WidgetBucks.com = Worthless Scammers

I, like many, have been experiencing majorly declining Google Adsense revenue over the past months. So when I was told about a website called WidgetBucks.com, that was paying a huge $.50 a click, I couldn't help but try them out…

My WidgetBucks CPC was only $.10 for my particular site, but I was still happy with that and proceeded to keep using them for the next month and a half.

Now come last week or the week before, WidgetBucks shot off an email to all publishers saying they would no longer pay for traffic that was not U.S. based.

Now I didn’t have a big problem with this, even though most of my traffic is not from the USA. I considered this a hindrance, but what the hey, there rules. I could simply stop using WidgetBucks and go back to Google Adsense.

But no... WidgetBucks decided, not only are they now going to NOT pay for non-USA clicks, but they then went on a banning spree, banning anyone that was making a profit from their program via International traffic, they’ve tried any excuse they could possibly get away with to perform these bannings.

And yes, I was suspended/banned. Apparently it was because I had a single page on my website, made solely to show ads, which was against there terms...

Interesting, because...

This particular web page has been running Google Adsense for MONTHS! (not going to mention ths site)

And doesn't Google Adsense mention that doing that is also again their own terms and conditions?

Oh… they do:
https://www.google.com/adsense/supp...&sourceid=aso&subid=ww-ww-et-asui&medium=link

So, apparently, I have been in violation of Google's rules for MONTHS.

Let's face it, we all know how fast Google bans publishers not obeying the rules. My particular site gets over 300,000 uniques per month, and Google hasn't banned me for this lame excuse WidgetBucks tried to throw me.

Maybe Google just likes me.... or maybe it's because I didn't break any rules? Google and WidgetBucks share the exact same rules for running pages solely made for ads. Do that = ban.

I'm still going strong in Google Adsense WITH this same page, without a worry.

But, being nice, I gave WidgetBucks a chance to reverse what they did.

I contacted WidgetBucks early last week to tell them of this incorrect suspension. And of course, they never got back to me. They are ignoring me, or they've gone on vacation. Take your pick. I don't know any legitimate company who takes over a week to reply to support tickets.

NOT ONLY has WidgetBucks publicized that they will no longer pay for non USA clicks, they now tried to screw me over by suspending me for a totally fake reason, and because of that, they are now entitled to not pay me.

A clip of the email they sent me early last week:

-----------------------------------------------------------
Your site has violated the following provision of the WidgetBucks Terms and Conditions (http://www.widgetbucks.com/terms.page): Ad-Only Page. Our policies state that you may not place widgets on pages that are published specifically for the purpose of showing ads. Placing WidgetBucks widgets on a page that is primarily showing ads is a violation of this policy.

Since you have violated these terms, your account has been suspended. Earned commissions, bonuses, and fees shall be forfeited as a result of your violation of our terms.
-----------------------------------------------------------

That's convenient isn't it? WidgetBucks advertisers have been leaving due to International traffic that converts lower, and now WidgetBucks has suddenly decided to suspend me (and plenty of others), to avoid paying us the funds we are OWED.

I didn’t earn enough with them to take this matter much further (thank god I left some Google Adsense there – not that I love Google or anything), but I did NOTHING WRONG – and WidgetBucks screwed me out of my earnings.

This is a MAJOR WARNING – DO NOT DO RISK YOUR INCOME USING WIDGETBUCKS.COM.

As a last little suprise, check out this:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=widgetbucks.com

WidgetBucks.com doesn’t appear in Google search results when you search for it’s own domain name!

But funnily, there blogspot blog is there?

Want to know why they had to make a blogspot blog, and why there main site, widgetbucks.com is not on page 1 (if on any)?

It’s not because Google didn’t like the competition, its because behind WidgetBuck’s flash advertisements (“widgets”), they place sneaky hidden text backlinks to there site. Google detected this sneaky SEO tactic and banned them from the Google index.

And while this html backlink is simple to remove (who wants to lose PR right?), you can’t remove this backlink because its against WidgetBucks terms and conditions, LOL.

http://www.widgetbucks.com/terms.page:
-----------------------------------------------------------
Back-links placed by Mpire in the HTML code must not be removed.
-----------------------------------------------------------

You have been warned about this company.

 

Woooaa ...wait a minute widgetbucks have nowhere mentioned they dont pay for non US traffic clicks ?
And
you are lucky that google hasnt banned you yet
You cant have pages with only advertisements on.

 

This is weird and totally unfair...

 

Heard a lot of bad stuff about widgetbucks but I still hope they will pay come this December.

 

Thought they were too good to be true when they started. I mean $25 sign up bonus and a 25$ referal! Now that the hypes died down, all we're hearing is banned, banned, banned! I'm staying clear of them for sure.

