Holding Networks Accountable Association (HNAA)

Too many of you on this forum have stories about networks that you share, but become lost amongst other topics in this forum. Your stories and experiences about networks should not be lost.

For your own sakes, as affiliates and publishers of other networks, something needs to be done to hold networks accountable for their actions. Yes at one time I was a publisher too, and I have seen the games some of these networks play including scrubbing, unwarranted reversals, stealing earnings, referral program scams, and termination for the unfairest of reasons.

Having an association, much like a union, can hold networks accountable for their actions. If an affiliate within the association is wronged by a network, it is in the best interest of all affiliates part of the association to vote whether or not to take the business of the association elsewhere.

I know this seems a little hypocritical since I am part of a rather large network to be suggesting such an organization, but we are an honest network and I feel an organization like HNAA, can only help networks like us and efficiently punish networks that take advantage of their own affiliates who are just trying to make an honest living online.

Do I want to own this Association myself? No I do not want any part of it. I do not even want to host it. However I would like to contribute ideas to the association. I am not sure if this idea will work, that is up to you guys, I am just throwing this out there to see if anyone would like to take over this idea.

Amongst yourselves you can vote on a leader and hopefully those of you with talents (graphic design, coding, content writing) can group together to make this website and organization possible.

Features I would like to suggest for the website are:

Ratings of affiliate networks

Comments about each affiliate networks

Recommend an affiliate network

New affiliate network of the week

Newest type of affiliate network of the month

Voting on networks to punish (Strike)

Live chat room

Vote on a group test of a new network followed by review

 

Hi CPALeadTroy,

I think it's admirable that you are trying to get this started!

Our industry in the past however has had a very difficult time getting any organized effort or association off the ground. Many have been attempted and failed due in part to so many individual opinions and a lack of time for committed people to get an association organized.

The Performance Marketing Alliance finally did get off the ground but it was a big challenge and happened largely because Affiliate Classroom funded a full time person to handle all the start up organization.

But again I commend the effort and hope you can get some people committed enough to help you pull it off.

Best of luck!

 

It would be alike a database of information about publishers/affiliates experience with network X/Y/Z right?
It could also have news of the industry, for instance, change on the policy of the network, etc.

Something like this shouldn't be overlooked, it would not only help publishers/affiliates see which networks are serious about their business and which ones are just into it to make a quick profit taking advantage of the ingenuity and lack of power of its publishers/affiliates.

An association like this would open the eyes of the networks and they would evaluate more its publishers/affiliates, because once the name of their organization have a bad feedback they lose business, not only publishers would stop promoting the offers available on their network as also they would lose advertisers.
So the game would change because 1 isolate complaint isn't as powerful as a lot of complaints filled under the same network.

 

Just like you terminated me? When I had been a publisher since November 2007, and yet you fail to listen to me?:

 

I've got something like this in the works right now. It's not to the exact extent of what is listed here, however many of the issues and ideas you've all mentioned will be implemented.

Feel free to post any other suggestions or ideas you have on this topic and I'll make sure they are included.

I'm hoping the site will be launched in the next month...

 

5starAffiliates & Thales - Thank you for your kind words. I really appreciate your input.

MakeThatDollar - Cheer up. You were paid in full and terminated due to your traffic sources as I have explained many times before in the past.

Dropship - Glad you are taking the initiative. Please let me know when this site is launched.

 

This sounds great. I would love to see whoever finishes this.

 

Yes, I too think this is a fantastic idea. I really wish you the best of success as this industry could do good with an organization like the one your are trying to start. As mentioned, there has been many attempts but they have quickly dissipated into thin air.

Please keep us updated!

Best of Luck,

Jeff

 

Wow.. I'm impressed. It's so spot-on. This is exactly what is needed coz I have been searching for answers to the above.. but don't seem to be able to.
I'm sure there are many more like me .. may they be merchants/vendors or even potential affiliates.

By the way, I am new to this Forum... posted a thread earlier asking for recommendations of which CPA network is honest, suitable for me to work with coz I am looking for passionate affiliates who are interested to market skin care products. Any suggestions?

In the course of researching.. yes, I have read numerous negative feedback of various CPA network, big or small. Quite scary.. to be honest.

As one of the affiliates were saying.. we are here to make a honest living. Just give us a break and give us a chance to work harmoniously with everyone.

Well, if you can help me on my posted thread.. it will be much appreciated. So far, no one has responded yet.

As to your suggestions in the quote above... THUMBS UP!!!!

 

My only concern is that the owner stands to make a profit if they include their referral links under each listed network, which ruins the credibility of the organization.

If this organization is formed, any referral money would have to go directly towards the organization for development costs.

It takes a special kind of honest leader to be in charge of a non-profit organization like this. Is there an honest leader among us? Is the question.

 

Well, that's a Million$ question. But certainly hope something of that nature that you have suggested can start to shape up.

It's thro' honest environment that everyone can feel comfortable.. in this way, believe that's how business growth can come about.

 

I don't think that referring good networks that are in excellent standing would ruin the credibility of the organization if all information about the network is indeed true and verified by it's own members. Referring bad networks using an affiliate link would then ruin the credibility.

I also do not think it's going to be possible for someone to run a non profit sort of site that you mentioned with all the requested features and such mentioned. Putting all the time and effort into something like this would indeed deserve compensation.

The affiliates with a voice that contribute to the site will actually make the site vs. the leader.

 

CPALeadTroy,

Legal action is the only way to get the attention of unethical programs... short of beating them down at industry events. Trust me, there are a few program owners that will feel the pinch should I ever find them in the street.

 

I truly believe this is nice idea.

 

Any updates on the progress on this idea?

 

This is all great to hear, but on the flip side, are we going to have an association of networks where the information of a fraudulent affiliate is shared across all networks so that affiliate can be banned from the industry?

And CPALead...weren't you responsible for getting a lot of affiliates blocked and charged back because of the script you provided them that basically allowed scores of affiliates to "incentivize" non incentive offers? Your script had so many affiliates putting up sites with popups that said "before you can download this movie, please fill out the survey (or email, or zip) first". A LOT of advertisers had conversions charged back because of worthless traffic due to your script. And yes, I'm sure a lot of affiliates complained that a "network treated them badly and unfairly" when in fact it was the result of an amateurish move to pass around an incentive script without realizing the crap traffic that it would cause or without educating affiliates that they could NOT use something like this on non-incentive offers, which make up about 95% of the offers out there.

In fact, didn't CPALead itself get banned from running a lot of single field lead traffic? At least that's what I assumed from all the phone calls I received from other networks asking your traffic and the incentive script you provided.

But hey, bygones. If you're educating your affiliates now, and teaching them the difference between incentive and non-incentive offers, then rock on.