What gives Yahoo? Why are you hiding Kelkoo data?
View all posts by Paul Anthony
I had a project at work recently that requires me putting together a small desktop client to provide data to Kelkoo. In need of the XML specification for Kelkoo, I filled in the form on their site expecting a quick turnaround via email from a company as big as Yahoo. It appears that even though they are one of the major players online, like most companies - they still handle email enquiries badly.
Anyway, I first turned to Google and tried a search for XML specification Kelkoo. Then I tried XML technical specs Kelkoo. Then thinking hows about about doing a site specific kelkoo search, which just returned a Googlewhacked page of useless information. Still nothing.
Any what about Yahoo instead. Surely they would have parsed their own websites content better than the competition? Wrong, still didnt find what I was looking for.
So I decided to phone them. Kelkoo have an address on their site - but no phone number naturally enough. So I use the address, and Google the address. Which gets me numerous other companies at the same address. Hooray! I then ask them for downstairs reception, and ask reception for Kelkoo / Yahoo.
Yahoo!
5th Floor
125 Shaftesbury Avenue
London
WC2H 8AD
Tel-Sales (020) 7131 1000
For anyone who cares - this is the badboy you need. Yahoo and Kelkoo are the same thing.
Who then put me through, I ask for technical support, they give me an email address. I ask for sales, they put me through to marketing, and eventually…eventually someone gives me what I want… an email with a link in it, which should be visible on their site in the first place. Especially when their competitors out there give XML specifications so freely.
So what gives? Why isn’t this appearing in searches?
Link tag on Google…shows nothing linking to the page.
Yahoo site explorer, also shows zero.
Hopefully, with help from your truly- this page will make both indexes. But poor show Yahoo for making me jump through so many hoops to get the information I need. Mear mortals would have given up long ago.
For other feeds, I managed to find the following feeds file with structure for various other shopping sites etc. Including Pricerunner and Shopping.com.
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Jul 8th 2008
I have taken over the running of a commerce site for the company I work for, we pay Kelkoo a decent whack of money a month so you would think they would have the decency to respond to my attempts to contact them. Firstly I email the email address on the invoice, no response, try again, get a bounceback saying xxxx is away and to email someone else, I email them both a few times but no reply.
I tried ringing the accounts number, but get a message to say ‘please ring back in working hours’ I found this site and tried the number, but there is a recorded message saying it has changed to 0870 352 2000 (this is an 0870 number so they make money on the call) there are a number of options, but when you go through it just rings out for a minute and a half then cuts off!