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> Kelkoo CEO Richard Stables says the firm’s revenue from general search traffic dropped by 62% last year, to €2.3 million. In 2018, he projects a two-thirds dr

> Kelkoo CEO Richard Stables says the firm’s revenue from general search traffic dropped by 62% last year, to €2.3 million. In 2018, he projects a two-thirds drop to €800,000. I decided to go to http://www.kelkoo.co.uk/ http://www.kelkoo.co.uk/ to check it out. This website is so clearly a scam created for this antitrust case. I went ahead to compare two cameras: the Canon EOS 1D X Mark II (a $4k camera) to a Canon Ixus 275 HS ($200 camera), here are the descriptions of each: Canon EOS 1D X Mark II The Canon EOS 1D X Mark II offers a good sensor resolution, allowing you to take an astonishing quality of picture. The Canon EOS 1D X Mark II has a very reasonable weight for this type of camera, with its LCD display providing a decent screen size compared to other similar digital cameras. The Canon EOS 1D X Mark II comes with internal memory, which is extendable with an external memory card to match the size of your photo and video collection. The lens aperture (the 'eye of the camera'), which makes your lens contract or dilate to allow more or less light in, is good for a digital camera in this price bracket. You can compare prices for the Canon EOS 1D X Mark II, read the full product details and check out expert reviews at our web site. Canon Ixus 275 HS The Canon Ixus 275 HS offers a good sensor resolution, allowing you to take an astonishing quality of picture. The Canon Ixus 275 HS has a very reasonable weight for this type of camera, with its LCD display providing a decent screen size compared to other similar digital cameras. The Canon Ixus 275 HS comes with internal memory, which is extendable with an external memory card to match the size of your photo and video collection. The lens aperture (the 'eye of the camera'), which makes your lens contract or dilate to allow more or less light in, is good for a digital camera in this price bracket. You can compare prices for the Canon Ixus 275 HS, read the full product details and check out expert reviews at our web site. This is pure bullshit, and bullshit journalism.

