Microsoft touts 25 percent eBay Cashback rebate
Microsoft is getting more aggressive with Live Search Cashback, a program that offers price cuts for those who buy products found with the company's search engine, touting a 25 percent rebate for items purchased through eBay.
eBay has long been a Cashback partner, but the company went to the trouble of promoting the deal on its Live Search blog Thursday. Kok Waii Wong, Microsoft's group product manager for Live Search, announced the 25 percent eBay rebate on the blog. There are some conditions, though, including a $200 cashback limit and payment through PayPal only. It's offered only in the United States.
That rebate rate is significantly higher than the rebate from most stores, though a few come close, such as Footlocker.com with a 20 percent rebate.
Microsoft also offers a program called SearchPerks that awards points for searching; points later can be redeemed for prizes. The programs are part of its effort to bring more attention to its search engine and compete better against Google and Yahoo.
Stephen Shankland writes about a wide range of technology and products, but has a particular focus on browsers and digital photography. He joined CNET News in 1998 and since then also has covered Google, Yahoo, servers, supercomputing, Linux and open-source software, and science. E-mail Stephen, or follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stshank. 
They must have had great results, although the only reason I'd ever use Live Search is to get that rebate and never for any other search task.
when comps offered rewards for their airlines, or using their home grown credit card, or coupon for shopping at X location, or rebate for that particular store, everyone is happy for savings. but yet, when it's microsoft and it's partners that do it, it's put aside as a bride. An evil bride, something dirty, unworthy. I shop and I want the best deal for the product that I am interested in. If I have to make a move to another search engine to do that one search? why not?
It's the same thing as if i want a trip to hawaii and I have the choice between AA or Delta. If one is cheaper for comparable service and it's takes me where I want? Why not. And I might become loyal to that airline. That's the idea. That's the plan.
Heh - no I'm not. I recognize them for the quasi-scams they are (blackout dates, impossibly high "mileage goals", etc. etc.)
Then there's the odd question: why does someone have to bribe you to use their free service? All the comps you mention revolve around spending money first... one shouldn't need to provide comps for a free service if that service is actually worth using, no?
Also, you mention a choice between using, say, Delta and American Airlines... dunno how to tell you this, but: if one airline costs a bit more but the 14-hour flight is also more comfortable (that is, you're not jammed into the airplane like so much human cattle), then yeah - I'll go with the airline that costs a touch more in exchange for that comfort and experience. That said, this analogy has frig-all to do with search engines since no one is spending money here, so the spending angle is rather moot...
/P
/P
"Heh - no I'm not. I recognize them for the quasi-scams they are (blackout dates, impossibly high "mileage goals", etc. etc.) "
Sure there are scams and there are real deals. And if you are too stupid to see one from another and instantly assume everything is bad, then I have nothing to say about that. It's your own stupidility.
And your bias is clearly shown by your language (aka "bribe"). It is a discount. Coupons you see in flyers. So it is like an online flyer except there are agreements in place for additional savings that you can have. It's a shopping tools, with discount in place for certain products. Have you tried looking at live cash back? it's a shopping tools. For example, you search for "Guitar Hero". It shows you the results from multiple sources. Walmart, buy.com, jr.com, etc. It shows you the prices (and how u save with the cash back) and you can choose where to buy.
"Also, you mention a choice between using, say, Delta and American Airlines... dunno how to tell you this, but: if one airline costs a bit more but the 14-hour flight is also more comfortable (that is, you're not jammed into the airplane like so much human cattle),"
Who said anything about going for a human cattle airline? I said comparable service. You really like to pull your usual slippery slope argument. It's like your speciality. It's like saying I have the choice between paying 100$ for that broken ipod or 200$ for the new one.
"That said, this analogy has frig-all to do with search engines since no one is spending money here, so the spending angle is rather moot..."
Yup. No one is spending money while browsing search engine. I also don't recall spending money browsing my groceries flyers. Or my travel catalogue. But in the end, there are discount in there from certain comps for certain products. Coupons here and there. And I buy with the coupons and I save.
If it was a matter of "once you go live, you'll never go back" it would make sense. But I feel like it's more of a...well we can't compete with them on an even playing field, so let's pay people to use our service.
This is one thing that everyone seems to forget. We are not talking about search. We are talking about search to buy products. You look for guitar hero, you get guitar hero. Just from different sources. Or from different retailer. The differences are cash back, coupon, or discount.
"If it was a matter of "once you go live, you'll never go back" it would make sense. But I feel like it's more of a...well we can't compete with them on an even playing field, so let's pay people to use our service."
I'm sure that if Google did this, integrate online coupon or discount into google check out, i'm sure that all reviewers and commenters will be praising them for taking and implementing real life shopping incentives into the world of the web. And doing it in such a way that they can see the final prices from multiple retailer as well and allow the end user to simply pick what they deem better.
Oh and one more thing. Walmart offers discount that J C Penney doesn't. Gas is sometimes cheaper on the other side of the street. Oracle can charge more or less compare to Sybase. Sales at best buy happen more often than circuit city. I guess they are all "paying" people to use their services and buy their product?. Yeah, we can say that.
Why does a free service require bribery (e.g. payment)?
You did try to take a few stabs at it, but...
