Nickname: mg

Review: I worked for a time in Web marketing and managed pay-per-click bids at sites like Goto (later Overture). I had to seek reimbursement from fraudulent clicks on multiple occasions and was normally successful. You have to consider it similar to filing an insurance claim from a less than reputable company. You have to have proof, you have to get past the gatekeepers to decision makers, and you have to have a way to create pain for them if they don't do the right thing (letters to press, stopping business, legal action...etc).

Date reviewed: Apr 12, 2006 8:52 PM

Nickname: Foto Man

Review: I contacted Yahoo search (Overture) a year ago complaining that ditto.com was displaying my company's ads (digmypics.com) in a spyware app that had infected my laptop. Someone called me from Yahoo reassuring me that they were investigating and that they would not serve my ads through ditto.com any longer. Apparently they decided not to put much effort in their investigation. Chalk Yahoo up to yet one more corporate giant that can't be trusted not to cheat.

Date reviewed: Apr 7, 2006 9:51 PM

Nickname: Papa Jim

Review: Google, Yahoo and "some" of the second and third tier search engines play on the ignorance of businesses that need their services. As a freelance E-Commerce Manager, I am constantly seeking statistics programs to recommend to clients that will track URLs and sources of clicks to compare. If a certain URL or source shows up multiple times in a given time period I question that event as click fraud. The solution to these types of problems is free enterprise creating methods of tracking clicks and exposing fraud. And of course, punishment for the engines who cheat advertisers.

Date reviewed: Apr 7, 2006 1:28 PM

Nickname: Gee

Review: I am an advertiser with Google and Yahoo. Google provides tools to allow advertising only on the search engine and site exclusion tools if you are to advertise on content partner sites. Yahoo on the other hand is not flexible and gave me a reasoning that their network is "all inclusive" meaning you either advertise on their search engine and their partner sites or you can't advertise at all. This gave me the impression that Yahoo derived substantial revenue from partner sites. I have scaled back my advertising on Yahoo after getting bogus clicks last year. I monitor ad reports on both search engines almost on a daily basis now. GW

Date reviewed: Apr 7, 2006 6:23 AM

Nickname: Mike

Review: When using either service, Adwords or Overture, never ever do the "content match" option. This is the worst garbage listings and every idiot that has a website or blog can put up your ads. Also, both of these companies need to keep their "network" to top tier companies, i.e. AOL, MSN...

Date reviewed: Apr 6, 2006 11:12 PM

Nickname: Schu

Review: Initially, this report sounds funny (haha funny), especially about the software that re-installs after an uninstall. But, I can only imagine the the imediate dahmage this type of misuse of web-based advertising would cause. I also agree with the article on the longer term potential effect of lessening the webs effectiveness in gathering advertising dollars slipping away from "old time" sources. 99% of laws are made to control 1% of the population :-(

Date reviewed: Apr 6, 2006 7:10 PM

Nickname: PC in Oregon

Review: Seems to me that Yahoo and others need to add a stipulation to contracts that state a partner site cannot resell the ad to an affiliate unless it meets with the approval of the advertiser.

Date reviewed: Apr 6, 2006 4:03 PM

Nickname: craig

Review: I onced used Google's ad word content search, which resulted in very high costs with absolutely no better result than if I were to only advertise on google's site. My advice: Never use content search as it doesn't pay off. I probably was part of a scam of fraudulent clicking. I asked Google but they gave no proof whatsoever about where the clicking was coming from. I wanted a refund, but they denied my request. Is there anywhere where victims like me can get some recourse? Thanks.

Date reviewed: Apr 6, 2006 3:11 PM

Nickname: Steve

Review: These kind of things really make it hard for the small businessman to trust anyone with their advertising dollars, when they need every dollar to produce for them.

Date reviewed: Apr 6, 2006 2:44 PM

Nickname: JB

Review: I would hope that Yahoo is cutting off partners who sub-contract traffic. If a company won't work directly with Yahoo, then Yahoo should not want their traffic.

Date reviewed: Apr 6, 2006 2:32 PM