So I just got an email telling me that Ask.com is being sued for click fraud. I guess alot of people didn’t really like the traffic, so they are suing for advertising credits. Here is how my story goes:
Back in October, Ask.com was at the ecomxpo, and they were giving away $50 advertising vouchers. I had never advertised on Ask.com before, so I thought I would try it as it was totally free. The campaign ran, and I got 0 conversions. I never advertised on Ask again.
About two weeks ago I got a phone call from Ask.com asking me if everything was “OK” with my account. Kinda a strange phone call as they basically asked me why I am not spending any money with them. I told them I didn’t like the traffic and they left me alone.
Then I get this email:
Legal Notice:
If you purchased online advertising from IAC Search & Media, Inc. and/or Ask Jeeves, Inc. (collectively “Ask”) between August 1, 2005 and the present, you may be a class member in a class-action lawsuit, Lane’s Gifts and Collectibles et al. v. Ask Jeeves, Inc. et al., Case No. CV-2005-52-1, in the Circuit Court of Miller County, Arkansas. This notice advises you of your legal rights.
You should review the detailed Settlement Notice as soon as possible, as there are several important deadlines that you must meet to take certain actions in connection with a proposed settlement of the class action lawsuit. Your legal rights are affected whether you act or do not act. The deadline for filing an objection or excluding yourself from the proposed settlement is February 2, 2008, and the last day to file a claim under the proposed settlement is February 2, 2008. For further information, please refer to the Settlement Notice.
The Settlement Notice informs you of the Court’s certification of a class for settlement purposes; the nature of the claims alleged; your right to participate in, or exclude yourself from, the class; a proposed settlement; and how you can claim an award of advertising credits under the settlement or object to the settlement.
The proposed settlement will provide advertising credits to class members who certify that they were the victims of “click fraud” or other invalid or improper clicks on online advertisements purchased from IAC Search & Media, Inc. and/or Ask Jeeves, Inc. on or after August 1, 2005.
The proposed settlement will resolve claims that IAC Search & Media, Inc. and/or Ask Jeeves, Inc. breached its contracts with advertisers and violated other laws by failing to adequately detect and stop “click fraud” or other invalid or improper clicks on online advertisements.
If you are a member of the class, your legal rights are affected by whether you act or do not act.
For a copy of the Settlement Notice, click on the link, or visit the case website at www.AskSettlement.com.
To file a claim for your award of advertising credits under the settlement, click on the following link: AskSettlement.com/claim. Each advertiser will be allowed one claim per account.
I have no idea if this is fake or what, but it seems pretty legit. I am personally not going to do anything about it because technically I didn’t spend any money with them, so it doesn’t bother me. However, if you spent alot of money with them, it seems you may be able to get it back.
Popularity: 47% [?]
January 2nd, 2008 at 6:29 pm
I got a same email from Ask.com but I’ve never put my ads on Ask.com. However, I did put my ads on “google+search network” and sometime I see my ads appears on Ask.com.
January 2nd, 2008 at 6:59 pm
We received the same notice, about 1 wk after receiving one against LookSmart.com. We advertise with both. A little research seems to have turned up the fact that Lane’s Gifts is or has been named plaintiff in suits against Google and Yahoo (and for all I know, others) as well as LookSmart and Ask. All in the same Texarkana, AR court. If you don’t opt out or object, apparently you’ll be bound by the settlements, which have been estimated by one LA attorney to be minimal - (”The most that aggrieved advertisers can expect from settling with Google is about a half a cent for every dollar lost to click fraud, according to [LA Attorney] Brian S. Kabateck” as quoted on http://www.Optimize-my-Website.com). This all looks very fishy to me, and we are objecting and opting out of both settlements in hopes better ones will come along. You can’t get any money back in the Look Smart suit - just discounts on future ads. If it turns out the fraud is eventually determined to be much greater than the settlement, those who remain in the class will be out of luck as they will have already settled.
January 2nd, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Warning - I think it’s bogus scam of some type, or just a negative PR campaign - if it is official, why would they use Domains by Proxy to hide whois data and send notices to non-advertisers?
If it were real, they’d use a verifiable domain.
This is already Discussed on Sphinn
http://sphinn.com/story/21074#c24335
January 2nd, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Scott,
I think the same thing, which is why I am not going to do anything. Good to know someone else thinks the same as I do.
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Mr Clark said: “If it were real, they’d use a verifiable domain” - My God! Are YOU for real? Check the AR Court records! Yes, these are a real series of class actions which have been going on for months against various Ad providers including Google, always with the same principal Plaintiffs (Lane’s Gifts…). All the suits are being settled very quickly as class actions for seemingly very little in the way of damages, and if you don’t opt out you’re automatically IN THE CLASS! So this becomes res judicata once accepted by the AR court, and if you don’t opt out (i.e. you DO NOTHING) you lose any future rights.
January 5th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Could not agee with you more..