The Honey browser extension, owned by PayPal, has come under fire amid shocking claims by users and creators alike. This popular shopping tool, known for its promise to find the best online deals, is now facing accusations of not only failing to deliver on its promises but also of actively scamming users and depriving online content creators of their rightful earnings.
According to investigative reports by YouTuber MegaLag, Honey systematically misleads consumers during their online shopping experience. Instead of providing the best available coupon codes, it reportedly filters out superior discounts, thereby funneling profits away from content creators who rely on affiliate links. With over 19 million users relying on the extension, the scandal surrounding its practices raises significant questions about trust, transparency, and the ethics of influencer marketing.
Honey is supposed to automatically apply discount codes at checkout, helping people save when shopping online.
Yet all is not as it seems; investigations suggest Honey limits access to discounts agreed upon between the extension and merchants, effectively letting retailers control what users see. MegaLag’s video lays bare how the extension operates, showing how it often fails to apply the best codes at checkout and instead provides limited options aimed at benefiting itself.
One of the more alarming allegations involves how Honey affects content creators. According to MegaLag, when consumers click through recommendations made by influencers, Honey alters those affiliate links to its own, depriving creators of commission from sales they should rightfully earn. This practice, described as stealing revenue from creators, raises serious concerns about the business practices of the extension, which many influencers have promoted without knowing the ramifications.
"Honey is a scam … it might be the biggest influencer scam of all time," MegaLag states, reflecting the frustrations of content creators who feel cheated after promoting the tool. It's disheartening for influencers who trusted Honey to support their efforts and help their viewers save money. Instead, content creators find themselves on the losing end, with Honey apparently reaping the rewards at their expense.
The uproar surrounding Honey isn’t just about the financial losses experienced by creators. Regular users have expressed their disbelief and anger online. Comments on social media range from shock to outrage, as consumers realize they've been led to believe Honey was genuinely helping them save without fully appreciating the underlying mechanics. One user famously remarked, "It’s rare for a scam exposure video to genuinely shock me, but this is f**king WILD. Uninstalling @honey right away; it never has any discounts anyway." This sentiment is echoed across various platforms, with many users expressing their dismay over how they've been misled.
For some, the revelations about Honey come as no surprise. Discontent about the extension’s reliability has circulated for years, with reports of users finding higher discounts through manual searches. This is contradictory to the promises made by Honey which claim to automatically find and apply the best promo codes from the internet. The reality appears starkly different: MetaLag's reviews point out instances where, compared to Honey's capabilities, individuals could easily secure bigger savings with little extra effort.
The wide promotion of Honey by influencers like MrBeast and Marques Brownlee made it seem as though it was the go-to solution for finding deals. Many influencers, unaware of Honey’s dubious practices related to affiliate links, endorsed it to their vast audiences, assisting the extension's growth and popularity. But just as swiftly, after the fallout from MegaLag’s exposé, some influencers have publicly distanced themselves from the extension after realizing they’d been left empty-handed. One notable example is Linus Tech Tips, who severed ties with Honey over the same affiliate link issues.
PayPal and Honey have responded noncommittally to the investigation, with spokespersons insisting the extension operates by industry standards. "Honey follows industry rules and practices, including last-click attribution," stated Josh Criscoe from PayPal. Still, many question how ethical these practices are when they come at the expense of those who promote Honey and even their users.
Anticipation now builds as MegaLag promises to release more information on this controversial topic.
How many other digital products operate similarly, hidden behind the mask of convenience? If you’re relying on applications and extensions to do your bidding, how can you be certain you’re not being swayed or manipulated? For now, the discussion about Honey remains heated, spurring consumers and influencers alike to rethink who is truly getting the best deals from purported money-saving tools.
Let this controversy serve as a reminder for users to approach predatory partnerships and free tools with skepticism, maybe even making them question the ultimate price of “free” products.
