1. Advertising
    y u no do it?

    Advertising (learn more)

    Advertise virtually anything here, with CPM banner ads, CPM email ads and CPC contextual links. You can target relevant areas of the site and show ads based on geographical location of the user if you wish.

    Starts at just $1 per CPM or $0.10 per CPC.

Is It Immoral To Sell What You Haven't Tried?

Discussion in 'General Marketing' started by Benjamin Scott, Jul 3, 2020.

  1. #1
    There are hundreds of affiliate networks to choose from and as an affiliate marketer it's easy to pretty much sell anything.

    Is it important for you to try the product first?

    Or do you possibly just promote products from marketers you trust if you haven't used the product or service.

    Or maybe you just feel it's immoral to sell something you haven't tried.

    Are there any guiding factors that help you in deciding what products or services you promote?
     
    Benjamin Scott, Jul 3, 2020 IP
    qwikad.com likes this.
  2. seomanualsubmission

    seomanualsubmission Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    905
    Likes Received:
    128
    Best Answers:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    165
    #2
    According to me ......... In affiliate marketing first of all peoples are looking for products which can give him good commission.

    Second your niche market ... For example if you will list any medical products on marketing related niche means result will be about 0%. So choose products of related niche market with good commission ......... as you can see SEMRUSH ads at DP because its related to marketing niche and giving also good commission.

    So i think it not necessary that we try first any products and then sell online to earn. In affiliate marketing we are just making a bridge between product manufacturer or services provider and buyer ... and for this we get commission, so i think responsibility is completely on product manufacturer or services provider.
     
    seomanualsubmission, Jul 3, 2020 IP
  3. JEET

    JEET Notable Member

    Messages:
    3,825
    Likes Received:
    502
    Best Answers:
    19
    Trophy Points:
    265
    #3
    In a way, yes its immoral.
    You are giving false reviews, false recommendations to your website visitors.
    But then you cannot go on trying 100 products yourself before you pitch 5-6 to someone else.
    However, most affiliate networks have refund options and if the customer is not satisfied, then they can get a refund. You lose your commission too.
    So if you are tricking people into buying something really useless, and customers keep taking refunds, then its really you who is losing your advertising dollar and effort.

    When I used to do affiliate marketing, I used to sign up to the newsletter of the seller.
    Most of the times they explain their product and its benefits in that for a long duration of time, so you get an idea of the product.
    Plus you also get to understand the seller themselves, their knowledge, their skill.
    Sometimes, you even get a very special deal via newsletter, like a short time trial for a dollar or so. You get to try the product here.
     
    JEET, Jul 3, 2020 IP
    jrbiz and seomanualsubmission like this.
  4. jrbiz

    jrbiz Acclaimed Member

    Messages:
    6,030
    Likes Received:
    2,610
    Best Answers:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    570
    #4
    I am not an affiliate marketer and never have been. However, I have been selling products that I have never used for over 30 years. Nothing immoral about it. Of course, I freely admit that the products/services I sell are too complex or otherwise unusable by someone like me. I am usually selling stuff that I can barely understand to highly trained engineers, scientists, analysts, etc. So, what I am trying to point out is that morality lies around how you present the product/service to the buyer. If you do not misrepresent yourself or the product/service, there is nothing immoral about the sales transaction.
     
    jrbiz, Jul 4, 2020 IP
  5. srarlievs1122

    srarlievs1122 Peon

    Messages:
    15
    Likes Received:
    3
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    3
    #5
    The smart answer would be "Don't think about it." The right answer would be "It depends." It can't be denied that a huge part of business hovers around grey areas. If you want to make sure that you cause the least amount of damage, though, researching the products you are promoting can often be enough. You don't necessarily need to try it yourself if you have other people's experiences and some reviews to find out.
     
    srarlievs1122, Jul 7, 2020 IP
  6. Spartan14

    Spartan14 Active Member

    Messages:
    992
    Likes Received:
    94
    Best Answers:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    78
    #6
    Well you need to give to people real value because they are your customers that they like you and trust you .Lets supose you sell good products to people and people are very satisfied and they like you .But you decide to sell to people a product that you dont know nothing ,and your product its shit .Then people will be very disapointed and they said ,i need to stop buying from this man he totaly scammed me .So its the same in online marketing
     
    Spartan14, Jul 7, 2020 IP
  7. jrbiz

    jrbiz Acclaimed Member

    Messages:
    6,030
    Likes Received:
    2,610
    Best Answers:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    570
    #7
    Um, I am not sure that "Don't think about it" is a smart answer to just about any business question. ;)
     
    jrbiz, Jul 7, 2020 IP
    sarahk likes this.
  8. sarahk

    sarahk iTamer Staff

    Messages:
    28,494
    Likes Received:
    4,457
    Best Answers:
    123
    Trophy Points:
    665
    #8
    My limited experience with affiliate marketing is centered around weight loss products. You don't have to have tried it but if you're going to say that "it works", "best method ever" etc you have to have a decent understanding of the product and how it compares to the alternatives and mainstream options.

    If you're just selling physical items that can be seen and evaluated it is probably less important that you've never seen or used the physical product.
     
    sarahk, Jul 7, 2020 IP
  9. zoink59

    zoink59 Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    35
    Likes Received:
    9
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    100
    #9
    Not always. Even major brands such as Apple, Adidas, and Bloomingdales have affiliate marketing programs. These companies have established reputations in their markets, good consumer protection policies in place, and a loyal following for their brands. The average customer knows what they are buying so I don't see any immoral bent in helping them buy products they already know and want to use. The difficult part is qualifying to be an affiliate for one of these highly respected brands. Typically you need a high traffic website with content that is relevant to their product/service.

