[ecomcity]

Those of you merchants who pay into Google for Keyword Ads need to complain about Morpheus/Gator/Whenu/Kazaa and other parasites who feed off your listings. They seem aware their advertiser keyword Ad links trigger some Gator type popups, but do not know that any preditor shopping bar merchant in any category is feeding off of their Google advertisers text and keywords.

Point them to posts here and the NY Times article where they will grasp that these parasites are monitizing those paid CPC Ads and diluting the value of their advertizing partners. TigerDirect -Mondera -Coldwater Creek -Body & Bath and others sure don't want their google listing and their text Ads cherry picked by Morpheus/Gator/ShopNow etc etc shopping club merchants. If someone clicks on a Tigerdirect trademark paid for keyword Ad these parasites all follow thta shopper to TD site. They then present a slew of shopping bars -Popup coupons -rewards alerts to entice the shopper to a competitor like Dell or Micro Warehouse to load their affiliate cookie.

Merchants should also complain to Overture for the same activity. Anyone bidding and paying for advertising on these CPC search engines either get double dipped on purchases, if they're a parasite merchant( cost of click plus commission) or the parasites and Dupers record the click activity and follow the shopper to do their dasterly deeds.

I'm surprised that all the SE's haven't shut down these interlopers. Of course Looksmart just feeds their listings to their pool of parasites so never advertise there.

WebMaster Mike

[erninator]

Yeah, what Mike said. Also, if you are emailing all your merchants (which we should all be doing)on the Morpheus/Wurldmedia/Buyersport list mention this aspect to them. I find that I get more response alerting my merchants about these losses more than any affiliate ranting will get.

Ernie

It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

[Edwin]

Don't forget to remind your merchants when you email them that one of the reasons they're incurring these losses is because the major affiliate networks WANT it that way. This is an important point that should act as a wake-up call to the sleepier merchants who may have mistakenly thought that CJ, BeFree, LinkShare and Performics were supposed to be neutral 3rd party partners working on their behalf.

I wonder how long it will be before the words class action lawsuit start being bandied around?

[ecomcity]

Edwin your right on the money. The networks took a revenue drop when Overture.com booted out all affiliate coded keyword listings. They then probably alerted the Dupers and parasites to target this void by pitching their list of merchants that they got Overture link exposure with no additional CPC costs. POPups and shopping plug-in bars and sliders proliferated and went wild at hijacking the PPC keyword listings.

WebMaster Mike

[Edwin]

This concept, of a giant collusion between ALL the major affiliate networks to essentially guarantee that nobody points out that "the Emperor has no clothes" might also make for excellent press coverage. From recent evidence, the Media has an excellent nose for scandal and for deceit in the business arena.

Does anyone have any contacts at the higher echelons of a major newspaper, TV or radio station? Might want to start educating them on the background to this issue, and the major players...

[ecomcity]

Edwin ..ask Haiko for his NY Times -Salon.com contacts or e-mail them your ideas from the link to the Newspaper articles.

I loved the post somewhere here last night by "OldGeek" that laid out in plain terms why the networks should never allow parasites to hijack affiliates traffic. Think it was in the "Fatwallet" postings. Great one to forward to the news contacts.

WebMaster Mike