 

RE: Ad-only pages: I think that is a dumb rule. I can understand if your site was a MFA... er, MFW... but if its only 1 page out of a whole site? I have a "store" type page for my arcades where I like to put related ads that would be of interest to gamers... AND not to allow me to place an ad their is dumb. That is like letting customers into a electronics store and not allowing me to sell them any games.

Did you read their blog ?

Where did you see they were also paying a $25 referral fee ?

 

I suggest you change back to YPN or Google or whoever else ASAP, and then just live in hope you get paid by ScammerBucks.

 

I don't think you understand. That same page has been running Google Adsense for MONTHS without a problem. Google would of warned/suspended me FAST if I was doing something wrong. WidgetBucks just invented that worthless "ads only page" excuse so they DON'T HAVE TO PAY ME.

Many others are in the same boat as me however with even greater losses of earnings, time, waste of webpage space, effort, etc.

As forewarning to others, I suggest you IMMEDIATELY REMOVE ALL WIDGETBUCKS FROM YOUR WEBSITES and go back to whatever else you were using.

At least then, you lower your chances of being accused of this "ads only page" garbage while you cut-off any potential further losses

 

I've been completely put off them by all the mass bannings and huge drops in my CPC, which started off as ridiculously high as $.50/click, which soon dropped to $0.03
I'll give $10 to anyone who ever see's any of there widgetbucks cash

 

THEY SUCK! They are a piece of crap. read:
http://www.adiazar.com/ppc/widgetbuckscom-my-own-experience-big-scam-and-funny-joke/

 

Anyway, we'll wait until the first successful publisher post his/her testimonial here.

 

Face it guys, they wanted to make the buzz and they made it by making everyone one talk about their high cpc and not since payout time is approaching, they have to cover their expenses in word by mouth advertising or viral marketing by banning some publishers.

they came out of no where and managed to get too much attention in 2 months with free advertising. that was a perfect tactic.

 

Yes another WB thread about a negative experience which AGAIN makes me wonder why PEOPLE STILL USE THEM.

Stick to networks that are tried, tested and reliable.

When using a network like WB you are always accepting an element of risk, that's the business. You are trading off RISK for REWARD. They promise these high earnings yet its high risk as you know nothing of the company or even if they'll pay you.

At least when you stick to the reliable and trusted networks that you know pay... YOU WILL GET PAID.

 

I think it is bad about the indiscriminate bannings but my experience has been a good one so far!

Clearing up some points in this thread

1. 25$ referral - incorrect statement - never been published by widgetbucks
2. cpc did drop but is now up again - currently get 0.46-0.69 per click
3. widgetbucks changed traffic payments - you will now only get payed for us or canadian clicks
4. Backlink is now removed in new widgets that you place on your sites
5. First widgetbucks payment is dec 15th

Important:
Use widgetbucks in addition to adsense or other ads (place both on your sites)

Result:
1. adsence cpm should go up (because of fewer adsense ads) + you get 0.45+ per widgetbucks click from us/canadian traffic
2. diversifies your publisher risk

This worked for me on low paying niche sites...may not work on high paying sites with adsense

My 2c

 

Run without looking back. If they have scammed a few, then they will scam a lot more.... I have read hundreds of topics (not only here) that they do suck Not a single positive feedback so far.

 

*Update*

Two full weeks later these WidgetBucks scammers have the audacity to send me this garbage :

=====================
Thank you for contacting us.

Your account was suspended for having placed widgets and/or referral
banners on a page that contained only ads. This is a violation of our
terms of use: http://www.widgetbucks.com/terms.page.

You were sent a notification e-mail which tells you this in the subject
line and, in more detail, in the body of the e-mail.

For current information about known issues, please see our blog:
http://widgetbucks.blogspot.com.
=====================

So now it seems also ALSO don't bother reading your support tickets and enjoy sending template responses. I clearly outlined to them the Google terms similarity above in my first post and explained it all - and thats the reply they sent me 2 weeks later. lol.

Thanks WidgetBucks ...for wasting my time, money, energy and my website space.

 

Just because adsense allows you (havent suspended you yet..) to have a content less side (MFA site) , doesnt mean widgetbucks should do the same as well . Their nonUS clicks no paying thing is pure garbage & it has been in effect since a long time, they just made it public recently.

 

Google bans you real fast if you break the rules. So there has no been "sliding under the radar" regarding Google.

WidgetBucks can publicize that they will create a restriction to only pay for clicks from Iceland for all I care, as long as they let people know, theres nothing to be upset about. It's when they try to avoid paying publishers that ticks me off.

 

I never tried WidgetBucks. I choose to wait until there is quite a lot of proof that they really are trustworthy enough.
I always did the same thing whenever new ads/aff network started to promote their services.

 

WidgetBucks banned me. Now they unbanned me. I'm still wayting the 15 december to see if they pay... I'll be back