Closing affiliate accounts - The worm will turn

[Storebuilder]

I got an email from another operator today informing me that my account was "being deactivated".

Now, I may have been out of the game recently for one reason or the other but this...

I’m writing to inform you that your account with us has been deactivated for not having any activity for 6 months.
Should you wish to continue in promoting our website, please contact us anytime.

As it happens I've not promoted this operator before in any serious capacity but let me tell you openly and publicly that trying to coerce me into action by closing my account is achieving the exact opposite effect than that desired.

Operators who use this tactic in a misguided attempt to get you back on board need hauling over the barnacles for their failure to understand the overall picture.

It costs you next to nothing to keep an affiliate account open and closing it on the "non activity" argument just does not hold water.

Imagine British Gas writing to you and telling you that they are closing your account because "you haven't used any gas with us for six months". Exactly what would that achieve? Are you more likely to go back to them now?

And a final thought - if you've closed my account does that mean I'll get no further promotional offer emails from you?

[mojo]

Operators who use this tactic in a misguided attempt to get you back on board need hauling over the barnacles for their failure to understand the overall picture.

It costs you next to nothing to keep an affiliate account open and closing it on the "non activity" argument just does not hold water.

Another problem with this is that if you have players there what happens to them if you stop promoting them? You lose them. Essentially you are between a rock and a hard place. You don't want to promote them but if you don't you lose your players.

I think there's another word for it. Blackmail.

[Triple7]

I agree with Mojo. Once you've started, it will also cost you money if you want to get rid of them. Because, not promoting them (not having activitity) will make them find something to close your account.

[Storebuilder]

Which is all the more reason to stick with tried and trusted operators who pay on time and generally play by the rules.

I don't want to get into another argument with GPWA but I can tell you that I am furious that this closing of accounts and stealing of players is so rife and alive.

[mojo]

I don't want to get into another argument with GPWA but I can tell you that I am furious that this closing of accounts and stealing of players is so rife and alive.

Why argue with the GPWA? What program are we talking about?

[Storebuilder]

It's not important. What is important is that in general unscrupulous and also uninformed operators can and do try this tactic.

It doesn't matter who the operator is - it's just a general observation that this practice is still widespread and unacceptable.

[Triple7]

Why argue with the GPWA? What program are we talking about?

Are quite a lot of programs that are doing this. And, despite all, they're still alive & kicking and also in markets where soon will be a legalization and a big disappear trick of players.

[thebookiesoffers]

It's not important. What is important is that in general unscrupulous and also uninformed operators can and do try this tactic.

It doesn't matter who the operator is - it's just a general observation that this practice is still widespread and unacceptable.

if someone is closing accounts for nothing it is important, especially if people are thinking about joining said firm

[sweetbet]

What they're really saying is that we don't see any benefit from you as an affiliate. We don't think that you will be sending us any more players, so we will close your account and keep whatever money that your past referred players might generate for us.

[mojo]

if someone is closing accounts for nothing it is important, especially if people are thinking about joining said firm

Agreed. It is important for anyone considering joining a program that they have the facts. I, along with others, had a similar email from Go Wild. Turns out they said it was a mistake. How do we know if we don't share? It's helpful to other affiliates. Why not just say?

As it is it's ambiguous.

[-Shay-]

If it matters enough to discuss here - then it should matter enough to name and shame.

That out of the way, a program pulling this stunt are acting as thieves. Lifetime revenue is lifetime revenue regardless of how "active" or "inactive" their "partners" are...

I'd bet the farm you'll continue receiving promotional emails from them, by the way...

[Casinorep]

Which is all the more reason to stick with tried and trusted operators who pay on time and generally play by the rules.

I don't want to get into another argument with GPWA but I can tell you that I am furious that this closing of accounts and stealing of players is so rife and alive.

Unfortunately a trusted operator can also become scrupulous if it changes management. I'm with you on this thought - but have seen a few trustworthy programs whom I decided to work with initially because I thought they were reliable and under the sun, turned sour from management change over the years.

[Gamble 4 Keeps]

No casino or affiliate program should be doing this. Regardless weather you remain active or not. What happened to (The player is tagged to you for life) Any brand that does this sort of thing needs to be avoided at all costs. It's simple, don't advertise the players are tagged for life if you intend closing the account or removing the player due to non-activity.

