Ah, PayPal Honey—the darling of e-shoppers everywhere, promising to fetch you the best deals on the internet. Like a digital fairy godmother, it swoops in at checkout, sprinkling coupon codes and magical savings everywhere. Sounds dreamy, doesn’t it? Well, pop the champagne cork back in because, surprise, it’s actually a con artist in disguise.
The YouTube channel MegaLag has taken it upon themselves to pull back the curtain on Honey’s not-so-sweet activities, and oh boy, it’s messy. For years, creators—your favorite YouTubers, bloggers, and internet darlings—have sung Honey’s praises, thinking they were recommending a harmless little helper. Turns out, Honey has been robbing them blind, one affiliate cookie at a time.
Here’s the scam: when you, the unsuspecting shopper, let Honey do its thing, it stealthily wipes out existing affiliate cookies (you know, the ones that give creators their well-deserved commission) and replaces them with its own. In simpler terms, creators have been hyping up a tool that straight-up steals their paycheck. Classy move, Honey.
But wait, there’s more! Honey doesn’t just shortchange creators—it’s coming for you too, dear shopper. While it promises to find the best deals, what it actually does is let merchants who sign up for its underwhelming cashback program dictate which discounts you see. Translation: those juicy, better coupons floating around the web? Hidden. You’re stuck with the meh deals Honey wants you to use, all while believing you’re getting the best bang for your buck. Spoiler alert: you’re not.
The real kicker? Most people don’t even bother to check elsewhere because Honey has tricked them into thinking it’s their noble savings knight. So, instead of scoring that killer deal a quick search could’ve uncovered, you’re settling for scraps, all while Honey and PayPal laugh their way to the bank.
Long story short: Honey isn’t your shopping fairy godmother. It’s more like the shady relative who borrows money “just until payday” and forgets to pay it back. Use with caution—or, better yet, not at all.
