Consistently late payments, non payments, rogue behaviour industry wide

Hey all,

So here's an idea.

For quite some time now we have had issues with programs every single month.

I wont name names, that's not the purpose of this post.

More recently we started to charge insertion fees, which protects us a little but since we're committed to being revshare focused, it still leaves us in the open for being ripped off.

GPWA has become an effective place for an affiliate to come to have his/her issue resolved.

The affiliate comes here to make the complaint in the open, the community establishes who is at fault...

If it's the operator then everyone makes a lot of noise (rightfully so) and the operator generally sorts out that affiliate's problem a little quicker.

So I think this whole process can be made a lot more effective and can be even more helpful for everyone.

Almost in the way that a union operates.

It would be fantastic if we could build some sort of system in which affiliates can opt in.

This group of affiliates has a series of red lines (things it wont accept from an operator)

If an operator crosses one of these red lines. Then they will be given 14 days (timeframe can be anything here) to resolve the situation.

Then if the situation is not resolved, then we all pull links (or suspend links) for that operator.

I think it's gotten to the point where this sort of collective action is what it will take to keep operators honest. Or at the very least prevent them from having an easy time in ripping us off.

What are the thoughts on this?

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Originally Posted by canaryjohn

Hey all,

What are the thoughts on this?

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that 99.9% of the affiliates only think about their own money ;-)

"Almost in the way that a union operates."

There is no union.
This is a myth.

The self-proclaimed rulers with their rating or "White Knight" websites, allegedly with the intent to help others, in reality don't care about anyone with the exception of what Affy said.

Then you have the group of mentally ill wackos, who have enough problems with themselves and their correct medication.

Surprisingly, a large part in this industry, many webmaster and representatives are uneducated morons, who not even know, what a book could be or what happened in history before their accidentally conception.

A fistful of people are very smart, no brown nosers, and they are fighting hard for the truth and also for others. You can count this people on 10, maybe 15 fingers. That's all. They will be silently supported by at least 50-90 people in the audience. Also these silent supporters are highly esteemed by me.

Then you have Anthony and Rick from GPWA. That's all from GPWA on the higher levels aside the ordinary members.

There is no union.

Leopold

Quote:

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It would be fantastic if we could build some sort of system in which affiliates can opt in.

This group of affiliates has a series of red lines (things it wont accept from an operator)

If an operator crosses one of these red lines. Then they will be given 14 days (timeframe can be anything here) to resolve the situation.

Then if the situation is not resolved, then we all pull links (or suspend links) for that operator.

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Nobody is going to pull their top brands, even if red lines are crossed elsewhere. Operators know this.

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Originally Posted by Triple7

Nobody is going to pull their top brands, even if red lines are crossed elsewhere. Operators know this. [/COLOR]

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That make me "nobody" then ...
As I've dropped programs that muck me about.

A Union was proposed about eight years ago but noone wanted to coordinate it.

Sadly I don't think it would work again today. It would take up too much time unless there was a paid membership that allowed that person to compensate their lack of earnings because they are arbitration to everyone else's issues.

Bottom line is that instead of clicking on the check box, you get your own contract in place with the brand.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TheGooner

That make me "nobody" then ...
As I've dropped programs that muck me about.

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I meant (reading back I didn't write it clearly, so my fault) if red lines are crosses at the accounts of other affiliates. I don't see it happening a whole group dropping a brand because they closed some accounts, sneaked in a quota, etc. Perhaps some people will drop a brand that is generating a significant part of their income, because of issues of the brand with other affiliates, but as a whole not.

I agree that there is a big difference between :

1/ an affiliate deciding to drop a program due to direct issues that they are facing ...
2/ an affiliate being directed to drop a program by a group due to issues others are reporting.

This is something that I'm working through with a group now ... there is no easy answer.

Yeah that's big issue, I can't imagine many affiliates would drop a program that makes them £xx,xxx per month because another affiliate has been screwed over by a newly introduce quota.

If everyone was on CPA perhaps it would work as you could just switch out the brand for another, but if you're talking rev share then that's potentially walking away from thousands of players.

Everyone seems to be ignoring the fact that business negotiations are a bit more complex than "I will walk away if you don't give me what I want". Yet at the same time, every serious business entity on the planet is indeed capable of dropping a bad partner. If you're not, and are clinging on to get that last bit of income, then you're not a business person and shouldn't be taken seriously. Sorry, but that's how it is.

People have options, they can have certain standards that must be met when it comes to girlfriends, employees you hire, quality of work, partners you work with, friends, whatever. Outside this industry I haven't seen many people who are successful that don't have standards. Maybe gambling affiliation is the only walk of life where you can have the mindset of a parasite and still be rich.

Truth is, if you don't have any leverage (and as a solo affiliate you don't), you're 100% dependant on whatever the brand wants to do to you. You're a passive recepient of whatever direction they as a business take, good or bad. If/when a brand starts stealing from you, you can bend over to help them do it cleaner and then say thank you. Or you can scream **** if you like to be theatrical about it.

People who are a bit smarter than that will pool up because they realize this is a business war between us and them, that brands do go rogue, and will use leverage to get what they want and deserve.

An affiliate should do what's best for his business and for his income.