sqdbps 9y ago
>This is pure bullshit, and bullshit journalism. It's the "Wall Street Journal", a Murdoch business publication that approves of every business as long as it isn't Google.
- bllguo 9y ago
  Recently my impression of the WSJ is incredibly poor. Just BS article after BS article. To me the bias has never been more obvious. Though I only see their content on aggregators like HN, so perhaps that plays a part.
- dsacco 9y ago
  > It's the "Wall Street Journal", a Murdoch business publication that approves of every business as long as it isn't Google. Please don't bring politics into this. If you have a substantive criticism about the WSJ's article, make that criticism. The one you've made is ideological and unpersuasive.
  - sqdbps 9y ago
    Political? Rupert Murdoch's distain for Google is well documented, and he isn't shy about siccing his papers on them: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/mar/26/battle-rupert-murdoch-google-advertising-e-commerce-fake-news-david-clementi-bbc https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/mar/26/battle-rupert-...
  - jacksmith21006 9y ago
    Is this honestly a question? Murdoch disdain for Google is well known.
    - dsacco 9y ago
      Rupert Murdoch can have well documented dislike for Google without his dislike intrinsically kneecapping the Wall Street Journal’s journalistic integrity. The comment I replied to criticizes the article we’re discussing categorically by origin, instead of specifically on merits. Murdoch’s agenda can be a thesis statement for why the WSJ has poor journalistic integrity with respect to Google, but it doesn't demonstrate that failing on its own, nor is merely calling out that someone in a position of power has an agenda a well-reasoned thesis. Basically, it’s not contributing anything more interesting to the discussion, and is just going to attract other comments or upvotes that agree. That’s not insightful discussion, it’s just ingroup commiseration.
      - namdnay 9y ago
        In this case, Murdoch has a track record of using his media empire to push his business and political views, so it's really quite appropriate.
      - 9y ago
- jasonmp85 9y ago
  I'm hearing they are a publication who is right for the wrong reasons.
dmitrygr 9y ago
No kidding. The "laptop" page says (emphasis mine): Many of us have replaced our desktop systems with a laptop, as they are affordable, portable, and just as powerful as a traditional desktop PC. Laptops have screen sizes ranging from 9-inches to 17-inches, measured horizontally. Laptops with screens smaller than 11-inches are called netbooks while full-screened laptops are called notebooks. Some laptop models include built-in hardware to connect to wirelessly to a 3G or 4G networks and often require a data contract with a mobile phone carrier. Many laptops include built-in Wi-Fi modems and software to make portable computing easy. Some of the most recognized names for laptops are Apple, Dell, Sony and Acer. Kelkoo has all of these brands and more. You can be assured that you’ll find the best laptops at the absolutely lowest price from online retailers you know and trust. And the third product lsited under laptops is a razor: https://www.shaver.eu/en/shavettes/proraso-shavette?utm_campaign=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Kelkoo https://www.shaver.eu/en/shavettes/proraso-shavette?utm_camp... But look in archive.org and it is clear who they are and what their beef with google is: they are Yahoo. See the "a yahoo company" at the very top of this archived page: https://web.archive.org/web/20050701004143/http://www.kelkoo.co.uk:80/ https://web.archive.org/web/20050701004143/http://www.kelkoo... (you'll need to collapse the archive.org banner on top - it is hidden behind it by default)
- 115100 9y ago
  It took less than 30 seconds to find out that they're not. https://www.ft.com/content/4044d354-b825-11dd-ac6d-0000779fd18c https://www.ft.com/content/4044d354-b825-11dd-ac6d-0000779fd...
  - ojbyrne 9y ago
    Do you have a citation that's not behind a paywall? Crunchbase says they were acquired by Yahoo. https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/kelkoo https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/kelkoo
    - untog 9y ago
      "was sold by Yahoo to Jamplant, a British private equity, in 2008" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelkoo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelkoo
phpnode 9y ago
> This website is so clearly a scam created for this antitrust case. I can't speak for the quality of their product but this is absolutely not true, Kelkoo has been around since 1999[0], almost as long as Google itself. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelkoo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelkoo
- dmitrygr 9y ago
  If by "Kelkoo" you mean "a yahoo proxy", then yes See the "a yahoo company" at the very top of this archived page: https://web.archive.org/web/20050701004143/http://www.kelkoo.co.uk:80/ https://web.archive.org/web/20050701004143/http://www.kelkoo... (you'll need to collapse the archive.org banner on top - it is hidden behind it by default)
  - glandium 9y ago
    From the wikipedia page: > On March 26, 2004, Kelkoo was bought by Yahoo! Inc for €450 million.
    - dmitrygr 9y ago
      Um, yes, that is the point i am making. Them being Yahoo is precisely why they have beef with Google.
      - julien_c 9y ago
        It's not Yahoo anymore since 2008.
- ucaetano 9y ago
  From your "source": > In November 2008, Kelkoo was sold by Yahoo! Inc to the private equity firm Jamplant Ltd. The current CEO has been there since 2009, shortly after the acquisition. Jamplant was incorporated in October of 2008, one month before the acquisition. The director was Andrew Simon Davis, who is frequently listed as a director of shell companies and trusts. In the same month he was appointed director to dozens of other companies. https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/LQ_FXmuiSA4f8cOGJqrodQhnS74/appointments?page=18 https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/LQ_FXmuiSA4f8cOG... The Kelkoo Group is based out of the same office as Jamplant, along with dozens of other companies, what indicates a virtual office or company registration service. https://www.google.com/search?q=6th+Floor+Portland+House+Bressenden+Place+SW1E+5BH+London https://www.google.com/search?q=6th+Floor+Portland+House+Bre... It has 5 employees, and seems to have consistently lost money over the past years, and its largest shareholder (and only institutional shareholder) is Kelkoo Group itself. Kelkoo itself was already dead on the water by the time of the acquisition: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=kelkoo https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=kelkoo That was shortly after the initial complaints against Google: https://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/legal-news-articles/case/unfair-business/ https://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/legal-news-articles/ca...
logicallee 9y ago
>This website is so clearly a scam created for this antitrust case. What makes you think so? It starts with "We at Kelkoo have been helping our customers find the best products at the most affordable prices for the past 18 years." I clicked on the merchant sign up page, seemed fine.
- pas 9y ago
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16269595 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16269595
andy_ppp 9y ago
Haha, having worked at Kelkoo when it was owned by Yahoo! so I have to disagree here. The management at Kelkoo really believe Google is shafting them but they used to do crazy things like change the location of the website every time they deploy. They were bad at SEO and blamed Google.
- ucaetano 9y ago
  > having worked at Kelkoo when it was owned by Yahoo! so I have to disagree here The issue isn't when it was part of Yahoo, but after. It was bought by a virtual shell company registered at the same office as Kelkoo, with generic directors and almost no employees. It now has bogus product descriptions, which are the same for every single product (read the rest of the post). They were clearly bought for the sole purpose of filing a claim against Google.
  - andy_ppp 9y ago
    I think you sound very sure of yourself, maybe you are correct but I think the simplest reason is the one I suggested. It’s worth noting the Kelkoo brand was very well known in France and they were very proud of their company. Them neglecting the quality of reviews on their English product or even just breaking things and not fixing them properly is more likely for me.
jarnix 9y ago
This is a text made for SEO, it's not journalism obviously!

