Honey browser plugin controversy: Difference between revisions

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There are documented instances of business owners finding what they thought were 'private' or 'one-time' discount codes being used by Honey users, building a strong incentive to "formally partner" with Honey and give PayPal their protection racket.

~~'''[~~Needs changing/rewording to be understood without describing tony soprano~~]'''~~ In a layman comparison, this is like somebody walking into a sporting goods store and saying, “Hey, if you pay me $19.00 a month, I’ll have someone make sure your customers only ever see sale tags that you want them to see. If you don’t, I’m going to have those same guys look through your entire inventory, all day, every day, and tell customers exactly how they can pay you as little as possible”.

In a layman comparison, this is like somebody walking into a sporting goods store and saying, “Hey, if you pay me $19.00 a month, I’ll have someone make sure your customers only ever see sale tags that you want them to see. If you don’t, I’m going to have those same guys look through your entire inventory, all day, every day, and tell customers exactly how they can pay you as little as possible”.

== Victim Group 3: Online Marketing Affiliates (often, "Content Creators") ==

'''[Whole thing needs rewording to sound less like a journal piece]''' PayPal has largely marketed the Honey browser extension via paid advertisements inside of Youtube, TikTok, and other social media video platforms. This is a strong marketing avenue for them, as most people watch that content in a browser, making it easier to install (generating more users for Honey than, say, advertising on cable television). On its face, this is a very common practice and a means of reaching a very broad audience. But behind the scenes, Honey has been sneaking away with those same creators’ commission checks for products they recommend to their audience. There is a technical explanation to this linked below; this section will cover Honey’s practices at a fairly high level for ease of understanding.

PayPal has largely marketed the Honey browser extension via paid advertisements inside of Youtube, TikTok, and other social media video platforms. This is a strong marketing avenue for them, as most people watch that content in a browser, making it easier to install (generating more users for Honey than, say, advertising on cable television). On its face, this is a very common practice and a means of reaching a very broad audience. But behind the scenes, Honey has been sneaking away with those same creators’ commission checks for products they recommend to their audience. There is a technical explanation to this linked below; this section will cover Honey’s practices at a fairly high level for ease of understanding.

'''[Needs changing/rewording to be understood without describing a electronics store]''' Picture yourself in a big-box electronics store. You ask a staff member for help choosing a television and sound system. The staff member is knowledgeable, helpful, and puts in a genuine effort to educate you about not just which product costs the most money, but which product actually fits your needs the most appropriately. Before you check out, the salesperson gives you a ticket with their name to show at the checkout counter, as they make a commission on products they sell you. You’re happy because you have an opportunity to make an educated purchase thanks to the help of the salesperson, and the salesperson gets a small commission for educating you and closing the sale.

~~'''[~~Needs changing/rewording to be understood without describing a electronics store~~]'''~~ When you get to the cash register, you find that the cashier is not a Big Box Store employee, but works for PayPal. The Honey representative tells you that, before you check out, they can search their system to see if they can find you a coupon, to save you even more money. This sounds great! You get to make an educated purchase, knowing that your item is the best for your needs, and you are going to pay as little as possible! What the Honey cashier did not tell you, is that they’ve replaced the Big Box Store’s employee commission slip with PayPal’s. Whether they find you a coupon or not, Honey steals the commission from the person who worked hard to know about the product and spent time and effort to sell you that product. All of their work is made irrelevant and their commission goes to PayPal, a massive corporation who will apparently stoop to a level of pettiness that belongs in a high school lunchroom.

Picture yourself in a big-box electronics store. You ask a staff member for help choosing a television and sound system. The staff member is knowledgeable, helpful, and puts in a genuine effort to educate you about not just which product costs the most money, but which product actually fits your needs the most appropriately. Before you check out, the salesperson gives you a ticket with their name to show at the checkout counter, as they make a commission on products they sell you. You’re happy because you have an opportunity to make an educated purchase thanks to the help of the salesperson, and the salesperson gets a small commission for educating you and closing the sale.

When you get to the cash register, you find that the cashier is not a Big Box Store employee, but works for PayPal. The Honey representative tells you that, before you check out, they can search their system to see if they can find you a coupon, to save you even more money. This sounds great! You get to make an educated purchase, knowing that your item is the best for your needs, and you are going to pay as little as possible! What the Honey cashier did not tell you, is that they’ve replaced the Big Box Store’s employee commission slip with PayPal’s. Whether they find you a coupon or not, Honey steals the commission from the person who worked hard to know about the product and spent time and effort to sell you that product. All of their work is made irrelevant and their commission goes to PayPal, a massive corporation who will apparently stoop to a level of pettiness that belongs in a high school lunchroom.

