GreasyPalm

TheLydons

I'm a first time poster, long-time lurker and a female IT/Web equivalent of our founding hero Martin Lewis MSE.

Please note : I'm not implying that GreasyPalm is a rip-off by posting this email within this particular section, nor do I want to worry anyone about their involvement with it.

I'm looking into the pros/cons of affiliate schemes and whilst there are benefits to be had from these schemes, what does it costs the consumer for participating.

An example being, Boots Advantage card, we get lots of goodies with our points, Boots can monitor our spending habits, base marketing on it and encourage us to buy more so we get more points, Boots get more sales. Even though we can get a lot of products cheaper elsewhere, we tend to buy at Boots, either for the convenience of the one-stop-shop or to bump up our points value.

I've worked on and have used the web for over 10 years now - the technology has certainly improved over the years ;D. Whilst reading a lot of the mails in this forum, I thought that I could give something back to my fellow moneysavers. I've saved some cash and now am a lot wiser than I was a few months ago. The only thing that I can give back is my experience on the IT industry.

I thought that I would research pay-per-click marketing and affiliate programmes (eg GreasyPalm) to see if there was any relationship with the increase of spam and unsolicited subscriptions. As web technology has improved, viruses, scams, identity and credit card fraud are on the increase and it is getting harder for the IT professional nevermind the home user to detect it. I don't want anyone to get ripped off by using the internet, it is a great facility and I'd like more people to get online.

I would like to ask the members of this forum a few questions. Once I have gathered some more information, I'll post it up within the site, or I will e-mail Martin direct. One way or another, you will be able to read my report.

Although you can accumulate credit in your greasypalm account -

How many people have actually received a cheque from greasypalm?

How frequently do you get a cheque, (monthly, yearly)?

Has a retailer ever failed to give you the cashback?

Have you found that once you have signed up with a scheme it is difficult to gain more credit as you have already signed up and aren't eligible for the introductory offers?

Do you run your anti-virus software or have you turned it off as suggested, in order to run the rebate checker?

Have you had any odd emails recently?

Have you had any odd phone calls recently?

Have you had any odd texts on your phone that you didn't sign up for, but got charged?

Any questions that I haven't covered here, but if you would like to share with me, please post to the forum or send me a message. If you want to ask me any questions, please do the same.

Many thanks

Niamh Lydon

MarkyMarkD

How many people have actually received a cheque from greasypalm? I've had three cheques.

How frequently do you get a cheque, (monthly, yearly)? Periodically when I've spent enough.

Has a retailer ever failed to give you the cashback? No.

Have you found that once you have signed up with a scheme it is difficult to gain more credit as you have already signed up and aren't eligible for the introductory offers? Don't understand this question. Of course you can't have the introductory offers more than once.

Do you run your anti-virus software or have you turned it off as suggested, in order to run the rebate checker? Don't need to turn it off. And it's rebate catcher.

Have you had any odd emails recently? I get 1000s but I did before I joined GreasyPalm.

Have you had any odd phone calls recently? I get a few, but I did before I joined GreasyPalm.

Have you had any odd texts on your phone that you didn't sign up for, but got charged? No.

TheLydons

Thanks for taking the time out to reply and also for pointing out my error, as you are quite correct, it is indeed rebate catcher. I was becoming word blind!


I am interested in anyone's experience, good or bad, regarding this scheme and/or other schemes.

If you would prefer for this information to remain outside this forum, please just send me a message.

I am not trying to discourage the use of affiliate schemes but I am trying to make sure that it is more transparent for those who use them. The more information that I get based on the average user, the more benefit it will provide for us all.

Thanks again for reading.

s@sha

I joined up to greasypalm after reading about it on this website, but it played havoc with our PC...I can't remember exactly what happened but it was something to do with that rebate catcher. I think there was all sorts of spyware on our PC after.

We have Zonealarm & norton antivirus installed & never had a single virus or spyware on the PC until I signed up to greasypalm. My husband (also in IT) sorted it all out, but I am banned from using greasypalm!

MarkyMarkD

Greasypalm's rebate catcher is a form of spyware - it has to be, as it monitors the sites you try to access and ensures that its affiliate links are used if there are such links. But that's how they ensure that you maximise your Greasy Palm rebates.

It might very well be detected as spyware by spyware detection software, but that doesn't mean that it's BAD spyware that you don't want! It's up to you - I'd rather not miss a potential rebate.

TheLydons

Getting a rebate for sharing your new credit card info, paypal account, bank accounts etc with a third party and possibly more (GreasyPalm themselves have admitted that sometimes their info gets hijacked by another group that send malicious spam) makes me very sceptical, but maybe that is just me.

I've worked in the following areas internet security, e-commerce website production, virus protection & elimination, quality to name but a few, and I've been an internet user for a very long time, so a lot of the scams appear in new guises over the years and it is getting harder to identify them.

Yep, it's up to the individual - but still not convinced.

Maybe, they are 100% kosher, lets prove it so and lets get all the members to highlight their greasypalm experience good or bad.

MarkyMarkD

As far as I can tell, all GP's software does is redirect a request for (say) https://www.dell.co.uk to a tradedoubler link which gets you to https://www.dell.co.uk - but the credit goes to Greasy Palm.

That's not giving them my credit card details or anything else confidential. I am not paranoid enough to give a toss if GP know which websites I visit and I don't even believe that their software is sending this info to them - though if it does, it is so that they can check that they are getting the credit they are entitled to and so you get the credit you are entitled to.

