Happy New Year.
I would not normally publish an article where I reference a specific company, but the behavior of this company, while not necessarily illegal, is deceptive and morally wrong.
A recent video expose by the YouTube Channel: MegaLag has highlighted how the Honey free browser extension works and what it is really doing behind the scenes.
Based on the information in this video with all the research and testing, I would recommend uninstalling the extension from any browser it is installed on.
TLDR: At the bottom of this article there is a quick summary of what the extension is doing. The video below summarizes it as well.
Many other YouTube channels have since published videos that back up or provide further details, and today the LegalEagle Channel announced that they have lodged a Class Action Lawsuit by EagleTeam on behalf of all the creators and bloggers who have been financially harmed.
I’m Suing Honey (direct link)
Here is the original video that explains exactly how the extension works in more depth and why it is being called a scam.
Exposing the Honey Influencer Scam (direct link)
TLDR Summary
The Honey free browser extension says it will scour the internet and provide you with the best discount codes available, so you don’t have to manually look for coupon codes yourself.
However, what it does not tell you is that will override any existing affiliate codes with its own code regardless of whether it found you a valid coupon or not. Any time you click on its dialog it will replace the code with its own. This means that the YouTube channel or blog that recommended the product and possibly gave you a discount will not receive any recognition or commission.
Also, online merchants who are partners have the ability to select which coupon codes and discount percentages can be provided by the extension. Thus, they can ensure that the codes you are provided are not necessarily the “best” ones available, and a manual search might have found better ones.
Either way, it is taking commissions away from creators without your knowledge and it is not always providing the best codes as it claims.
If you have ever recommended a website or service to a friend and provided a referral code, and then when they signed up you did not get the referral bonus…. you will probably find that something like Honey hijacked the referral.
[Edit] The Microsoft Edge browser also has a built in Microsoft Shopping tool that can suggest coupon codes. However, its behavior is different to Honey’s extension. Firstly, it has an info icon that says “Microsoft may receive compensation for using these coupons”. It also has no effect on the affiliate code unless you actually use a coupon code suggested by the tool. Finally, it does not make any promises about finding the best coupons available. See the YouTube video below for more info:
Hope you find this information helpful.
David
06-Jan-2025: Added some info on the built in Microsoft Edge browser shopping tool.
This article was originally posted on http://www.winthropdc.com/blog.