sqdbps 9y ago

>This is pure bullshit, and bullshit journalism. It's the "Wall Street Journal", a Murdoch business publication that approves of every business as long as it isn't Google.

bllguo 9y ago
Recently my impression of the WSJ is incredibly poor. Just BS article after BS article. To me the bias has never been more obvious. Though I only see their content on aggregators like HN, so perhaps that plays a part.
dsacco 9y ago
> It's the "Wall Street Journal", a Murdoch business publication that approves of every business as long as it isn't Google. Please don't bring politics into this. If you have a substantive criticism about the WSJ's article, make that criticism. The one you've made is ideological and unpersuasive.
- sqdbps 9y ago
  Political? Rupert Murdoch's distain for Google is well documented, and he isn't shy about siccing his papers on them: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/mar/26/battle-rupert-murdoch-google-advertising-e-commerce-fake-news-david-clementi-bbc https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/mar/26/battle-rupert-...
- jacksmith21006 9y ago
  Is this honestly a question? Murdoch disdain for Google is well known.
  - dsacco 9y ago
    Rupert Murdoch can have well documented dislike for Google without his dislike intrinsically kneecapping the Wall Street Journal’s journalistic integrity. The comment I replied to criticizes the article we’re discussing categorically by origin, instead of specifically on merits. Murdoch’s agenda can be a thesis statement for why the WSJ has poor journalistic integrity with respect to Google, but it doesn't demonstrate that failing on its own, nor is merely calling out that someone in a position of power has an agenda a well-reasoned thesis. Basically, it’s not contributing anything more interesting to the discussion, and is just going to attract other comments or upvotes that agree. That’s not insightful discussion, it’s just ingroup commiseration.
    - namdnay 9y ago
      In this case, Murdoch has a track record of using his media empire to push his business and political views, so it's really quite appropriate.
    - 9y ago
jasonmp85 9y ago
I'm hearing they are a publication who is right for the wrong reasons.

dmitrygr 9y ago

No kidding. The "laptop" page says (emphasis mine): Many of us have replaced our desktop systems with a laptop, as they are affordable, portable, and just as powerful as a traditional desktop PC. Laptops have screen sizes ranging from 9-inches to 17-inches, measured horizontally. Laptops with screens smaller than 11-inches are called netbooks while full-screened laptops are called notebooks. Some laptop models include built-in hardware to connect to wirelessly to a 3G or 4G networks and often require a data contract with a mobile phone carrier. Many laptops include built-in Wi-Fi modems and software to make portable computing easy. Some of the most recognized names for laptops are Apple, Dell, Sony and Acer. Kelkoo has all of these brands and more. You can be assured that you’ll find the best laptops at the absolutely lowest price from online retailers you know and trust. And the third product lsited under laptops is a razor: https://www.shaver.eu/en/shavettes/proraso-shavette?utm_campaign=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Kelkoo https://www.shaver.eu/en/shavettes/proraso-shavette?utm_camp... But look in archive.org and it is clear who they are and what their beef with google is: they are Yahoo. See the "a yahoo company" at the very top of this archived page: https://web.archive.org/web/20050701004143/http://www.kelkoo.co.uk:80/ https://web.archive.org/web/20050701004143/http://www.kelkoo... (you'll need to collapse the archive.org banner on top - it is hidden behind it by default)

