Price comparison sites are taking over the internet. It has never been easier to buy cheap DVDs, CDs, fridges etc. The likes of Kelkoo and Shopping.com dominate the paid advertising on the search engines and are promoted heavily through MSN and Yahoo where the price comparison is offered as a “service” to users. But this is not a service, this is elite advertising for the few, and what is being offered is not a complete picture, but a partial view, based on who is prepared to pay to be seen. These sites are trading under false pretences. They do not help you find the cheapest DVDs, CDs, fridges etc. They help you find the best discount amongst retailers who pay to advertise on their site and that is a Big difference. Whilst this might be well known amongst marketers, retailers and the like, it is my strong view that most users have no idea. What reinforces this for me is the knowledge that the main price comparison sites offer a shop the opportunity to appear first in the price results for a particular product if they are prepared to pay a higher cost per click… And guess what? It works! […] read more