WARNING: All new Yahoo Search Marketign should read..

So I've been a long time Google adsense user and decided to branch out after the last bit of changes to Google wich made some of my keywords cost to much:

To the point:
I set up a YSM acount and created a couple of test campains.

I noticed that I had to either set the bid for each keyword or I could set the bid for the ad group. I chose the ad group (first mistake)

I set my daily budget for these test campains at 20.00 / day (second mistake)

My acount had been set up for a few weeks prior to me getting in and placing ads (maybe the third mistake)

What happened:
In 8 hours they charged me for $289

As keywords were approved they had bids at 1-2 dollars (I thougth the max for the group would over ride it. I was very wrong)

The budget was set to ON (you would think that would make it stop at the 20.00 daily budget but it didn't)

Here are some of the emails from Yahoo...


On 8/23/06, Yahoo! Search Marketing <customersolutions-ysm@yahoo-inc.com>
wrote:
>
> Aug 23 2006 18:52 PT
>
> Hello Ronald,
>
> We are happy to assist you, in response to your email our records indicate
> that your account on August 22 did have bids set at $1.54 or high in some
> circumstances. For example the keyword, ?diet food? had a bid set at $1.54,
> in addition, the term, ?diet? had a bid of 2.00.
>
> In addition, our records also indicate that the account was taken offline
> on August 21 resetting the budgeting cycle. Budgeting does need to be
> enabled and left unchanged for 30 consecutive days to be fully effective.
>
> At this time, due to the number of clicks that came in at the bid amounts
> in addition, having reset budgeting the current account balance of -$90.13
> is correct.
>
> If you need any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.
>
> Sincerely,



Now remember the bid for the group was set at .15 cents.
------------------------------------------

Aug 23 2006 13:13 PT

Hello Ronald,

Thank you for contacting us about the surge in clicks yesterday. Although I initially indicated this would need to be researched over 10 days, I was able to research this myself. The click surge is almost certainly due to budget smoothing.

Your approximate daily budget of $20 is a target only. Our algorithms will try to place your listings online and offline to such a degree, that over 30 days your spend will be $600. As this target was set on August 13th or 14th, our systems have not had enough time to interpret your clicks in order to make your daily spend exactly $20. However, over the course of 30 days from setting your daily target at $20, your total monthly click charges should be close to your target monthly budget. As a measure of goodwill, I am crediting your account $25.

Note also that if you go 30 days with the same daily target and have a spend 15% above your anticipated monthly target, you may be entitled to a refund for the overages.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of any further assistance.
Sincerely,

Julian Harmon
Customer Solutions
Yahoo! Search Marketing


wow $25 credit .. Yahoo blew the daily budget by 14x and they call this smoothing?
---------------------------------------



Aug 23 2006 15:09 PT

Hello Ronald,

We have issued a credit to your Yahoo! Search Marketing account balance in the amount of $25.00. These funds are available for future click-throughs to your account. You can view your billing history in the Reports section of your account. Click the link below to log in and be taken to the reports page. From there, you can select the Billing Transaction Detail Report.

Link:
https://secure.overture.com/reportViewer.do

Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of any further assistance. Thank you for choosing Yahoo! Search Marketing!

Sincerely,

Malcolm Sambora
Customer Solutions
Yahoo! Search Marketing



BE WARNED.... This could have been much worse ... they only stopped at $280 because thats all they could get out of the bank account attached with multiple $100 withdraws (lucky for me a deposit hadn't cleared or they would have done the entire $600 or more who knows if that function has "SMOOTHING")

 

It is bitter exp. Thank you for sharing with us.

 

UPDATE:

I got a call last night and they want to fix things...

Maybe they'll do the right thing.. If they do I'll update everyone here...


Ron

 

Last update:

They called today and refunded my account for 200

Which is fair as I did gain from the benifit of the clicks.


Moral of the story.

be careful to set your bid on each key word ...

Don't trust the daily budget, count on not going over your montly total.

and if your account gets screwed up as bad as mine..

Keep calling and sending emails until your understood...

They'll try and do what is fair if you get the right person working on it.

 

Thank you for your further updates.