Microsoft To Offer Cash Back To Search Engine Users

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/05/20/microsoft-to-offer-cash-back-to-search-engine-users/

by nickb • 18 years ago

11 10 18 years ago

techcrunch.com

rms4• 18 years ago

Wow, that's a good idea. Go Ballmer.

axod3• 18 years ago

Their product is so bad they have to bribe users to use it ;)

rms4• 18 years ago

It is a solid way for a second tier player to gain ground in any web market and here Balmer is trying to do it for the biggest market. At the very least, this is a good way of forcing the market to take less money from consumers.

trekker7• 18 years ago

Oh man... who wants to bet that Microsoft will be alive in 200 years? Seriously, how many companies have they gone head to head with in the past 30 years or so... Apple, Lotus, Oracle, Netscape, Nintendo/Sony, Tivo, Google...

Regardless of your opinions about Microsoft, you have to admit that this is one hell of a resilient company. Even if they fail in some markets they just keep going and going.

I don't know if this new advertising model will work or not, but I think in 20 years when the NBT comes out from some new startup, MS will be there to fight against it in the marketplace.

xirium• 18 years ago

This will be awkward to implement but not for the obvious reason of avoiding automated fraud.

In some jurisdictions, it is illegal to offer kickbacks for certain products and services, if not all. For example, in the UK, I believe that it is illegal to offer consumers cash to accept a line of credit. I believe it is for this reason that UK credit card affiliate programmes specifically prohibit affiliates from sharing revenue with consumers.

If you offer a cashback programme to end users, you'll have to forego some lucrative advertising and/or explain to end users that some offers in some jurisdictions don't provide any cashback and/or explain fraudulent clawbacks to a large number of end users. In addition, the exceptions will be awkward to implement, maintain and administrate.

zandorg• 18 years ago

Paypal used to give $5 to new users. I estimate that this is what put them on top, not (as Max Levchin guesses) that they spent hundreds of millions of dollars on fraud.

Microsoft To Offer Cash Back To Search Engine Users

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