Is direct linking not forbidden by amazon associates?

Hello,

i found, that a lot of amazon associates users promoting products by posting direct links in forums, chats and other websites.

Link example:

http://www.amazon.com/Sims-3-Late-Night-Mac/dp/B003WU3CDW/?tag=BLAHBLAH-20

(BLAHBLAH-20 - changed amazon associates tag to not existing (i guess )

Is it forbidden or not?

 

This is forbidden... a user got banned from Amazon for posting links on a "special offers" type website. He made a fortune but had it all whipped away.

You can't promote Amazon links on sites that don't belong to you (but the TOS is not very clear on this... think about something like Squidoo.com which is somewhere in between - not your site, but your page).

 

So, i think, i just report this user to amazon support. Hope next time he won't cheat

 

thanks, good to know

 

Also don't forget that you have to send in each website you want to put links on to Amazon so they can review it and allow it.

 

You can put 'tag=xxxxxxx-20' at the end of the URL. There's no issue with that.

But, those URL's must be posted at your own website, blog or forum.

 

Yep, I think what they want to avoid is any paid placements or placements similar to paid placements, like the explicitly forbidden direct linking from PPC/SEM. Free hosted sites like squidoo are totally fine, Amazon even offers a comfortable product integration for blogger.com for example.

So, as long as it's your content/page on a freehost, no matter if blogger, squidoo, hubpages, tumblr or any free blog host, you are certainly within the TOS.

 

These sites I agree would be fine, but not necessarily all sites. A user on here was posting links on a special offers website. He was listing the Amazon products, with his affiliate code, as a special offer and made a lot of sales. Amazon banned him for this. He didn't pay for anything.

Unfortunately Amazon just aren't clear on this. It might be that if you "own" the page (e.g. on squidoo, ezine, hubpages it is your content therefore effectively your page) then you are ok.

 

hi, I am wondering about amazon and youtube? i am a new associate.. could i use youtube to review products and direct link to amazon? Or if not, could i place a link to my blog from amazon and THEN directly to the product at Amazon? it's just that i've seen loads of vids on youtube that directly link to product pages..
Also, am just wondering about the capping situation. It's $35 for computers isn't it...but is there no capping for general items, like musical instruements? ie.. if i sold a gibson les paul for $2000 would i get the 4% fee (or whatever it is..) ? ... is that right? ... i saw a 1957 Gibson listed on amazon for $110,000 ! that would be a good sale to make!

thanks

David

 

when you create a blog or site on a site like a free host, Blogger or hub pages this page is yours. But this is not case if you post direct links in a forum or site which you have no ownership rights.

But posting a link to your site and using it as a landing page is perfectly fine. So why risk ?

 

I have a couple of questions about Amazon linking.

1. Can we use direct links (using the amzn.to shortened link available from Amazon themselves via bit.ly) in our Twitter posts in our own Twitter account?

Amazon have made the shortened link available for a reason so I suspect they don't mind us using our own Twitter accounts. If allowed I obviously would submit my Twitter account (twitter.com/ACCOUNT_NAME) to Amazon by setting a tracking link for it. I see someone extensively using several Twitter accounts using the word "Amazon" like "AmazonDeals" and using the amzn.to links. Maybe it's some of Amazon's official Twitter accounts.

2. Can we use PPV popunder/over traffic (eg TrafficVance, AdOnNetwork, LeadImpact etc) to display our landing page/ad that contains direct link/s to Amazon? (Please note that I don't say PPV direct to Amazon via my link, but PPV to my Landing Page first, then link/s to Amazon.)

My PPV landing page would be hosted on my own site that can be submitted to Amazon for tracking codes. The landing page would be the usual 800x600 html page. It could be let's say, a music campaign, where I do a pop (html landing page) with Amazon's Top 5 Selling Hip Hop Artists ...then each of the 5 links would go direct to that Artist's music at Amazon. The pop would be targeted to relevant artist url's.

It seems using a landing page in PPV would be fine because I'm already prequalifying the traffic rather than sending hordes of people direct to Amazon. Then again, isn't that what they want? lol

Thanks for your input guys.