    So, bottom-line, no I do not think it is immoral to promote something you have not personally tried but I do think it is important to perform due diligence before promoting anything.

    Having said that, I do think it's immoral to eat chocolate ice cream in front of a person who is dieting. Don't get me started on that...
     
    zoink59, Jul 7, 2020 IP
    jrbiz likes this.
  10. jrbiz

    jrbiz Acclaimed Member

    Messages:
    6,030
    Likes Received:
    2,610
    Best Answers:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    570
    #10
    It would be worse if it was chocolate chip ice cream, but point well taken! :)
     
    jrbiz, Jul 8, 2020 IP
  11. WINstore

    WINstore Peon

    Messages:
    10
    Likes Received:
    1
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    1
    #11
    It is not only immoral but actually a bad business strategy when you are promoting something. A marketer has to know the strengths and weaknesses of the product they are selling to better convince the audiences and keep them hooked. Otherwise, if a product fails or experiences other such difficulties, you might also lose credibility in the eyes of the buyers. So it seems fair to try and know a little about the product you aim to promote.
     
    WINstore, Aug 19, 2020 IP
  12. R.G. Ramsey

    R.G. Ramsey Greenhorn

    Messages:
    20
    Likes Received:
    7
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    8
    #12
    I have used the Amazon affiliate program for a long time. If I write an article I will often promote a book related to the topic of my article that has good reviews even though I have never read it myself. I don't find it immoral in that case because the customer can do their own research, and read reviews on Amazon before making their decision.
    Good luck with your business.
     
    R.G. Ramsey, Aug 20, 2020 IP
  13. Profit Monkey

    Profit Monkey Peon Affiliate Manager

    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    3
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    3
    #13
    Well, yes and no.

    For example if product is based online - like gambling, dating etc., I do believe you should test it out yourself just to gain more understanding towards the product you're promoting.

    However, let's say you're promoting product that's used in medical purposes... You really shouldn't test it out yourself and you should just go with the words given by experts. Is it kinda immoral? Technically yes, practically no.
     
    Profit Monkey, Aug 20, 2020 IP
  14. sarahk

    sarahk iTamer Staff

    Messages:
    28,494
    Likes Received:
    4,457
    Best Answers:
    123
    Trophy Points:
    665
    #14
    Should you be selling a medical product that you have no way of assessing it's efficacy etc? Oncologists don't need to have cancer to know how to treat it. You can sell something by giving an educated review of it's features, manufacturing methods or whatever You can have held it, talked to professionals who have used it. If all you do is regurgitate the official sales spiel then you are adding nothing and there is no reason for buyers to trust you.
     
    sarahk, Aug 20, 2020 IP
  15. Profit Monkey

    Profit Monkey Peon Affiliate Manager

    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    3
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    3
    #15
    And that is exactly what I was trying to say when I said go with the words given by experts. :) Also, common sense is that if you're promoting any sort of product you actually get to see it, so didn't even mention that. My point is, you should NOT test it on yourself. Also, I don't think there's a lot you should add to such products anyways, unless you're well educated and trained in such field. I agree with the part "Hold it, talk to professionals, gather experiences, gather manufacturing methods".
     
    Profit Monkey, Aug 20, 2020 IP
  16. IMDaniel

    IMDaniel Greenhorn

    Messages:
    72
    Likes Received:
    10
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    23
    #16
    It depends on how you promote the product.
    If you go into a store, the cashier probably hasn't tried all things on the shelves but they sell them.

    If you claim that you've tried the product and that it has changed your life but you didn't try it then that would be immoral.
     
    IMDaniel, Aug 20, 2020 IP
  17. sarahk

    sarahk iTamer Staff

    Messages:
    28,494
    Likes Received:
    4,457
    Best Answers:
    123
    Trophy Points:
    665
    #17
    The cashier isn't actually selling though, merely concluding a transaction. The sales job was done by advertising, word of mouth, product placement. The store owner who decides to put Brand X Peanut Butter on the shelf is the one deciding what gets sold and how it's sold.
    Then again, if you're on the checkout for a product that you know is being misrepresented you have to decide if you want to be part of that or if you'll walk away.

    I wouldn't work for a tobacco company but I would work for a company that owns shares in tobacco companies (mainly because who can actually keep track?). If was on checkout in a store that sold tobacco I'd handle those sales because (in my country, at least) I know the store has not actively encouraged the customer to smoke.

    Ethics matter but it's a completely personal matter where you draw the line.
     
    sarahk, Aug 20, 2020 IP
  18. Ganonmakesmoney

    Ganonmakesmoney Greenhorn

    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    11
    #18
    Dude there is no set definition of moral or immoral. For example I love joking about rape and paedophilia. I see no problem with laughing about. But others are disgusted by it.

    Neither I or they are 'wrong'. It's we see things from a different world.

    Don't worry about what others class as 'immoral. If it seems ok to you then do it. Furthermore don't be scared to do something which you're not sure on. Often doing something will make it clear how you feel about it. If it turns out to be bad simply stop.

    At the end of the day you're just pushing some products online. It's not exactly rape is it?
     
    Ganonmakesmoney, Oct 19, 2020 IP
  19. malky66

    malky66 Acclaimed Member

    Messages:
    3,996
    Likes Received:
    2,248
    Best Answers:
    88
    Trophy Points:
    515
    #19
    Are you a pedophile/rapist by any chance? What a stupid sentiment to post on a forum.
    You are definitely wrong.
     
    malky66, Oct 21, 2020 IP
    jrbiz and Spoiltdiva like this.
  20. sarahk

    sarahk iTamer Staff

    Messages:
    28,494
    Likes Received:
    4,457
    Best Answers:
    123
    Trophy Points:
    665
    #20
    You get why they're disgusted, right?
     
    sarahk, Oct 21, 2020 IP