Yahoo Class Action ?

[Chuckmiser]

I received an email that said that I was a member of a class action against Yahoo. Basically if you went out of business that you could apply to get a $20 refund and otherwise gave you nothing, but makes Yahoo put some extra features on their PPC engine. I put the whole letter on my blog if you want to read it.Yahoo Class Action it said anyone that advertised using PPC from 2000 to Sept 2009 was a part of the class action.

Seems like they could have done a little more for the poor guys that didn't go out of business, I am interested to hear what you think before I decide weather to opt out or not.

[james113]

Don't make much sense to me. Did you check up on any of the reference websites or phone numbers listed on this letter. Seems a bit fishy to me. The only people that make money from Class Action settlements are the lawyers. If I spent a bunch of money starting a biz and running PPC ads and went out of business, I don't think I would settle for $20.

Some of my clients spend thousands of dollars a year on Yahoo PPC campaigns. If Yahoo is admitting a wrong doing, then any company that spent money on their text ads would be entitled to a settlement by filing their own seperate lawsuit. I am pretty sure that anyone opting in on a Class Action suit will lose their ability to file their own lawsuit.

[Chuckmiser]

This is just a small part ofthe email and then when you go to the site they have a 9 PDF and a few other links as well. click the link below and you will see what I mean.

I have never seen a scam where the call to action is if you want to be part of the class do nothing?

Did any body else get this email?

. Potential Impact of Yahoo!-Microsoft Agreement
On July 29, 2009, Yahoo! and Microsoft Corporation entered into a binding letter agreement pursuant to which Yahoo! and Microsoft will negotiate definitive agreements that would, upon regulatory approvals and at full implementation, make Microsoft the exclusive paid search advertising platform for Yahoo! ("Microsoft Transaction") for a ten-year period. Yahoo! is hopeful that regulatory approval of the Microsoft Transaction could occur in early 2010. Full implementation of the Microsoft Transaction is estimated to occur within two years following the necessary regulatory approvals. Yahoo! agrees to provide the Ad Placement Option on its own paid search advertising platform for a period of two years from the date it first launches the Ad Placement Option and while it offers its own paid search advertising platform, or through the date of full implementation of the Microsoft Transaction, whichever occurs first. Yahoo! agrees to provide each of the benefits specified in Paragraphs VI.B and VI.C for a period of two years from the date each benefit is first made available, or through the date of full implementation of the Microsoft Transaction, whichever occurs first. Yahoo! represents and warrants that the definitive agreements for the Microsoft Transaction will contain language to the effect that Microsoft will agree to implement ad distribution controls on the Microsoft paid search platform. If any Class members are transitioned to Microsoft's paid search advertising platform earlier than two years from the launch of the Ad Placement Option by Yahoo!, and before Microsoft implements the ad distribution controls on its paid search platform, Yahoo! will notify those affected Class members that ad distribution controls are not available at the time of their transition to the Microsoft paid search services platform.
For more information concerning the Yahoo!-Microsoft agreement as it relates to the Settlement, please review paragraph 48 of the Settlement Agreement, which is available at www.inreyahoosettlement.com or from the Claims Administrator.
E. Refunds to Class Members who are Out of Business

this is the bottom of the email.

XII. Where May I Obtain Further Information?
The Settlement Agreement, its attachments and the other legal documents that have been filed with the Court in this lawsuit contain more details about the Settlement, and are available online at www.inreyahoosettlement.com . The documents are also available during regular office hours at the Office of the Clerk, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Western Division, 312 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. If you have questions about the Settlement, you may write to or call the Claims Administrator:
In re Yahoo! Settlement Administrator
c/o Rust Consulting, Inc.
P.O. Box 2241
Faribault, MN 55021-1641
1-877-434-3068
You may also obtain further information regarding the Settlement by contacting Class Counsel at the contact information listed above.

[dburdon]

Yahoo's efforts in paid search click fraud have been well behind Google. Despite being more vulnerable due to the large number of affiliate engines. I believe most people have moved on and that $20 is neither here nor there in the great scheme of things.

[Fiveonline]

Hi
Google is Google and Yahoo is Yahoo!
I don't think yahoo will ever be able to fight spam

[Chuckmiser]

I see these legal class actions and I really never see the little guy getting anything tangible out of it. I was thinking that if enough webmasters opted out, maybe they could go for some advertising credits from Yahoo. It doesn't really cost anything to Yahoo but some advertising space and we could get some benefit form the decision. I use Google Yahoo and MSN and to get some additional traffic from Yahoo as a result from this can’t hurt.

[spthai]

Some legal action against click frauds, the same way againsted Google ?

[Chuckmiser]

If you paid for something and did not get what you were paying for then there should be some sort of compensation and the compensation shouldn't mostly go to the lawyers. If they could get a settlement for the ones that went out of business, then they should be able to get a little something, anything for the others involved not just the ones that went out of business

[lotramar]

Hi everybody,
I received the same letter yesterday. I don't know how these guys will make money with this but I believe this is a scam. I will do nothing.

Manh

[Chuckmiser]

I am really surprised I thought for sure that if people knew that they had not recieved what they had paid for and that there was a lawsuit vrs Yahoo and that the only ones that got anything from the settlement were the lawyers and people that went out of business, that they would be a little bit concerned.

$20 bucks is only twenty bucks, but in PPC that should get you a sale if you have a 2% conversion rate and $1 Per Click. I guess a sale just ain't worth fighting for anymore. What is, 5 sales 20 sales 100 sales?