90 New Posts Today

[Robert Drumm]

Pursuant to the ShareASale Pledges and Expectations - Part 2 thread, I've rewrote the AC Lens PPC policy to include everything that may be applicable to doing PPC with AC Lens.

I've also had the TOS re-written which will be posted in a separate thread later. Please review the below information and should you have questions, complaints, or comments, feel free to leave them here.

Thanks

Bob





ACLens.com Affiliate Pay Per Click (PPC) Policy

1. Allowed Search Engines

• Bidding is allowed on Google, Yahoo, and MSN/Bing with a few restrictions listed herein.
• Bidding on Ask, FindWhat, and other search engines is permitted with no restrictions on AC Lens trademarked terms.
• Clause 3. below (Competitor Terms) in the PPC Policy must be followed on all Pay Per Click search engines and advertisements.

2. AC Lens and Manufacturer Trademarks

• Affiliates may not bid on AC Lens trademark terms on Google, Yahoo, and MSN/Bing including the international versions of all three.
• There are no trademark restrictions with AC Lens trademarks on ASK, Find What, and other Pay Per Click search engines.
• Affiliates MAY NOT use www.aclens.com in the display URL at any PPC search engine or various “content network” sections. Alternative spellings of our domain name are not permitted as well including but not limited to www.aclenses.com, www.ac-lens.com, www.aclens.net, etc. See direct linking policy below for additional information.
• Affiliates are permitted to use AC Lens trademarks in the URL to the right of the domain in the display URL. Example: www.yoursite.com/aclens.
• Affiliates may not include “Official Site” or make representations that your advertisement is AC Lens in anyway.
• Affiliates MAY NOT bid on AC Lens + “term” on Google, Yahoo, and MSN. Example – “aclens coupons”, “aclens coupon codes”, etc.
• You may bid on manufacturer specific terms although some manufacturers have blocked the use of their terms on various search engines without prior permission.
• AC Lens terms include all of the following and any potential misspellings not shown here:
  
  www.aclens.com
  aclens.com
  www.aclens
  aclens
  ac lens
  a c lens
  a.c. lens
  ac lenses
  a c lenses
  arlington contact lens service
  arlington contact lenses service
  arlington lens supply
  arlington contact lens supply

3. Competitors Terms
May not bid on competitors terms including the following and all possible misspellings not included:

1 800 contact
1 800 contacts
1800 contacts
1-800 contacts
1800.contacts
1800contact
1800contacts
1-800-contacts
1800contacts.com
1800contacs
1800 contacs
1800contacs
1.800 contacts
18000 contacts
1 8000contacts
800 contacts
800.contacts
800contacts
Aquasoft
Aquasoft complete vision system
Evision
Lens Express
The world's largest contact lens store
Exact same contact lenses, delivered to your door, for less than you're paying now
We make it simple
We deliver you save
www.1800contacts.com
www.1800contacts.net
www.1800contacts.org
www.1800contacs.com
www.1800contacs.net
www.1-800contacts.com
www.1-800contacts.net
www.800contacts.com
www.800contacts.net
www.contacts.com
www.lens1st.com
www.lensfirst.com
www.lensexpress.com
Coastal contacts
coastal contact
www.coastalcontacts.com
coastalcontacts.com
www.visiondirect.com
visiondirect.com
vision direct
visiondirect
www.lensmart.com
lensmart.com
lensmart
www.lensexpress.com
lensexpress.com
lensexpress
lens.com
www.lens.com
www.justlenses
www.justlenses.com

4. Direct to Merchant / Landing Pages

• Direct to Merchant bidding is not permitted on Google, Yahoo, and MSN.
• Affiliates may not use our URL in the display URL on any PPC advertisement.
• Domain misspellings are not allowed in the display URL on any advertisement including but not limited to www.aclenses.com, www.aclens.net, www.ac-lens.com, etc.
• Affiliates bidding on AC Lens trademarks may not use a landing page that includes advertisements for competitors. Example – An affiliate bids on the term “aclens.com”. The landing page must be entirely dedicated to AC Lens and must not have “other offer” type marketing verbiage showing competitor offers.

5. Geo-Targeting and Day Parting

• Geo-Targeting is allowed on all search engines so long as all policies regarding display URL, competitor terms, and trademarks are followed.
  Day Parting is allowed on all search engines so long as all policies regarding display URL, competitor terms, and trademarks are followed.
• Geo-Targeting and day parting to avoid enforcement of the AC Lens PPC Policy is strictly prohibited and grounds for immediate removal and reversal of all commissions up to 30 days prior to the date of the PPC violation.
• International Geo-Targeting is allowed so long as the advertisement is truthful in AC Lens international policies. Example – International affiliates may not mention free shipping on international orders, taxes are not included, etc.
• International affiliates may not use an AC Lens display URL on any search engine including but not limited to www.aclens.com, www.aclens.co.uk, www.aclens.ca, and any related misspellings.