* ''It is this practice in particular that has attracted legal attention, as several of Honey’s victims in this instance are/were attorneys who create content about legal controversies (such as LegalEagle and America’s Attorney). You can find more information about the suit here: https://honeylawsuit.com/''

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 There are documented instances of business owners finding what they thought were 'private' or 'one-time' discount codes being used by Honey users, building a strong incentive to "formally partner" with Honey and give PayPal their protection racket.
-'''[Needs changing/rewording to be understood without describing tony soprano]''' In a layman comparison, this is like somebody walking into a sporting goods store and saying, “Hey, if you pay me $19.00 a month, I’ll have someone make sure your customers only ever see sale tags that you want them to see. If you don’t, I’m going to have those same guys look through your entire inventory, all day, every day, and tell customers exactly how they can pay you as little as possible”.
+<!-- Needs changing/rewording to be understood without describing tony soprano -->
+In a layman comparison, this is like somebody walking into a sporting goods store and saying, “Hey, if you pay me $19.00 a month, I’ll have someone make sure your customers only ever see sale tags that you want them to see. If you don’t, I’m going to have those same guys look through your entire inventory, all day, every day, and tell customers exactly how they can pay you as little as possible”.
 == Victim Group 3: Online Marketing Affiliates (often, "Content Creators") ==
-'''[Whole thing needs rewording to sound less like a journal piece]''' PayPal has largely marketed the Honey browser extension via paid advertisements inside of Youtube, TikTok, and other social media video platforms. This is a strong marketing avenue for them, as most people watch that content in a browser, making it easier to install (generating more users for Honey than, say, advertising on cable television). On its face, this is a very common practice and a means of reaching a very broad audience. But behind the scenes, Honey has been sneaking away with those same creators’ commission checks for products they recommend to their audience. There is a technical explanation to this linked below; this section will cover Honey’s practices at a fairly high level for ease of understanding.
+<!-- Whole thing needs rewording to sound less like a journal piece -->
+PayPal has largely marketed the Honey browser extension via paid advertisements inside of Youtube, TikTok, and other social media video platforms. This is a strong marketing avenue for them, as most people watch that content in a browser, making it easier to install (generating more users for Honey than, say, advertising on cable television). On its face, this is a very common practice and a means of reaching a very broad audience. But behind the scenes, Honey has been sneaking away with those same creators’ commission checks for products they recommend to their audience. There is a technical explanation to this linked below; this section will cover Honey’s practices at a fairly high level for ease of understanding.
-'''[Needs changing/rewording to be understood without describing a electronics store]''' Picture yourself in a big-box electronics store. You ask a staff member for help choosing a television and sound system. The staff member is knowledgeable, helpful, and puts in a genuine effort to educate you about not just which product costs the most money, but which product actually fits your needs the most appropriately. Before you check out, the salesperson gives you a ticket with their name to show at the checkout counter, as they make a commission on products they sell you. You’re happy because you have an opportunity to make an educated purchase thanks to the help of the salesperson, and the salesperson gets a small commission for educating you and closing the sale.
-'''[Needs changing/rewording to be understood without describing a electronics store]''' When you get to the cash register, you find that the cashier is not a Big Box Store employee, but works for PayPal. The Honey representative tells you that, before you check out, they can search their system to see if they can find you a coupon, to save you even more money. This sounds great! You get to make an educated purchase, knowing that your item is the best for your needs, and you are going to pay as little as possible! What the Honey cashier did not tell you, is that they’ve replaced the Big Box Store’s employee commission slip with PayPal’s. Whether they find you a coupon or not, Honey steals the commission from the person who worked hard to know about the product and spent time and effort to sell you that product. All of their work is made irrelevant and their commission goes to PayPal, a massive corporation who will apparently stoop to a level of pettiness that belongs in a high school lunchroom.
+<!-- Needs changing/rewording to be understood without describing a electronics store -->
+Picture yourself in a big-box electronics store. You ask a staff member for help choosing a television and sound system. The staff member is knowledgeable, helpful, and puts in a genuine effort to educate you about not just which product costs the most money, but which product actually fits your needs the most appropriately. Before you check out, the salesperson gives you a ticket with their name to show at the checkout counter, as they make a commission on products they sell you. You’re happy because you have an opportunity to make an educated purchase thanks to the help of the salesperson, and the salesperson gets a small commission for educating you and closing the sale.
+<!--Needs changing/rewording to be understood without describing a electronics store  -->
+When you get to the cash register, you find that the cashier is not a Big Box Store employee, but works for PayPal. The Honey representative tells you that, before you check out, they can search their system to see if they can find you a coupon, to save you even more money. This sounds great! You get to make an educated purchase, knowing that your item is the best for your needs, and you are going to pay as little as possible! What the Honey cashier did not tell you, is that they’ve replaced the Big Box Store’s employee commission slip with PayPal’s. Whether they find you a coupon or not, Honey steals the commission from the person who worked hard to know about the product and spent time and effort to sell you that product. All of their work is made irrelevant and their commission goes to PayPal, a massive corporation who will apparently stoop to a level of pettiness that belongs in a high school lunchroom.
 * ''It is this practice in particular that has attracted legal attention, as several of Honey’s victims in this instance are/were attorneys who create content about legal controversies (such as LegalEagle and America’s Attorney). You can find more information about the suit here: https://honeylawsuit.com/''