[jlf0612]

Hi Everyone,

In the past, we have been completely against shopathome.com's software.

I am just curious - what is your opinion of Shopathome.com's just introduced double opt-in software? They've informed me that they now have the option for merchants to opt-in to the new version of the software which forces a double opt-in by the consumer.

Thank you!

Jessica Faulkner
jfaulkner@contacts.com
www.1800contacts.com

[Zeus]

Jessica - I am just curious - what is your opinion of Shopathome.com's just introduced double opt-in software?

Shopathome is a parasite, a THIEF. They steal other affiliates commissions with their reminder. They still have their toolbar, they still infest our customers PCs with their applet 'ShopAtHome Cash Back', 'Select CashBack', 'SelectRebates' Or SAHAGENT.

They've informed me that they now have the option for merchants to opt-in to the new version of the software which forces a double opt-in by the consumer.

They can have double, triple or whatever opt-in software, they are still stealing from us, merchants and affiliates.

[Mack]

Originally Posted by jlf0612

In the past, we have been completely against shopathome.com's software.

Same here. Nothing changed.

I feel sorry for the merchants who can't figue out there is no value add to these types of programs and all it does is make them pay commissions they shouldn't/wouldn't have to, as well as chase away affiliates who would actually make an effort to promote products.

[ReallyBigGuy]

Trying to put frosting on sh!t, doesn't make it a cake...
it just trys to cover up the sh!t.

[jlf0612]

haha, thanks for your opinion! I really appreciate it. Sounds like they are still up to no good...

[Snowman]

Jessica, the opt-in/out process is not the issue. It's the way the software behaves that makes it parasitic.

[ReallyBigGuy]

Originally Posted by Snowman

Jessica, the opt-in/out process is not the issue. It's the way the software behaves that makes it parasitic.

hey, that's what I said... just not so elequently.

[Chuck Hamrick]

Hi Jessica, asking an affiliate if they think a parasite is clean will always get you this response. I am not sure an affiliate would ever trust that a parasite changed their ways. You will win their trust if you took that stance against a company like SAHS!!

[Zeus]

?

[UncleScooter]

With a history of years of forced installs and other abuses to the American consumer, it only makes sense that they spin it like they are warm and fuzzy now.

Merchants use affiliates to drive traffic and generate sales they would not necessarily have gotten otherwise (incremental sales). An affiliate that installs software on a shopper's computer, whether the shopper knowingly installed it and fully understood what it does or not, is doing nothing to bring a merchant a new customer. Their software pops and sets a cookie when the shopper visits the merchant's site, whether the shopper wishes to use the software or not. They are not bringing new sales to that merchant. They are cannibalizing the merchant's own SEO and PPC traffic as well as the traffic of the merchant's other affiliates.

Dress it however you want to. A pig in a dress is still a pig in a dress.
Opt in 80,000 times. A parasite is still a parasite.

[dagaul]

I have a theory that all the super affiliates in some way or other are forcing cookies on many people's computer to generate the sales they do

[Greg Rice]

Originally Posted by dagaul

I have a theory that all the super affiliates in some way or other are forcing cookies on many people's computer to generate the sales they do

That's a pretty bad theory. Most of my top affiliates don't get a lot of clicks and usually have good conversion rates. Cookie stuffers are pretty easy to spot by their stats. Most super affiliates get a lot of sales because they know how to market and convert.

[newestuser]

Originally Posted by dagaul

I have a theory that all the super affiliates in some way or other are forcing cookies on many people's computer to generate the sales they do

Wow, that's quite a statement.

[Chuck Hamrick]

Got three calls from them this week. Replied via email that I prefer not to work with affiliates that use downloads. They called again and I asked if they read the email. They wondered if it got caught in their spam filter which I find ironic. I reitereated and they said thank you goodbye.

It tells me that they are getting that response as there is not the arguement I got over the last several years.

[Rollerblader]

Originally Posted by dagaul

I have a theory that all the super affiliates in some way or other are forcing cookies on many people's computer to generate the sales they do

I disagree as well. Many of my top affiliates in CJ, including some of the superaffiliates in CJ have sites which have great content and rank extremely high where we can't, enabling them to drive in the traffic.

Because we have not been able to get those words and phrases ranked yet but they have a really good grasp on the SEs and the industries they work with, they have done their job ethically and became superaffiliates by sheer hardwork and determination. My top performers use no software as far as I can tell, do not have a bad wrap and it is easily seen how hard they worked and continue to work at driving in the sales without stuffing or stealing.

Yes, you may have some superaffiliates who get their by being bad, but there are also superaffiliates who work hard and get to where they are in a way which is not parasitic.

[elalpo]

Do you, guys, aware that ShopAtHome.com has an affiliate program ($2.10 per download) for their Toolbar - http://discounts.shopathome.com/SAH/aff_email_p1.aspx

How come so many merchants are OK with what they do?

Thanks!

[Chuck Hamrick]

Most merchants don't know or don't care. If you work with a merchant that is included in the SAHS toolbar point them to this forum!

ABW lead by Haiko is the biggest advocate against the theft of commission and double payment caused by affiliate toolbars. The only way we can clean up the channel is to advocate against it.

Looks like the affiliate program is through LinkShare!

[Greg Rice]

Originally Posted by Chuck Hamrick

Most merchants don't know or don't care. If you work with a merchant that is included in the SAHS toolbar point them to this forum!

ABW lead by Haiko is the biggest advocate against the theft of commission and double payment caused by affiliate toolbars. The only way we can clean up the channel is to advocate against it.

Looks like the affiliate program is through LinkShare!

Spot on Chuck. I like to think it's because merchant's aren't properly educated. We have a magazine merchant coming soon. When I explained what parasites do, that I don't work with them and will remove them from the program if they hire me they agreed. Chalk this up to one more program cleaned up

[Zeus]

To allow these parasites to steal our commissions is already bad but to push naive affiliates to spread the reach of these thieves is much worse.
eBates, uPromise ... have also their affiliates programs with these major networks even if it seems they are not pushing them as much as before.
I'm astonished OneCause don't have something with LinkShare to double-dip their merchants and affiliates one more time.

[2busy]

From a merchant's point of view, the worst thing about these toolbar or "technology" affiliates isn't that they steal commissions from other affiliates to make the program less attractive to participate in; when they understand that these toolbars insert a commission cookie even when the merchant's domain URL is just typed in, or the link is a bookmark from Aunt Bessy's email. They are robbing the merchants far more than the affiliates, and if the merchant has their own in-house PPC ads it's a double whammy: the merchant pays for the click and then pays for an unearned commission.

[Moxy]

I'm really glad I read these posts! I have ShopAtHome as one of my affiliates (approved before my time). We weren't using their toolbar, but I'm still embarassed that I didn't catch it before. You guys are a big help. I'm posting from home today, but they're getting the boot on Monday! Homey don't play that!