Is Honey Browser Extension Legit? What is it and how to uninstall it

Christmas buyers hoping to get last minute deals online have been warned that not all deals may be as good as they appear at first glance.

A recent investigation has raised concerns about a web browser extension that claims to find the best discount codes when shoppers shop online.

YouTuber Megalag has conducted an in-depth analysis of the Honey web browser extension and claims that it is less of a sweetener and more of a “honey trap”.

Is Honey Browser Extension Legit?

YouTuber investigator Megalag alleges, in a video posted on December 21 here, the free web browser extension doesn’t necessarily find the best discount codes for shoppers.

He said: “You know what they say: ‘if a product is free, chances are you are the product’ and as you’ll find out in the survey, that remains true for PayPal Honey.

Instead, it claimed it was promoting specific discount codes, either exclusive to Honey or its business partners, ignoring those that might offer better savings.

He said: “It turns out that one of the main benefits for Honey’s partner stores is that they have full control over the discount codes that go live on the platform. »

And he claims the company also reallocates sales made from a social media influencer’s site and takes credit for the transaction.

When influencers endorse a product, they often recommend links to purchase it and get a percentage of the sale in return.

But Megalag claims that if buyers click on these links with the browser extension installed, the sale is reattributed to Honey.

He said: “The company is quietly taking money out of its own (influencers) pockets. »

The paper i contacted PayPal Honey for a response to these allegations.

What is Honey browser extension and how to uninstall it?

Honey was founded in 2012 by entrepreneurs Ryan Hudson and George Ruan as a free web browser extension, which automatically applies online coupons and discount codes on e-commerce sites.

In 2020 it was purchased by online payment system PayPal for $4 billion (£3.1 billion) and in June 2022 it was renamed PayPal Honey.

Users can install it for free as a mobile app and browser extension to save money while shopping online.

It is configured to save users time and money by searching the Internet for the best existing discount codes for purchased products.

And it will search for the best available price for a product.

For those who have already installed the extension and want to remove it, the removal steps will depend on the browser you are using.

Chrome on Mac:

• Click on Windows
• Click on extensions
• Click Delete under Honey
• Click Delete again

Chrome on Windows:

• Click the three-dot icon to the right of your toolbar
• Click on more tools
• Click on extensions
• Click Delete under Honey
• Click Delete again

Firefox on Mac:

• Click tools
• Click on add-ons
• Click Delete next to Honey

Firefox on Windows

• Click the three-line icon to the right of your toolbar
• Click on add-ons
• Click Remove in the Honey section

Opera on Mac:

• Click on view
• Click Show Extensions
• Click on the X in the upper right corner of the honey information box
• Click OK

Opera on Windows:

• Click on the extensions box at the bottom left of your screen
• Click on the X button in the upper right corner of the Honey section
• Click OK

Safari on Mac:

• Click Safari in the top menu bar
• Click preferences
• Click on extensions
• Click on Honey and uncheck the box next to the Honey icon
• Click uninstall
• Click Show in Folder
• The applications folder will appear. Drag the Honey icon to your trash icon
• Verify that you want Honey to be placed in the Trash using your username and password for your device.

Edge under Windows:

• Click … button to the right of the toolbar
• Click on extensions
• Click the gear icon
• Click uninstall

What to do if you have been scammed

Shoppers looking for the best deals are advised to conduct their own independent research, rather than relying on tools such as Honey.

Citizens Advice has published advice for online shoppers who think they have been scammed.

But he adds that “paying more for something than you think is not the same as being scammed.” Usually a scam involves theft or fraud.

If you think you have been scammed online, you should:

• reset your passwords
• notify your bank that your financial information may have been stolen
• make sure to update your antivirus software
• notify the police immediately by calling 101 if you have transferred money
• report the scam to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud reporting center