Affiliate Sale Not Recorded, Is This A Common Problem

Discussion in 'Affiliate Programs' started by Lifes_Short, Feb 27, 2008.

  1. #1
    This is not a sales pitch, I’m just making you aware that all of your affiliate sales may not be being recorded, as one of mine was not and I received what I think is a lame excuse from the people whose product I am offering. So I thought I would bring it to the attention of this forum to ask if this is a common problem and if it as happened to others or whether this a one off that as happened to me only?

    Like many others, I’m an affiliate of several programs. Not big time as I’ve not been doing it long but I am making some sales through an Adwords campaign for a couple of programs. Anyway, my other half recently decided to start an Internet business to offer her expertise and one of the items she needed, I am an affiliate of. So we went through my affiliate link for her to sign up, a simple process that only took a few minutes. So far so good as everything went ok.

    After a short time I decided to check my stats of the affiliate program and to my dismay, the sale hadn’t shown up although the referral from my web site did. I then wrote to the affiliate company asking why the sale wasn’t showing in my stats. Their reply was that “maybe I had cancelled the cookies”, how the hell I could have done that from clicking on my affiliate link that led directly to their sales page and then she signed up straight away, I don’t know.

    The other possible excuse was that “spyware installed on the computer may have wiped out the cookie”. If that were the case then, surely most affiliate sales wouldn’t be recorded because I assume that most computer users have some kinds of spyware installed on their computers today.

    I would like your thoughts on this if possible as I’m now wondering if any other my other possible sales have gone down the toilet the same way and if it can be avoided for the future?
     
    Lifes_Short, Feb 27, 2008 IP
  2. amitpatel_3001

    amitpatel_3001 Results Follow Patience

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    #2
    Those 2 reasons are the most common answers , most affiliate managers give out.
     
    amitpatel_3001, Feb 27, 2008 IP
  3. Lifes_Short

    Lifes_Short Member

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    #3
    Thanks for that reply, but if then that is what happens, how the hell do you keep tabs on referrals from your web site to make sure you are being paid for sales?
    I only discovered this because it was my other half and I did it.
    So basically, being an affiliate can suck as there seems to be some dishonest affiliate programs out there?
     
    Lifes_Short, Feb 27, 2008 IP
  4. redspace

    redspace Peon

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    #4
    Sure there are dishonest affiliate programs out there. Look what you have seen since you have been online? Scammer, spammer, black hat artist is all over the place. do you think these kind of people doesn't live in the same world as dishonest people? Making money online is not a smooth ride all the way. And probably most of this dishonest people could be one because of their past experience of being scam themselves. And out of anger they defend themselves by joining them.
     
    redspace, Feb 27, 2008 IP
  5. Leprekon

    Leprekon Peon

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    #5
    you can't really do much. it comes with the industry. :(
     
    Leprekon, Feb 27, 2008 IP
  6. Lifes_Short

    Lifes_Short Member

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    #6
    If anyone is interested, it was with my own hosting company which is Hostagator and has been for over 12 months, I signed up as an affiliate with them because I thought they were good to use, obviously not.
    I think I'll cancel the affiliate program and move my sites from them to another hosting company, any good ones out there??
     
    Lifes_Short, Feb 27, 2008 IP
  7. Joseph Williams

    Joseph Williams Peon

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    #7
    this is why you have to work with networks that have a good reputation
     
    Joseph Williams, Feb 27, 2008 IP