the ethics of the offers you promote on social media and through email to your thousands of followers?

My question is related to the fact that in my social media feed, I follow a charity called Sea Shepherd, who work tirelessly to promote the protection and conservation of our oceans and anything related. Just now I was scrolling through my feed, and Sea Shepherd were detailing a campaign to promote the prevention of keeping dolphins in captivity. Related to this, I know they have exposed facts that make it clear that SeaLife Centres in the uk take upwards of 95% of their captive stock from their natural habitats, but immediately below that (disappointingly) was a post from moneysavingexpert promoting cheap tickets for UK attractions with a picture clearly showing a child looking into a large sea aquarium, which led me to this thought.

Obviously I understand moneysavingexpert has its agenda, and simply wants to make it known to people that if they are to do something anyway, then there's always a moneysaving way of doing it, and to think "do I need it" before they make a decision to part with money.

But by promoting the offers in the first place, surely you are actually promoting it to people who wouldn't have thought about it anyway, and actually increasing revenue and advertising for those companies that they wouldn't have otherwise gotten?

It's also relevant from a health perspective. Just look at how many food offers you have related to krispy cremes and fast food chains. You are effectively advertising for them. Not only that, but the government are making some attempt (admittedly I think it's weak) to apply sugar taxes etc to make it more difficult, but you are actually helping people circumvent that. You're literally making it easier for people to be unhealthy, and inadvertantly promoting that lifestyle.

I'm already predicting my answer to this email (if I get one at all) will be that you simply wish to make people aware of the offers around, and that you promote the thinking "Do I need it". But honestly, the website, emails and posts are really just filled with offers that ultimately go against the grain. That grain being to work towards conservation, and improving world health, by bringing offers to peoples attention, promoting consumerism in general, for products and services that they wouldn't have otherwise considered and are detrimental to those targets.

I understand it's the choice and responsibility of the consumer to make their own decisions, but we all know that many people are very easily led on. Otherwise advertising wouldn't exist right? Take facebook for example, they claim to simply provide the platform, and historically would not take responsibility for the content being posted on it. They say that's down to the choice of the individual, regardless of the ethical issues it creates by providing the facility for that content. In principle, how is moneysavingexpert any different in this case? by not shouldering more responsibility for the offers posted throughout their website, emails and social media.

Don't get me wrong, moneysavingexpert do a great job in helping consumers save money, especially in important items that we all need a little help with like insurance, mortgages, finance and general household bills to name but a few. I really thank you for that. But I worry about our world, and I know there has to be a strong few that have to make up for the weaker masses that are not aware of the damage we're doing to our, and our planets future.

So is it so much to ask, to work towards a better world and be a bit more selective of the offers that are promoted on the website, to prevent influencing your followers in the wrong way?

I thank you for your time, and really hope this email/post promotes some discussion.

Thanks,

Robin

Obukit

I think everyone has to decide on their own ethical purchases. If we all had unlimited money we could buy the best ethical choice for everything but almost no one has that luxury.

If MSE didn't promote anything just for this one cause then where would you stop? We all know plastics in our oceans is a massive problem but almost any purchase - and certainly purchases in the volumes MSE generates - will cause pollution and loss of resources.

FWIW I don't think it's as simple as "all aquariums are bad". Quite possibly if millions of children attend, and those children learn that ocean life isn't an abstract concept, but something beautiful and to be treasured, then actually there will be a net positive effect. Certainly with my kids they sometimes struggle with big, ecological concepts because much of it seems unreal or difficult to comprehend until they can see some physical thing to grasp on to.

Not saying you're wrong - just that I think the sensible line from MSE is to present the facts and let people make their own ethical judgements, unless something is so clearly unethical that - say - more than 95% of people would find it unethical.

michaels

Hmm

Deals often encourage us to consume stuff we wouldn't otherwise so a bit of an ethical difficulty already!

As an example, a cheaper energy tariff is likely to make us make less effort to be energy efficient.

Perhaps efficiency and ethicalness could be mentioned in every weekly deal post?

Mnd

Who will be the arbiter of this. A farm tour to see lambs being born would i assume not be ethically acceptable to a vegan family, but i wouldn't have any issue at all.
It's not up to MSE to decide if this is ethical and I still want to have my discount,

Obukit

On the flipside seeing the price per kWh could make you more aware of your consumption.

I always see it like a car. With a car you can't see his much you are spending in real time - there's no immediate penalty to driving inefficiently, you just pay for a tank of fuel at the end.

If you start to research how much a heavy right foot costs you become more aware of the eventual cost.

Same with electric - if you know the kWh cost then you start to be able to see the real cost of using a tumble dryer vs hanging on the line. My friends who don't know costs and power consumption seem to just see their electricity bill as an inevitability they have little control over.

Paul_DNAP

NO, it is the people's free choice to do whatever they want to do, and this website helps them do it most cost effectively. I don't think it is within the remit of this website for them to start to filter and control based on what they (or you) consider to be "ethical" which is not a clearly defined word at the best of times. They should pass on any ethical claims the companies make as pure background information, and allow the consumer to decide if that fits with their own ethical profile or not.


For example, you follow/donate to Sea Shepherd and think they do good work, but the alternate viewpoint is that the FBI have labelled them as "Eco-terrorists" and so who is more or less "ethical" - those who care for captive dolphins, or those that attack other people with actual physical violence?


Stop trying to control other people and live your own life to the best you can based on your own standards.