SCROOGLED!

Microsoft has apparently taken off the gloves in its fight against Google. And if you thought Gmail Man hit a little too close to home, wait until you see Scroogled. This new Microsoft web site says that all of Google’s shopping results are now paid ads.

“In the beginning, Google preached, ‘Don't be evil,’ but that changed on May 31, 2012.” The Scroogled web site notes. “That's when Google Shopping announced a new initiative. Simply put, all of their shopping results are now paid ads.”

“In their under-the-radar announcement, Google admits they've now built ‘a purely commercial model’ that delivers listings ranked by ‘bid price,’” the site continues. “Google Shopping is nothing more than a list of targeted ads that unsuspecting customers assume are search results. They call these ‘Product Listing Ads’ a ‘truly great search.’”

Yikes.

Microsoft has coined the term Scroogled, and it offers the following defintions:

1. The Google practice of selling their shopping search results to a high bidder; known to produce intense anger in online shoppers who might miss out on the best price or the highest quality items.

2. Because Google Shopping only includes results from advertisers who pay them, some of the world's largest retailers aren't included.

3. The loss of money associated with a bad Google Shopping search result. Side effects of not getting the best price when you thought you were include sadness, frustration and overall indignation.

See also: bamboozled; befuddled; duped; flimflammed; hoodwinked; hornswoggled

Sample sentence: "These jeans were a top pick on Google but I found a better price–I've been Scroogled!"

And, there is of course an excellent video to accompany this site as well. Enjoy. Oh, and use Bing for your holiday shopping needs. Obviously. :)