115100 9y ago
It took less than 30 seconds to find out that they're not. https://www.ft.com/content/4044d354-b825-11dd-ac6d-0000779fd18c https://www.ft.com/content/4044d354-b825-11dd-ac6d-0000779fd...
- ojbyrne 9y ago
  Do you have a citation that's not behind a paywall? Crunchbase says they were acquired by Yahoo. https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/kelkoo https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/kelkoo
  - untog 9y ago
    "was sold by Yahoo to Jamplant, a British private equity, in 2008" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelkoo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelkoo

phpnode 9y ago

> This website is so clearly a scam created for this antitrust case. I can't speak for the quality of their product but this is absolutely not true, Kelkoo has been around since 1999[0], almost as long as Google itself. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelkoo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelkoo

dmitrygr 9y ago
If by "Kelkoo" you mean "a yahoo proxy", then yes See the "a yahoo company" at the very top of this archived page: https://web.archive.org/web/20050701004143/http://www.kelkoo.co.uk:80/ https://web.archive.org/web/20050701004143/http://www.kelkoo... (you'll need to collapse the archive.org banner on top - it is hidden behind it by default)
- glandium 9y ago
  From the wikipedia page: > On March 26, 2004, Kelkoo was bought by Yahoo! Inc for €450 million.
  - dmitrygr 9y ago
    Um, yes, that is the point i am making. Them being Yahoo is precisely why they have beef with Google.
    - julien_c 9y ago
      It's not Yahoo anymore since 2008.
ucaetano 9y ago
From your "source": > In November 2008, Kelkoo was sold by Yahoo! Inc to the private equity firm Jamplant Ltd. The current CEO has been there since 2009, shortly after the acquisition. Jamplant was incorporated in October of 2008, one month before the acquisition. The director was Andrew Simon Davis, who is frequently listed as a director of shell companies and trusts. In the same month he was appointed director to dozens of other companies. https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/LQ_FXmuiSA4f8cOGJqrodQhnS74/appointments?page=18 https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/LQ_FXmuiSA4f8cOG... The Kelkoo Group is based out of the same office as Jamplant, along with dozens of other companies, what indicates a virtual office or company registration service. https://www.google.com/search?q=6th+Floor+Portland+House+Bressenden+Place+SW1E+5BH+London https://www.google.com/search?q=6th+Floor+Portland+House+Bre... It has 5 employees, and seems to have consistently lost money over the past years, and its largest shareholder (and only institutional shareholder) is Kelkoo Group itself. Kelkoo itself was already dead on the water by the time of the acquisition: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=kelkoo https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=kelkoo That was shortly after the initial complaints against Google: https://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/legal-news-articles/case/unfair-business/ https://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/legal-news-articles/ca...

logicallee 9y ago

>This website is so clearly a scam created for this antitrust case. What makes you think so? It starts with "We at Kelkoo have been helping our customers find the best products at the most affordable prices for the past 18 years." I clicked on the merchant sign up page, seemed fine.

pas 9y ago
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16269595 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16269595

andy_ppp 9y ago

Haha, having worked at Kelkoo when it was owned by Yahoo! so I have to disagree here. The management at Kelkoo really believe Google is shafting them but they used to do crazy things like change the location of the website every time they deploy. They were bad at SEO and blamed Google.

ucaetano 9y ago
> having worked at Kelkoo when it was owned by Yahoo! so I have to disagree here The issue isn't when it was part of Yahoo, but after. It was bought by a virtual shell company registered at the same office as Kelkoo, with generic directors and almost no employees. It now has bogus product descriptions, which are the same for every single product (read the rest of the post). They were clearly bought for the sole purpose of filing a claim against Google.
- andy_ppp 9y ago
  I think you sound very sure of yourself, maybe you are correct but I think the simplest reason is the one I suggested. It’s worth noting the Kelkoo brand was very well known in France and they were very proud of their company. Them neglecting the quality of reviews on their English product or even just breaking things and not fixing them properly is more likely for me.

jarnix 9y ago

This is a text made for SEO, it's not journalism obviously!