6. Ad copy restrictions

• Truth in advertising – All affiliates are required to be truthful about any advertisement representing AC Lens including information surrounding rebate, coupon, and sales offers.
• Do not represent your advertisement as an official AC Lens endorsed advertisement or site.

7. Exclusions, Penalties, and Notifications

• AC Lens reserves the right to exclude any or all of our PPC policy for individual affiliates at our sole discretion.
• Excluded affiliates will be required to agree via signed contract to any exclusion permitted herein. Do not assume exclusion via verbal or written communication.
• Affiliates will receive one warning and be given 48 business hours to comply with any PPC violations. A 2nd violation will result in termination of the affiliate relationship and may be cause for reversal of past commissions earned up to 30 days prior to the 2nd violation. See below exceptions to this policy.
• Affiliates found using Geo-Targeting or Day Parting features at search engines to avoid enforcement of the AC Lens PPC Policy will be immediately removed from the AC Lens affiliate program, have all commissions reversed up to 30 days prior to the violation date, and be immediately reported to the
• Affiliate Network for investigation.
• Affiliates found breaching the PPC Policy and Terms of Service regarding competitor terms will be immediately removed from the program, have all commissions reversed up to 30 days, and be subject to a $5,000 penalty.
• From time to time, AC Lens may review the PPC policy for changes in the way search engines operate or changes in AC Lens's philosophy. Any changes made to the PPC Policy will be announced via the AC Lens affiliate newsletter and posted on the AC Lens website. Affiliates will be given no less than 7 business days to comply with any new PPC terms before a 1st violation will be cited on the affiliates account.

Reporting Violations

Violations of the AC Lens PPC Policy may be reported to affiliates@aclens.com. Please have all applicable proof in your email including but not limited to screen shots of the ad, geographical location of the ad, URL/Network tracking information, and search engine where the ad was found.

Updated 4/30/2010

[Robert Drumm]

Forgot to mention. You can see the new policy on our site here: http://www.aclens.com/ppc_rules.asp.

This will be announced in the July newsletter. PPC affiliates who may not be following the rules as they now apply will have 7 business days from the newsletter date to make corrections to their advertisements.

Bob

[Robert Drumm]

Quick reminder....warnings for PPC violators will be going out tomorrow morning.

Thanks

Bob

[Robert Drumm]

Not really an update but an announcement. Please be sure to review section 3. Competitors Terms very carefully if you intend to promote AC Lens and our sister sites. It must be followed to the letter and it is a one strike and you're out policy.

See our full PPC Policy here - http://www.aclens.com/ppc_rules.asp

[Robert Drumm]

Updated today. Please review section 3.

[Robert Drumm]

I wanted to give ABW'ers a quick heads-up. Due to excessive abuse of our PPC policy, there will be some changes announced in the newsletter later this week.

Bidding on AC Lens trademark terms will no longer be allowed. Bidding on TM + term will also no longer be allowed. There have also been some changes to penalties for those who violate the PPC Policy.

Affiliates will have 7 days from receipt of the May newsletter to come into compliance.

My apologies to those who may be inconvenienced by the change. Please let me know if you have questions.

Bob

[John Powell]

Originally Posted by Robert Drumm

4. Direct to Merchant / Landing Pages

• Direct to Merchant bidding is permitted on Google, Yahoo, and MSN so long as our domain is not used as the display URL. Direct to Merchant is defined as any PPC advertisement that goes through an affiliate link direct to www.aclens.com instead of to an affiliate landing page.

Robert, Could you give me an example of how that might work? I have done Direct to Merchant using the merchants domain and don't see how you would do it any other way.

[Robert Drumm]

Sorry...looks like a missed a section when updating. Will make that change now.

Bob

[Robert Drumm]

Originally Posted by John Powell

Robert, Could you give me an example of how that might work? I have done Direct to Merchant using the merchants domain and don't see how you would do it any other way.

I think you were reading while I was updating...I'm not seeing that. Is that on our site or elsewhere?

Bob

[John Powell]

Originally Posted by Robert Drumm

I think you were reading while I was updating...I'm not seeing that. Is that on our site or elsewhere?

Bob

It was in your OP in this thread, but as you said you must have been correcting it as I posted. I think you have it like you want now.