Reverse shaving

[_LB_]

I wonder how many companies are actually doing this now?

I know several sponsors who are adding sales to good affiliate's accounts to smooth over rough patches, but talking about it today to someone it kinda made me think how wide spread padding actually is.

Affiliates are fickle and quick to drop you if you don't convert on que, so its not surprising programs are doing this ... I actually see it becoming regular practice soon.

[Kamilla]

They maybe just show sales like a steady stream instead of hights and lows. That would keep the affiliate longer than whenever a low comes around...

[friporr]

I've suspected this going on sometimes when I get a first sale with a sponsor with a very good ratio and often within a few days of starting to promote it.

I'm not sure they are. But it seems to fit in a good plan to keep affiliates. Give them a sale quickly and with a good ratio to entice them to promote it heavilly. If they don't you've lost nothing since they won't get to the payout anyway.

[Head Boy]

I don't think it's to smooth out the rough patches. I thinkk it's to keep all that lovely traffic coming. The sponsor can then use it to sell all sorts of other stuff, and then sell the exits.

The money to pay for non-existent sales has to come from somewhere, and I'm surprised at the number of people who think it's from "marketing" or the charity of the sponsor.

[MMarko]

I think Bangbros is doing that.

[_LB_]

Originally Posted by Head Boy

I don't think it's to smooth out the rough patches. I thinkk it's to keep all that lovely traffic coming. The sponsor can then use it to sell all sorts of other stuff, and then sell the exits.

The money to pay for non-existent sales has to come from somewhere, and I'm surprised at the number of people who think it's from "marketing" or the charity of the sponsor.

I know with the sponsor programs I have been a part of or seen the backends of there really isn't that much in upsells etc, and most sell exits and actually credit the affiliate. Not sure what super secret huge income streams you are talking about ... maybe I am missing something ?

[Big-D]

Granted I am a bit dense at times. But would it not make more sense for the sponsor (long term) to just provide a better bonus structure than to pad out sales like that? Send us 3 sales and we will pay you for 4 type of thing?


Big D

[Head Boy]

Originally Posted by _LB_

I know with the sponsor programs I have been a part of or seen the backends of there really isn't that much in upsells etc, and most sell exits and actually credit the affiliate. Not sure what super secret huge income streams you are talking about ... maybe I am missing something ?

It's the tour leaks, lost affiliate codes, and all the other stuff before the sale. A few sponsors have started to go super clean - which is good - but a lot of others appear to be increasing their secondary income, and postponing the actual sales that get attributed to the affiliate. Sales for the paysite that come from an exit are often credit to an affiliate, but not the ones to a different paysite. I've seen several sponsors selling exit and 404 traffic - doesn't some of that come from failed affiliate sales?

[Head Boy]

Originally Posted by Greg B

I get suspicious when I get great sales at first for a few months, increase the traffic and then get shit sales. How can you get less from more of the targeted traffic?

Sometimes you can generate sales by almost dropping your traffic to a sponsor.

[rogue]

Originally Posted by friporr

I've suspected this going on sometimes when I get a first sale with a sponsor with a very good ratio and often within a few days of starting to promote it.

same here, i've often suspected that that is what has happened!

[CraigT]

It happens, and here is the benefit to the program:
Programs realize webmasters, especially large webmasters new to a program, test traffic in small amounts. By seeding traffic with sales early, they hope to encourage the webmaster to send a lot more traffic than they would have if they knew the real conversions.
The additional benefit is that they then brag about having the best conversions.

This idea may seem good at first to a webmaster, who say's, "who cares, as long as I get extra money", but it forces you to leave a program that was equal or better to only find out later you are being robbed, as the programs usually only do this for so long as it becomes impractical. Meanwhile, your good traffic, isn't converting real sales, which means, you will NOT get any repeat sales. This is huge in the cam industry.

Take it a step further, if a company is dishonest about the sales, conversions and seeding, what else will they do?


Just an FYI, Moocash is proud not to use false sales. We can't, as anyone who has seen our admin knows you see the surfer, where they came from, and what they do daily.

Good thread _LB_ . I try not to rail on these issues as no one wins by criticizing other programs for their own gain. It only creates mistrust, but pretty soon I get to make some announcements and then I get to really tee off

[fresh]

I think that happens no more often than regular shaving

[ScreaM]

Wow, I didn't even know such a thing exists.

[kaktusan]

i haven't noticed such practices, but i think sponsors now more pay attention to amazing double or tripled payout bonus days, to keep their affiliates happy and even catch some new blood. The practice you are explaining LB, could become replacement of the bonus days in future, time will show

[glowlite]

Sponsors, used car salesmen, attorneys, insurance salesmen

same same ............

Guilty until proven innocent

[Dutch Harry]

My thought is that little webmasters (1/10 sales a period) will be the one that gets fucked over by the sponsor and there sales will be added to the so called whales to keep them happy, better to lose 50 small fish then one whale right.

[_LB_]

Originally Posted by Head Boy

It's the tour leaks, lost affiliate codes, and all the other stuff before the sale. A few sponsors have started to go super clean - which is good - but a lot of others appear to be increasing their secondary income, and postponing the actual sales that get attributed to the affiliate. Sales for the paysite that come from an exit are often credit to an affiliate, but not the ones to a different paysite. I've seen several sponsors selling exit and 404 traffic - doesn't some of that come from failed affiliate sales?

I don't know head boy, 404 traffic can come from a number of places ... surfers even like to try and enter /members and other strange things to somehow get in the back door ... you would be surprised.

I think you overestimate how much "secondary" income there is. Maybe back in 2002, but not today.

[Comrade]

If I found out one of my programs does it, I'd be inclined to drop them right away. It means they can and will play with your stats and nothing is stopping them from going the other way at some later point.

Pay me what I'm owed and I'll keep sending you traffic

[pam]

Sometimes I wonder what's going on. With one sponsor, for example, I'll go a month or two without a single sale, then will get 3 in 2 days. In fact, I had one today and haven't in months. Same traffic, nothing has changed whatsoever.

[msanchez]

Originally Posted by Comrade

If I found out one of my programs does it, I'd be inclined to drop them right away. It means they can and will play with your stats and nothing is stopping them from going the other way at some later point.

Pay me what I'm owed and I'll keep sending you traffic

Pretty much sums it up for me too.