 

I would say both of these are fine. A twitter account is yours, in the same way as a hubpages account etc.

In terms of PPV to a landing page.. again the landing page is yours and thats where you are linking from. So how you get traffic to the landing page is up to you and Amazon are only bothered if you are linking directly from Ads, PPC, PPV etc.

 

Is it okay to post your Amazon links on Social Networks like Facebook or Twitter?

 

Thanks for replying. I'll double check in the Amazon forums.

By putting on your thinking cap and scribbling all over a whiteboard I think you could get a good business going by choosing a product category and creating a trinity of Review Website - Twitter - Facebook. Promoting Gold Box & daily deals, new product launches, and best customer reviewed products (like the Top 10). Just some ideas folks.

 

Hello, I am using direct link from amazon and doing well until now and no problem without website or blog.

 

If the page is yours, then you don't have any problems. But make sure you are not giving incentives for people to click on your links. Amazon encourage users to promote their product on Twitter - hence their own short url. Infact, there's a feature on their site for posting to Twitter, just log in, it's on the account stripe.

Good luck

 

That's clearly not allowed for a simple reason: You may not register any domains or social media accounts to impersonate Amazon in any way. So "MyGardenDeals" is certainly not a problem "AmazonGardenDeals" is against the TOS. So, in general it's fine, but stay away from using "Amazon" in any domain or account/user/profile names.

 

I recently sent an email to Amazon with these questions:
Comments:
re:
Associates Program Operating Agreement

Section: 7
--------------------------------------
Quote (1):
"a link to the Amazon Site, including a Redirecting Link, that is generated or displayed on a Search Engine in response to a general Internet search query or keyword (i.e., in natural, free, organic, or unpaid search results), whether those links appear through your submission of data to that site or otherwise."

Quote(2):
"“Search Engine” means Google, Yahoo, Bing, or any other search engine, portal, sponsored advertising service, or other search or referral service, or any site that participates in any of their respective networks. "
-----------------------------------
Question 1:
Does the term "redirecting link" in Quote 1 above refer to any redirecting link, or redirecting links that appear in SERPs?

Question 2:
Does amazon consider Youtube.com to be a "participant" of the Google network, or a separate entity?

Question 3:
Does amazon allow the placement of a "special link" in the "comments" section below a youtube video that is for the purpose of reviewing an Amazon product, which links directly to a product page on Amazon? It's a "naked" link (not cloaked).

Question 4:
Does amazon allow a C-Panel redirect from a "special link" to the Amazon product page?


This was their answer:


Oct 13, 2012 (2 days ago)

Hello Richard,

I'm sorry for the time it has taken for me to get back to you regarding your questions. Since you asked your questions in a numbered format, I will respond in the same way.

1. Within our program we do not allow the use of any redirecting link. In short, a site visitor of yours will need to actively click on an Associate's link embedded into your site which will forward them into Amazon.com. If you choose to build your own Associate links you must make it obvious to the visitor that they will be forwarded to Amazon.com once they click the link. If the link does not indicate such, this will be considered redirecting. The quote below may be helpful as well in indicating what we consider a redirecting link.

Quoted from the Operating Agreement: “Redirecting Link” means a link that sends users indirectly to the Amazon Site via an intermediate site or webpage and without requiring the user to click on a link or take some other affirmative action on that intermediate site or webpage."

2. and 3. While we would consider Youtube to be part of the Google network, we do allow Associates to post links on their Youtube profiles and videos. You will want to keep in mind the reference to Google was made in regards to Paid Search Placement with search engines, which we do not allow. In short, you will be able to post Associate links on your Youtube profile page and videos.

4. All information we are able to provide regarding redirecting can be found in our Operating Agreement. Since we are unable to interpret any sections of the agreement for you, I would suggest contacting a legal professional if you have any further questions of this nature.

Thank you for contacting Amazon.com.



Best regards,

Jenn J.
Amazon Associates Program

 

Squidoo really is a good site for a good blend of ownership and partnership with the host company.

 

What if you actually lived in the Amazon and have a shop called Garden Deals and you also like twitter and are an Amazon Associate? You be screwed, no?