[Triple7]

No casino or affiliate program should be doing this. Regardless weather you remain active or not. What happened to (The player is tagged to you for life) Any brand that does this sort of thing needs to be avoided at all costs. It's simple, don't advertise the players are tagged for life if you intend closing the account or removing the player due to non-activity.

That's the way it should be. But we both know that many affiliate programs aren't doing business the way it should be... And not just some creepy and obscure programs, also programs of big, well-know brands that a lot of people are still promoting...

[Storebuilder]

I can't find the one from yesterday but I will find it.

Here's one from today:

Dear Tony,

Greetings from the PokerStars Partners Team.

We are writing to let you know that you have not sent any real money players (RMP) between December 2014 and February 2015.

As per section 5.5 of our terms and conditions, our affiliates are required to deliver a minimum of 1 RMP per 90 days in order to continue to receive revenue share earnings. To ensure that your account remains open, you are required to send at least 1 RMP during March 2015.

Everyone knows that sites can appear on the top of google one day and be nowhere to be found on another. In fact the players in this account would have come from sixhanded.com which I made in 2009 and it's been in the wilderness for four years (despite if I say so myself) being one of the more content rich sites out there.

It's a poor show, especially for small or part time affiliates that have a day job and do this for some extra cash.

I'm looking for the other one now. Wish gmail had a way of finding emails by deleted date!

[Storebuilder]

Simply type into google a keyword you know is in the email like "account" and it will show all emails listed by date with that word in.

Here is the offender:

I hope this email finds you well.

I’m writing to inform you that your account with us has been deactivated for not having any activity for 6 months.

138.com

Now in this case any players accrued would have come from getyourbeton.com which was a domain owned by my previous employer and a site that I made on it. When we parted ways last June the site fell behind in Joomla updates and eventually got hacked. Instead of asking me for help they just decided to wipe the site - so no new players.

What 138.com don't know is that I've just sold my house so that I can go full time Internet Marketing - hence the title - the worm will turn.

And that just shows the futileness and paucity of their pathetic attempts to strongarm you into promoting them.

[universal4]

As it happens I've not promoted this operator before in any serious capacity but let me tell you openly and publicly that trying to coerce me into action by closing my account is achieving the exact opposite effect than that desired.

Operators who use this tactic in a misguided attempt to get you back on board need hauling over the barnacles for their failure to understand the overall picture.

It costs you next to nothing to keep an affiliate account open and closing it on the "non activity" argument just does not hold water.

I have been stating this for YEARS and years now, and I have spoken out against ANY kinds of quotas to remain active or get paid from programs since the mid 90's. (Funny everyone thought I was nuts when I said what we have seen with account closings the past few years would come to pass, but it has)

Quotas are bad for ALL affiliates, and affiliates should avoid any programs that have ANY quota when at all possible. They should also always speak AGAINST quotas, and should encourage other affiliates to stay away from programs that have quotas and close accounts "due to inactivity" since even if you have not been burned by a program that has does these things, eventually you likely will be.

Rick
Universal4

[Simmo!]

Agreed. If I read about any operator closing accounts due to insufficient numbers/inactivity, if I work with them then I immediately stop increasing exposure and start working in the opposite direction. If I don't, they go on list of operators to avoid.

It's indicative of a program who wants to call the shots rather than one who will work with you to achieve a goal and you'll never be able to build a trusting relationship with a program that works that way.

[universal4]

Thanks Simmo, it makes me feel good when established affiliates such as yourself state that clearly here.

Many operators completely understand this and have no problem keeping affiliates since they know and understand that even smaller affiliates help with exposure and branding even when they do not have large traffic numbers.

Having hundreds or even thousands of smaller affiliates that provide a little exposure and branding can not hurt.

But, it takes very few disappointed, FRUSTRATED or otherwise ANGRY affiliates to actually hurt the branding.

Rick
Universal4

[thebookiesoffers]

I would like to hear an affiliate managers opinions on this, for example the pokerstars email we all have had, and seeing as 138.com were mentioned above and are sponsors on here then lets hear their opinion as well.

What exactly do the affiliate teams think they will get? **** loads more exposure all of a sudden from other scared affiliates? The original affiliate begging and sending more traffic? Or some other marketing masterpiece I don't think?

Personally I believe it is to steal players, it can only be that (just look at the Stan James issue that was resolved so well here LOL)

Genuinely interested into affiliate managers thoughts here, personally, I would of thought, say 100 small affiliates bringing in 2 players between them over a 1 year period, for example, is better than 0 small affiliates bringing in 0 new players.