Worldwide hotel rooms for £1. Discussion Thread

MSE_Martin

Dear me - what a kerfufle over nothing.

The text in the tip is URGENT hotel promotion - people then click and read the details - that's about 30seconds worth. When that's read they can decide whether to come back at 7pm or not bother.

I would far prefer to show people the option that not to bother.

As for the fact travel isn't included. I find this a slightly bizarre thing to say - i credit moneysavers with enough sense to realise they will need to pay for travel.

I certainly dont say 1p flight - but warning you'll need accomodation.

As over 100,000 read it and we've quite a lot of success reports I'm very happy with my decision.

For those who disagree I'm sorry - but its my call -and I believe it was the correct decision.

My email is free and easy for anyone to unsubscribe to - as another 4,000 people joined today i dont see it caused any harm

Plus do remember the fact this was a 'go for it - but dont expect to get it' was VERY plain in my text.

Martin

PS as MSE Jenny mentioned, we didnt get this from the forum, and checked if anyone else had posted it. When we know its from the forum we ALWAYS credit it.

Nobjocki

Okay Martin - last post I promise.
First up - don't take it personally.I love your site.It's a brilliantly simple idea that's gone on to be a huge success and you deserve every reward the comes your way.
But among some of the posts questioning the original newsletter were some very valid points from people who were putting forward ideas to improve the site and not attack you.
You're a journalist and so am I so here are the facts.
Among the many posts after the offer went on sale at 7pm I found 4 people who had booked the offer including one lucky person who is staying at the Athaneum Hotel for a quid which is a great bargain.
That is four people among the highest number of online users ever recorded on this site so presumably many of those were also having a go.
But I also counted many other posts from people quite clearly frustrated and feeling conned by the whole process - which was the whole point of my original very first post.
This is the internet equivalent of a newspaper scratchcard offering a holiday if you dial a premium rate number - although in this case the hotel booking site are not receiving money but thousands of pounds worth of free publicity and email addresses in return for very little outlay.
And in your haste to rush out such a seemingly great offer in your newsletter you forgot to ask basic journalistic questions - what chance does the ordinary punter actually have to get one of these rooms and are they really worth it by the time you factor in the expense of actually getting there.
One of the people who got a £1 room in London actually said in her post about the cash she was spending in getting to the capital " this is money I can't really afford. "
This is not a personal attack on you ... it's just that I,and one or two others who have posted,have doubts in our minds about how your fantastic website is being used by the type of organisations you like to go after.
As I say my last post on the subject.

saintscouple

Thanks for alerting me to this offer in the newsletter Martin.
I wouldn't have known about it otherwise :T

vetfred

The offer was presented as a chance for a cheap hotel room and not a guaranteed cheap hotel room - this was clearly stated.

I'm confused as to how someone can feel conned by not getting something they were never promised. They had a chance, they got a chance, it didn't pull through.

If they now have to spend money travelling to a hotel room that they did actually get for £1 and didn't work out that a cheap hotel room is just that, a stationary thing that doesn't travel to you, then really what can anyone do? You also have to get to the restaurant when you're doing a 2 for 1 offer and if the restaurant is a 3-hour plane ride away, maybe you should pass on the offer. It's hardly Martin's responsibility to factor in every individual's potential expenses incurred in travelling to the £1 hotel room.

Publicity? That's already stated at the beginning of the thread - all deals or potential deals will, by default, have to advertise the companies. Is there no point trying to be a help because the likeliness of getting a room for £1 is slim? Well, there's a forum for competitions - people enter with a chance of winning and some do win, just as some have been able to benefit from this offer. Personally, I don't want competitions removed just because there's no guarantee of victory.

And, let's be honest, if you give your e-mail in the hope of a cheap hotel room for £1, you're hardly going to take up an offer for a full priced one later if they try "sell" to you so weigh up just exactly the other side is getting too if the deal for us is so bad. Fifty thousand moneysavers still won't be paying full price for a fancy hotel room - hardly a great result from a promotion is it?

martinlewisfanclub

I only got my "Martin's Money Saving Tips" at 8.00pm this evening, having been online and checking mail most of the day (for other purposes)
It's saved me from getting caught up in the promo tho' and a moment to reflect and take all these hysterical offers with a pinch of salt...up to 2,000,000 subscribers applying for things (inc hotel rooms) that we probably won't use is just wasting our time apart from anything else. I think Nobjocki is quite right in his final post on this.
ps. The forums are a fantastic pool of useful information on every topic you could want advice on such as keeping chickens or diy projects (apart from folk like me now, filling up space with witterings) and for these, I thank you.

Lewie

Edinburghlass wrote,

and some people have but don't forget its not just MSE users who are trying to book one room out of only 1,000.

I understand that but the hotel i chose was showing availability.
This site has helped them gain massive free advertising, as intended.

Mac_Sami

Nobjocki wrote: »

A lemming in search of a cliff.

Wow, that was seriously mature of you.

Sorry, but you can't go expecting to have an opinion and not have someone comment for and/or against it.

Take the points on board, agree/disagree with them and move on.

There's no need for childish names.

Lewie

Hi Mac Sami.
I think Nobjocki (name a bit suspect!) is spot on on this one.
He said

it's just that I,and one or two others who have posted,have doubts in our minds about how your fantastic website is being used by the type of organisations you like to go after.

in his last post, and that is what alot of folk think.
This site is going from 'Money Saving' to ' Here's Not Really A Bargain, But Hey, It Seems Cheap So Buy It'

dmg24

MSE_Martin wrote: »

PS as MSE Jenny mentioned, we didnt get this from the forum, and checked if anyone else had posted it. When we know its from the forum we ALWAYS credit it.

Really?

Posted 14.04.08

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=857703&highlight=sony

Posted 11.04.08

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=852687&highlight=sony

Posted 13.04.08

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=855619&highlight=sony

Mac_Sami

Lewie wrote: »

Hi Mac Sami.
I think Nobjocki (name a bit suspect!) is spot on on this one.
He said

in his last post, and that is what alot of folk think.
This site is going from 'Money Saving' to ' Here's Not Really A Bargain, But Hey, It Seems Cheap So Buy It'

Everyone's entitled to their opinion.

Name calling isn't necessary.

Perhaps new, naive users may "fall" for the offer - but as with anything, research, research, research! I think it gives the web site users some credit to have the nouse to look into these deals to see whether they're suitable.

Sorry, but it's not a baby feeding web site - lots of people seem to think so, and want it all laid on a plate for them, for free!