Grrr... I'm both a publisher and an active affiliate. But I never post affiliate links on my product's site. I'm not opposed to the idea of opt-in lists for the sake of offering free information and keeping customers hooked on the idea of buying a product. BUT.... I do get a little annoyed when visitors click my affiliate link to a product, and sign up for the newsletter, and then the newsletter has links with a publisher's affiliate link to his own product. In other words, he cancels out my affiliate link so he gets full credit for the sale. One particular affiliate is doing this. Here's how: He has two accounts for two different products. Then, you go to product one, sign up for the list, and he uses his other user name as an affiliate link to his own product. OR, his pitch page for product will say, "Click here for another great product"... and he'll use his own affiliate link to connect visitors to his second product. I thought about confronting the publisher and asking him about this practice... but I do still sell quite a few of his products... And I'm not sure how the reqest will be perceived. I'm not sure if it's against Clickbank TOS or not.... but even if it is, I think I'd rather confront the publisher directly. Any thoughts? Or, is this just a normal, legitimate practice that I should ignore? - fb P.S. Sometimes I feel like I'm sending all these people to other sites just so publishers can build their own lists and make affiliate sales. Because of this, I generally prefer dealing with publishers who do not have lists.
This is not right, I wouldn't promote someone who does that. If a customer you brought signs up for the opt-in list, and the publisher puts his aff. link, then he's basically stealing your sales. You're not getting anything even though it's your customer. Affiliate Links on the pitch page are also unacceptable, I'd won't promote someone who does that. Which publisher are we talking about?
Yeah tell us which publisher...or at least pm me with his name bc that is completely unacceptable man
This is EXACTLY why I've started to create and sell my own products. More sales and better conversions. Plus, when I put in all that hard work and only make a sale or two, I'm getting 100% of the price of my product and it feels better, knowing I didn't waste my time to promote something else to get someone some quick cash. Honestly, when you're an affiliate, although you really work for yourself, you also technically work for someone else, because the hard work you put in DOES earn you money, but it still also earns that product owner money. They do the work up front, then sit back and collect the cash, while affiliates pound away like crazy, doing most of the promotional work. That's the position I'm getting into now - Doing the work upfront and reaping the rewards and benefits down the line. It just makes sense.
Nope its not right, I stay away from pages with opt ins because of this. Although I believe if hes converting off of an opt in you probably lost that customer anyways, still he gets his % if he send a straight link.
yeah if i check out the publisher site and see an email capture i just don't promote it, end of story ... one day i will be a publisher for these very reasons ;o)
Of course it's not legitimate. It's dishonest. The important thing is to stop him from doing it, and you can perhaps do that by bringing it to his attention that you've noticed how he's doing it, and simply mention that if he's still doing it in 24 hours' time, it's going to be discussed with his name in the posts in 10 different online forums where Clickbank affiliates are members. That may be all it takes?