[jasonlbaptiste]

So the media kit #s were fudged (not the selling prices)? Most media kits on the site are out-dated, but you should obviously have an updated one for distribution.

I'm sure people do this. Kind of scummy, but if I were an advertiser I'd want to see something valid. If I were running a list or considering creating a startup like Dailycandy, thrillist, ideal bite,etc. I'd build a great system for advertisers that somehow ensured my numbers were legit. (there's a hint somewhere in this comment).

[eli]

There have been some attempts at setting up an auditing system (as there is for newspapers), but they never took off, and I don't think that's really the issue.

Ultimately, advertisers can tell if there ads are working because they get more hits, more leads, and more sales. For most clients, if ads are generating sales, it doesn't really matter what the CTR is.