This weeks missing sales...

**monkeyman** · 17-02-06

I've bought a number of things online in the last few weeks.
Of the 10 items I bought, I have had to chase the commission for 4 of them.
Each one has been with a different merchant and over 3 networks.

A number of friends have purchased through me in the last months and there sales have failed to appear too.

It really does get me wondering how many sales go untracked.

I have started to become a mystery shopper and am testing all of my links.

Anyone else having to chase their own commission?

**Azam.net** · 17-02-06

4/10? That's abysmal, but doesn't surprise me in this industry.

In our experience I'd say about 30% of sales don't register.

**Shane** · 17-02-06

Yeah forget spyware.. it's bad enough getting commission due via uninfected PC's with some networks.

makes you wonder how much is going astray overall.

I've only a basic understanding of tracking but my tech guy builds stuff that's bullet proof so wtf multi million pound PLC's have tracking infrastructure that is about as reliable as a channel 5 signal is beyond me.

it's a fundamental aspect that we get paid for EVERY sale we make.. not just 80%....90% or 95% .. it should be 100% everytime

**monkeyman** · 17-02-06

Exactly, Shane.

I do appreciate that some sales could go astray, but 4 out of 10 is a bit excessive.

My machine is no different to anybody elses and I make sure it's clean and all my cookies are on.
I always make a point of saving the confirmation page and checking the source.

What worries me most, is that sometimes it's not even there!

I'm gonna be buying a few things this week to check the full extent and will be keeping a spreadsheet.

You shouldn't really have to do that, should you??

What annoys me even more is the time it takes to investigate these mistracked sales.... if they ever get investigated.

**Sammy aff** · 17-02-06

It has been suggested 40/50% go untracked.
Over the past 12-months I have bought allsorts sat here, flights (4 of) hotels (6 of) computers (2 of) and other bits and bobs....all have tracked ok.

However friends and reletives have bought stuff thru my links (I send email links to make sure) arround 30 items in total, only 18 tracked.

None have cookies blocked...go figure, -- home address, name, ip, ...maybe?
Too many to be coincidental. Times that by approx 2000 tracked sales, have I lost 1500/2000?

Today (so far 6:30pm) I have 170 traffic errors (url not found)
I know there are varying reasons for them, but that represents nearly 50% of all traffic thru a particular group of merchants/network.

I do know the user clicked thru.

What do other guys here show for traffic errors?

**Pokerman** · 17-02-06

I might be wrong, but I'm sure I remember someone on the forum mentioning 3rd Party tracking. This ensures that the majority of sales are tracked, as the merchant/network does not have control.

I don't know much about it, but would be interested to learn more. Anyone remember talking about this?

Thanks
P-Man

**Sammy aff** · 17-02-06

I heard third-party software was being used which is actually worst than useless. All links go thru td=id.. blah. If they use third party tracking where is the third party? Just more chances of glitches

**Pokerman** · 17-02-06

Quote from Sitepoint forum:

"Sure trust plays a big part in pretty much every aspect of affiliate marketing. However most of my direct relationships with merchants involve using an independant 3rd party for tracking. So all is clear and transparent."

This was posted by UK Offer. Now I'm pretty sure Kieron knows his stuff, so there must be some pro's in using 3rd party.

If you're around Kieron, would you mind shedding some light on this if you have time?

Thank you,
P-Man

**Sammy aff** · 17-02-06

http://www.jamesvillas.co.uk/

http://www.jamesvillas.co.uk/?source_id=####

The top link is a direct click thru from one of my pages, various cookie sets, redirects etc go on behind the scenes from td, loads of glitches possible

The bottom one is a direct link, direct from the serps tho, goes from a rival network, I like the bottom one best.

**futureweb** · 17-02-06

http://www.shop-mobile.co.uk/usersonline.asp

From what I have read 40% of users who hit the checkout complete, With mobiles I uderstand there is around 50% declined But this count gets refreshed every 3 days and Have I had one sale this month ? no I have not traffic is well up on last month (11 orders last month) and keeps increesing yet sales are well down could just be Febs a naff month who knows.

Spiders are first kept out by robots.txt then as a back up a little spider func which presents them with a simple basket page, instead of fireing off to the whitelable basket. Long and the short of it only unique human users are tracked.

**Sammy aff** · 17-02-06

I believe I'm not getting credit for clicks never mind sales. So it follows if 100 clicks go untracked a percentage of them will make sales but will be impossible to get awarded credit.

I have experimented "known clicks" where the user gets no choice they get redirected to merchant sites.

So I check log files 200 hits yesterday for blah merchant page, I know they have had to have landed on merchant site, cross referrance with td and they show none sometimes? Sometimes 50%, always much less than my log files tell me. So I have UV visitor logs and return visitor logs, always they never tie-up, anywhere near close.

For instance today, jamster unique (ok nobody buys jamster stuff, but it serves a purpose) 300 hits, 180 unique, my logs)) 2-sales, td shows 20 or so uniques? and 170 or so traffic errors?

**km8** · 17-02-06

Originally Posted by Sammy aff

What do other guys here show for traffic errors?

Zero traffic errors here Sammy but I think that's a separate issue - that's TD's way of alerting you that your account/links are not perfect (don't know if CJ is the same). But TD do say that doesn't affect tracking of the sale.

If you have traffic errors, you're probably using the wrong links on the wrong site - which is very easy to do.

That said, I too have experience of uncontrovertible sales not being tracked. I wouldn't like to give a figure because it wouldn't mean anything as the sample is too small.

**Shane** · 18-02-06

don't get me started on clicks going unrecorded..

I've a £7k difference with one network (not on a4u) that tracked £11k of revenue when we tracked £18k .. this was on a cpc program

Their parameters for a unique IP number are one visit per 30 days... when we have provided evidence time and time again that the same IP can be used many times a day.. some AOL IP's have shown up 15 times in a day as clicks originating from totally different operating systems and browser configurations.. and so can not be the same user.

we even had confirmation that our tracking would be used yet here we are 5 months later now still waiting to be paid any of the money not just the disputed clicks.

motto of the story is TRUST NO ONE.. TRACK EVERYTHING.. TEST EVERYTHING... GET EVERTHING IN WRITING

**monkeyman** · 18-02-06

Very true, Shane.

I'm losing my faith in the tracking by the day.

I've just checked and some of the sales that have tracked have been rejected!
I'm sat here looking at the things I've bought!

**Sammy aff** · 18-02-06

Fair point Km8, but the fact is I know at least twice as many users are 'landing' on merchant sites as td stats suggest, it surely follows sales would also be twice the amount, if tracking was in order?

I have no doubt I'm losing out, problems are proving why, but will carry on working on it