I use other password storing software which is FAR more dangerous but it's my own personal choice to do so - I'm not doing it blindly.

TheLydons

Unfortunately, there is more to spyware/malware than just reviewing what websites are visited.

When your IP address has been logged with a third party(ie. the equivalent is someone knowing your home address), in combination with Microsoft IE loopholes in it's security which allow remote servers access to individual IP addresses and run code (the equivalent of a soap impression of your front door key) and data miners which search your computer for password files and collects them. With all this information available, it is very easy for someone to obtain all your personal information and to abuse it.

This is why there is an increase in the phonecalls/emails that people receive regarding their credit card and getting them to reveal their security code on the back of their card. People have asked how the scammers have obtained their personal information and I am revealing how it is done. Please note, I am referring to spyware/malware programmes, not GreasyPalm.

All that I'm saying is, so long as the proper measures are in place and that web users are aware that this kind of thing goes on, it makes it more difficult for those who take advantage of software loopholes and conning the innocent user.

Collecting IP addresses from web browsers when they visit any dynamic site has become the norm and it is not to be feared, it's standard protocol nowadays.

On a lighter note, MDM, I'm not criticising your methods, but for the other members who read this forum who are not pc-literate or confident with the workings of the web it is worth highlighting it for them. When you have fixed as many pcs and problems as I have, you do become suspicious of everything, but I also use affiliate sites, online surverys, enter competitions - I am just web-wise and by the sounds of it, so are you. With a bit of savvy and know-how, everyone can avoid falling victim to a scammer and that is what I am trying to promote.

MarkyMarkD

OK, explanation appreciated. It's MMD not MDM but no matter!

Are you saying these threats apply to those who don't bother to run a firewall, and then surf to dodgy sites. Or everybody?

TheLydons

As Homer would say "doh"! I did warn you about my word blindness!

The extremely paranoid would say "use someone else's pc to surf the web" or if you could afford it, dedicate a standalone machine just for surfing.

Of course, this isn't practical, nor is it necessary. It is important to first of all to beware that not everything is as it seems on the internet. By carefully selecting what items are signed for, ie. mailing lists, software, memberships you can limit your risk.

Read the terms of conditions very carefully before submitting your email address (I have several different email addresses that I pull into Outlook Express, so I can read them all in one go rather than visiting each site individually).
TOCs will often state some very well hidden charges that you will agree to and have no grounds to complain.

Any legal action taken would not stand up in court as the "I Accept" box was ticked. Worryingly, a lot of rogue sites are asking for your mobile number disguised as a requirement. It will have an asterix beside it, as a lot of required fields display this, but what the asterix in this case actually does is indicate that there are terms and conditions somewhere on the page.

If you find that link and follow it, it may very well have a couple of lines in there saying "you have requested our text messaging service at £1.50 per text, we will send you daily texts.....blah blah blah". If you think of it, how many forms do we fill in every day and not bat an eyelid?

I came across a site that did a similar thing the other day. It was a site that I got referred to by GreasyPalm, (luckily for GP, they are not responsible of any of their affiliate sites content and are therefore off the hook but, unfortunately for them, it happened to me! Got me a bit worked up!).

Anyway, after filling out a registration, with my mailinator.com web address naturally, I pressed submit and went to the next page. Got a little error message with a text box, indicating that I have not entered my mobile tel number. Funny, I don't remember there being a field for the mobile, so I hit the back button and checked the form, there was no field for a mobile.

This didn't feel right, so I went forward again to the error message, clicked the mobile hyperlink and it brought up ** by entering your mobile number, you are signing up for our text service at £1.50 a week. I thought, "whoops, that was close" and I entered a false number to carry on with my registration. I feel a bit guilty in case I have signed some poor innocent soul up with a text service....so, my apologies, won't do it again and I'll try to alert others, so it doesn't become a bigger problem.

Occasionally I've slipped up with clever scamming sites and am really concerned at how easily it is done. Not many IT professionals will admit when they have had a close one - we are supposed to be gurus, you know!! I'm also concerned for those who will unwittingly fall victim to these kind of scams, which unfortunately are steadily increasing.


Sorry for going on a bit. In answer to your question, it does apply to everyone even though a firewall may be installed. Threats come in many different guises. A firewall will protect against the majority of threats, but it is extremely important that all the items listed below are installed and up-to-date to ensure that you have the maximum protection.

• Firewall

• Virus checking

• Spybot

• Adaware

• Hijack this

• Use https://www.mailinator.com for a bogus email address

• Go to Microsoft and join their technet mailing list (https://www.technet.com) and this will tell you all you need to know about the latest security threats, updates and service packs.

This list is not exclusive, the more security measures you have in place the better. However, in order to keep things in prespective, some anti-virus programs do !!!!!! up and you will sometimes need to disable it. Just make sure that you are not connected to the internet at that time. Microsoft often !!!!!! up some of their updates - set up a system restore point before installing, so if it does go wonky, just step back and restore.

Don't panic and never use the internet again, but, get to know a little bit more about whatever it is you are joining up. If trust a website, check it out anyway, just to be sure, you will find out more than you expected!

nicknak123

I have signed up for Greasypalm & it didn't interfere with my Norton antivirus.
I certainly wouldn't disable my antivirus for any site, any suggestion would send shivers down me spine

Had to allow a connection to my firewall for the rebate checker updates.

Here is a link to Greasypalm if you need one - http://www.greasypalm.co.uk/r/?l=191426 (Worth a try ;D)