Dear Yahoo I have attached a report detailing repeat access to one of our Yahoo landing pages. Whilst I appreciate click fraud is something advertisors have to live with, I am not going be content with yet another statement along the lines of "We have algorithms etc etc that detect click fraud etc etc". Yahoo/Google/Miva always state this in click fraud investigation emails. This time, I require evidential proof in a report similar to what I provide you, so you can prove that I have not been charged for the clicks in question from IP XX.XX.78.231 and I can match up what clicks you have charged me from what IP addresses I have in my report. If I can supply you with this information attached, you should be able to do the same. I have a right to ask for this information you hold about accesses/charges to my account, you have a responsibility to deliver it and I cannot currently locate this information within your reports section. Should you continue to adopt the smoke and mirrors party line of "We have algorithms etc etc that detect click fraud etc etc" I shall investigate legal proceedings against not only Yahoo (Yahoo will be first) but all PPC network providers to provide this information, I would prefer not to go down this route.
If I was Yahoo, I'd drop you and hope you'd disappear -- which is what they will do, no doubt and can do for no reason whatsoever according to their TOS. The only traction you're going to get with this is if you go public with it (like you're doing, including press releases) and actually file legal claims against them. But in the end you'll still lose the ability to use it as you'll no doubt be asked not to ever use their service again.
Atralis, You may be right, but all I doing is being assertive here with Yahoo. I keep on having to send click fraud investigation emails and they say they havent charged me for the repeat clicks each time. I use click fraud detection software which alerts me and the total number of visits from PPC Yahoo ads reported from my software = the total number of visits I get from Overture to the landing page in question, I get charged for all of those clicks and theres repeat clicks in the visits in question. I recognise that they have the algorithms in place etc..and I am stating that I would prefer not to go down the legal route..but its so easy for them to keep mentioning the algorithms etc, + I cant see why they cant generate a report like this 10:00:00 am Click 1 IP 1.2.3.4 You were charged for this click 10:00:03 am Click 1 IP 1.2.3.4 You were not charged for this click 10:00:15 am Click 1 IP 1.2.3.4 You were not charged for this click 10:00:20 am Click 1 IP 1.2.3.4 You were not charged for this click 10:00:54 am Click 1 IP 10.12.23.24 You were charged for this click In our industry click fraud happens so much and it would gr8 if the PC network providers can provide us with a log (they always want us to provide one to them) so I can see these algorithms in question working/doing their job..
maybe this is to far out there, but it would be even better if you could do IP banning, and just forget about yahoo actually taking action. Just a list of IPs you don't want to show your ads to, that you could upload to yahoo / other ppc network providers and take the click fraud into your own hands..
good idea... i have since phoned Yahoo and retracted my legal threat, they record all telephone conversations..so thats done.. They think it s a very good idea producing a report like I have suggested and it will be raised at their next meeting