"We are not talking about search. We are talking about search to buy products. You look for guitar hero, you get guitar hero. Just from different sources. Or from different retailer. The differences are cash back, coupon, or discount. "
If I search for a place to buy a particular product, all search engines will (currently) get me to the same places - eventually. That means there's no differentiator between 'em. So let's get to what does differentiate them: sure, MSFT wants to rack up the eyeball count (and therefore charge advertisers more), but seriously - they have larger problems: third-rate interface, third-rate results, and a third-rate engine that produces too much noise with the signal in those results. No amount of money is going to change that if its ill-spent on comps programs.
Poorly-run grocery stores use loyalty cards, sure - but when the vegetables are mostly wilted and the layout is confusing, they still won't get a meaningful business increase.
/P
And you are utterly amusing when your clear partisan behaviour is showing in everything you write. You have clearly never used any of these products and then you pretend to understand anything about how they are or the idea behind them. Let me light up bulb over your head.
?Why does a free service require bribery (e.g. payment)??
Again there is nothing but a dimwitted comment; putting a negative connotation on a discount service. Book through Expedia, you can save X%. Book through Orbiz, you can save Y%. Book directly from the airlines, often you pay more. Add in promotion deals Expedia or Orbiz can have with airlines and hotel, you save even more. So what?s wrong with this model of doing things? Jealous that Microsoft manage to integrate this idea for shoppers before Google can? Every business put out deals out there to get customer to them. So in your logic, everyone is bribing everyone. It?s free to walk through stores, yet we see discount sign everywhere: windows, doors, shelves, etc.
?If I search for a place ... ill-spent on comps programs?
That paragraph is nothing but mismatch of ranting, trolling, typical of partisan behaviour of someone who already made up his mind and refuses to even consider reason. Nothing worth answering there.
?Poorly-run grocery stores use loyalty cards, sure - but when the vegetables are mostly wilted and the layout is confusing, they still won't get a meaningful business increase.?
Vegetables are mostly wilted? Where you got that? The products you seek and the cash back available are from many retailers. You choose which one you want to deal with. Layout is confusing? Clearly, you never used Live Cash Back. Its UI is nothing but intuitive clean and easy to use. You search, you choose from a list of clearly presented items with information on stores, free shipping, cash back % and bottom line price, then it takes you to the website and you buy. Poorly run grocery use loyalty cards. However, extremely successful one also use loyalty cards. Why didn?t you mention them? Hmm? Always aligning negativity to make your FUD more efficient?
And you are utterly amusing when your clear partisan behaviour is showing in everything you write. You have clearly never used any of these products and then you pretend to understand anything about how they are or the idea behind them. Let me light up bulb over your head.
?Why does a free service require bribery (e.g. payment)??
Again there is nothing but a dimwitted comment; putting a negative connotation on a discount service. Book through Expedia, you can save X%. Book through Orbiz, you can save Y%. Book directly from the airlines, often you pay more. Add in promotion deals Expedia or Orbiz can have with airlines and hotel, you save even more. So what?s wrong with this model of doing things? Jealous that Microsoft manage to integrate this idea for shoppers before Google can? Every business put out deals out there to get customer to them. So in your logic, everyone is bribing everyone. It?s free to walk through stores, yet we see discount sign everywhere: windows, doors, shelves, etc.
?If I search for a place ... ill-spent on comps programs?
That paragraph is nothing but mismatch of ranting, trolling, typical of partisan behaviour of someone who already made up his mind and refuses to even consider reason. Nothing worth answering there.
?Poorly-run grocery stores use loyalty cards, sure - but when the vegetables are mostly wilted and the layout is confusing, they still won't get a meaningful business increase.?
Vegetables are mostly wilted? Where you got that? The products you seek and the cash back available are from many retailers. You choose which one you want to deal with. Layout is confusing? Clearly, you never used Live Cash Back. Its UI is nothing but intuitive clean and easy to use. You search, you choose from a list of clearly presented items with information on stores, free shipping, cash back % and bottom line price, then it takes you to the website and you buy. Poorly run grocery use loyalty cards. However, extremely successful one also use loyalty cards. Why didn?t you mention them? Hmm? Always aligning negativity to make your FUD more efficient?
You get a discount for enduring a 3rd-rate experience online, then you get to spand it on an online store that is notorious for scams, rip-offs, and etc.?
Heh - no thanks.
/P
I get the impression that you don't like Microsoft for some reason. Perhaps I'm wrong. Could you elaborate?
(penguin) = linux
(isto) = IEEE-ISTO (most probably)
another troll...you should see some of his product view, laughable
And Ebay can't foil scams and fake goods.
Now, you [MS] is telling me to
(1) purchase a good or service found using Live Search Engine, then
(2) Storing rebate on notorious paypal account, then
(3) Spend it on lawless ebay?
Truly an axis of evil indeed. Thanks, but I will keep my hard-earned money right now. You got money to burn, I don't.
I got a $5 couplon off at Footlocker because I bought a BigMac at McDonald's. Does that make McDonald's and Foot Locker evil or corrupted? By your example, that would be the case.
Apple gave me a discount on iTunes purchases because I bought some items on Amazon. Does that make Apple and Amazon evil as well?
You can see conspiracies everywhere if you look hard enough.
So I won't use their service because I can't trust what comes over my E-Mail !!
- by cashbackcashback November 10, 2008 5:21 PM PST
- In regard to a comment made. I am from the UK and yes you can get cashback. I use www.cashbackbay.com. I been using them for 6 years.
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