Affiliates - refund survey - please participate :)

Can you do me a favour? I want to see what kind of overall refund rate affiliates have on their activities.

Can you:

• log into Clickbank
• click the "reporting" tab
• click on "Analytics"
• On the right hand side for "affiliate reporting":
• change "period" to "the past 90 days"
• click "go" button
• What's your overall Refund % (look at the last row)?

I don't want to get into individual products because one affiliate's promotions is not really representative, especially if only a few units have been sold.

But how about in total (look at the last row) for all of your efforts on all products promoted? What are you getting?

For example, my affiliate account (NOT my own products but promoting 18 different products), I get a refund % of 16.07% (based on 56 sales and 9 refunds) which is much higher than I expected. I consider myself to target customers carefully and not making stupid claims. And I don't even promote any forex either. Is this typical for CB - that many people take advantage of the refund policy? What's yours?

 

17.1% mostly because of The Day Trading Robot which has a very high refund rate for me (45%)

I am pleased that with the 14 sales I've made as an affiliate for my own product (see sig) during the last 90 days I haven't had a single refund. Of course I'd like to have made a lot more than 14 sales with it in the first place.

 

Well, in my most recent account, 208 sales in 30 days (yesterday) reporting only 18 refunds across different products, so overall refund % for me is: 8.65%

Well I know you asked for 90-day period, that's just my most recent account, so I guess the % will be higher.

 

Last 30 days 84 sales and 1 refund!

Currently promoting monkesmoney.com pub id diggomark

 

For the past 90 days I have 64 sales and 5 refunds (7.81%).

 

For the past 90 days, I'm at 4.45% - 28 sales

 

Very good guys, I think I need to change the products I'm promoting as an affiliate. Saying that I don't do many affiliate promotions anymore what with concentrating on my products mostly these days.

 

Sometimes as a vendor and or an affiliate I will get as high as 30%+ overall on accounts but to be honest with you - it doesn't mean squat if your ROI is still huge. Depends on so many variables in this that it becomes a numbers and projections game.

Affiliates: Throw 5K at PPC, generate $10,000, lose 3K on refunds, profit 2K for the day/week/month etc.
OR - Throw tons of bum marketing at it, list outreach, outsource, keep 90-100% profit minus refunds.
OR - Promote a low refund product which may or may not convert as well, pay as high, or be around for long...(mmo's).
OR - Promote lower cost lower risk to customer products (low risk low reward usually but still worth it).
OR - Don't even look at your refund rate but look at your ROI on your money or time. If you have a 50% refund rate but still bank bigger on that account than all others, who cares what the risky investment is as long as you are meeting your goals - refining and shifts will always happen however overall in/out numbers should be enough see what bigger risk/refund scenarios look like compared to lower end stuff...

Publishers: Realistically the same thing applies. Your affiliates will grow to hate you then love you once they understand the risk vs. reward scenarios post refunds vs. trying to convert low price points or holy products that claim low refunds.

Get use to them, all products have them, and CB is notoriously known for their ease of use on the refund policy among all sectors or consumers (especially since many of them are in fact CB'ers as well to some capacity). High numbers and high risk markets equates to high returns/losses. Gage what your risk level is and how ahead you can predict a worse case scenario vs. most return potential and don't look back. Expect refunds even on 'bestest ever-eve'r products, and protect yourself from total loss, however do not let that stop you from going outside your comfort zone - if you can push a $40 product online, you can push a $199 or $499 product with more risk and be prepared to bank bigger or lose a bit more (time or money or both).

/.02

 

That's a good point NCMedia - in the end all that really matters is your overall ROI - that's your net sales $ divided by the effort/money you are putting into it. I've still had a pretty good ROI with some products even if they have very high refund rates (like 45% even.)

That being said, psychologically it's a bit frustrating to have a lot of refunds... it's just something you have to get used to though if it's still a good money maker overall.

 

So far this month I got 31 sales 5 refunds which is 16%, but I am also promoting a lot of forex and MMO products.

 

Two different product. 20 sales, 2 refunds. 10%.

 

3.34% over 90 days

 

That's funny that this came up, because I have made about 50 sales with my own product over the last 90 days or so, and today had my first refund. I was cool with it, because the guy's explanation was very thoughtful, so I didn't feel bad about it, but right after that I got another refund out of nowhere. The second guy was, well, hateful - and I designed my product with the audience in mind, putting myself last - so I'm not in the market of ripping people off.

Has anyone ever had hateful feedback like that before? sorry if this is perceived as off topic. By the way, both returns were my last two customers, and made within 24 hours of purchase. The 2nd guy offered a crappy explanation for a refund, but I thought that CB was supposed to be a little more cautious about this sort of thing?

 

capitalchemy - yes I've got some very hateful messages before with refunds. Some people just have a nasty attitude, there's really nothing you can do about it.

What's your product? I'm always looking for something new to promote.

 

Its a guitar speed development/soloing book - not as big as weight loss and that sort of thing, but I decided to create what I know - working on something even better at the moment - the new product will be related, but its based off of online feedback, so it should be a blast to work with. Here's the site for the current product.

http://www.guitarspeedsecret.com

I also like feedback on the site if anyone's up for it some time.

 

That's great - I'll definitely promote it. I have some music sites where I promote various "learn to play... whatever" type products. So that will fit in.

I play guitar myself so I'd love to check it out if you want to send me a review copy (send it to if you do.)

 

Overall refund rate: 24% (forex products)

 

after 15,000 sales im just under 4%
Its important to have a low refund rate. yes, ROI is important however a trusting customer base is more important as you can sell other products to them in the future.
If you have a customer base of 50,000 and sell a $50 product, even at just 1% conversion rate you will get 25k minus cb fees.

with that said, no matter how decent the product there will always be refunds but I personally think if a refund rate reaches over 25% for a period of time Cb should have a word to the publisher.

 

In 90 days 1,956 sales and 341 refunds, 17.4% but I also had 32 charge backs which I do factor in so the actual return rate is a fraction above 19% which is average.

Since January 1st (I generate my own reports on a daily basis but I don’t track the number of sales, only $$$) $60,881.48 in commission, $11,427.58 in refunds/charge backs, 18.8% and an overall ROI of 245%.

For all of 2008, $183,404.83 in commission, $26,992.63 refunds/charge backs, 14.7% with an overall ROI of 245%.

Many times in the beginning of the week I'll have up to 50% and 60% in refunds/charge backs and my hair stands straight up, then on the weekends sales are really high with a 0% refund rate. Holidays seem to affect refund rates too, people change their minds about giving me their money.

In the end it all balances out and I go to the bank with a smile on my face.

 

For the last 90 days, my sales, I have a 5.62% refund rate (89 sales - 5 returns = net 85).

Looking at my numbers just depresses me right now though, because my sales have all but disappeared in the last month. I clearly don't have this affiliate marketing thing figured out yet.