Removal of Myvouchercodes from Play.com

[aldo]

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I know Albert and don't think he would name and shame anyone unless he felt strongly about the issue, was sure of his facts and also felt it was in the public interest. His actions have also saved us all a bit of valuable time on one of our busiest periods as we would all be searching around tonight to try and find out just who had been dumped by Play.

It would have all came out in the wash in the end so I admire Albert and Summit for having the Balls for this post.

[hpops]

I have to say, although I utterly agree with the removal, I also take issue with the posting. I agree that a better post would have been to lay out that a voucher code publisher has been removed. I personally think that a number of publishers in the space are guilty of similar violations and feel that the cross industry approach being followed by the IAB AMC is the best route for control and compliance.

[dougs]

Mark many people in affiliate marketing started out by using an opportunity to thier advantage, but then as the rules came into place they adopted the new rules.

Some did it because they were being nice, most did it because they knew that there would end up being a club priveledged people and they wanted to be in the club. So from a pure business view surely it makes sense to start abiding by the rules soon before it becomes too late.

Ultimately Google will adjust its organic rankings and you will move down, hence you will get less traffic but with less merchants wanting to partner with you, yo ill make less money. So to keep sticking your fingers up at merchants makes no sense.

Doug

[Elaine]

Personally, without trying to apportion blame as to whether Mark was in the wrong or not, I find the tactic of announcing the expulsion of an individual affiliate on a public forum very distasteful.

In years of working both network and agency side, I have been party to kicking numerous affiliates off campaigns but never before have I seen it announced to all and sundry.

I would hope that all at Summit have their facts very clear as I suspect there could be legal comeback if not.

This is not what the forum should be used for in my opinion.

Matt

I'm really intrigued as to why you think this is so wrong Matt! and why other merchants shouldn't be warned about the possibly damaging antics of an affiliate?

We asked MVC on several occasions to stop advertising that Children's Rooms had voucher/discount codes which would be revealed by the customer clicking through - this is blatant dishonesty - obtaining money by false pretences - call it whatever you will.

He was doing Children's Rooms a diservice and our customers a diservice - and he's still doing it - we still have a dedicated page on MVC - although we removed him from the programme some weeks ago.

So why is it so wrong to name and shame in these circumstances - surely the forum is place where we should help each other in every aspect?

[dougs]

What is the legal position on this?

MVC is also ranking for "carrentals.co.uk discount codes".
We have never issued discount codes.
So his intent was obvious.
But hey click the link to get a code and drop a Budget cookie...what do Budget think of this
No issues an opportunity well spotted.

But now you have rode the wave and people are chasing you.

We are a minnow in this space, but Mark surely it makes sense to sort out the stuff as many people are looking to you to help sort out an industry. And simply PLAY will not be the only one to stop dealing with you now.

PLAY making this public I believe was simple, we have asked nice several times now we are gtting annoyed. Now it will be ok for more merchants to remove you.

Doug

[John Jupp]

Doug

I can't see (looking at Mark's entry for you) what the issue is?

The page clearly says and I quote "Voucher Codes, Discounts & Deals".
Further down it clearly displays what is on offer. None of the listing specifies any discount code. In fact it asks the customer to "click to reveal all discounts, deals & visit site" expanding on what is below. If there was a code registered it would reveal the code and open a separate window simultanaeously. As you don't have a code and the page doesn't suggest there's one for you what's the prob?

Carrentals.co.uk UK Voucher Codes Carrentals.co.uk Discount Codes Carrentals.co.uk Discount Vouchers Carrentals.co.uk Promotional Codes - My Voucher Codes UK

A google search for carrentals.co.uk discount codes generates 221,000 returns. Is it because MyVoucherCodes ranks higher in the SERPS that's the issue?
carrentals.co.uk discount codes - Google Search

Just seriously looking at his site and at least he lists if there is a discount code or if there is a sale other than some people I could mention who just have "Click To Reveal" and no hint at all if there is a code or not.

[purple]

Doug

I can't see (looking at Mark's entry for you) what the issue is?

The page clearly says and I quote "Voucher Codes, Discounts & Deals".
Further down it clearly displays what is on offer. None of the listing specifies any discount code. In fact it asks the customer to "click to reveal all discounts, deals & visit site" expanding on what is below. If there was a code registered it would reveal the code and open a separate window simultanaeously. As you don't have a code and the page doesn't suggest there's one for you what's the prob?

Surely you are joking John? I checked out this page for car rentals and when i click the CTR which says reveal all discounts deals and visit site. Now me not being a savvy shopper was expecting to see something revealed, I clicked it 4 times and no code was revealed?? I now have 4 versions of the budget website?

Hold on am i not looking for carrentals site? why have i now being taken to Budget why did it not tell me i was visiting budget ? I now have a budget cookie and I was not made clear this would happen

at bottom of page there is text such as

Carrentals.co.uk Discount Voucher Codes, Free Delivery Code Money Off Vouchers, Promo Offers and Promotional Codes (carrentals.co.uk)

As a customer I would be expecting something to do with codes, even a message to say there is none? I did not see anyway on this page telling me there is no codes.

But I have been sent to other companies instead

[D-Mac]

It's a little unorthodox to name and shame, but who really cares? When did affiliate marketing become like conventional business anyway?

Personally I hope other merchants follow suit. And if you're going to do it, do it before the xmas sales really kick in. Looking forward to the snowball effect.

Unfortunately I think MVC is well and truly entrenched in the serps, so I don't see the shake up coming from that direction.

[John Jupp]

But I have been sent to other companies instead

Yes that's true. How many affiliates posting on this very forum have threatened to do exactly the same thing? How many actually do?

If an affiliate site has good SEO and a relationship ends, are they going to pull the page? A significant number of people who post on the forum have said otherwise.

[tijan]

This is totally distasteful, unprofessional approach by play.com.Why are you faulting MVC publicly, i dont think this is what the forum is meant for or inline with the privacy policy of the network in question or Modus Operanda of the forum. how many times have you attended to your affiliate cries about your program and yet no network has publicly announced to have sanctioned you. If what is good for the goose is also good for the gander then play.com should have been sanctioned or booted off many networks.
I think the super moderators on this forum should lock this thread and advice play.com to sort out issues privately with their affililates. This is outrightly disgraceful, what a shame.


No discount code site could boldly claim not to have either of:

invalid voucher codes
voucher codes with the wrong expiry dates
Outdated voucher codes.

So whats the hassle about myvouchercodes.com. You should probably score other vouchercodes site and see how many will survive under your hammer and stop making unnecessary noise about myvouchercodes. Just like the parable in the bible when Jesus saved a whore. Merchants and affiliates with discount codes site many of you live in glass house so stop throwing stones or when you throw stones just watch your head cause it may come back to you.

[tomj]

Its usually the small negative things people get remembered for and it its hard to shake off a perception of negativity unless you try very hard. i think Mark suffers this within our community but....

out of all his traffic and queries users make, what % of those dont show codes and force cookies? Is this becoming a mountain and mole-hill issue with MVC being the whipping boy...deserved or not?

Are users the vast majority of the time getting what they want from MVC?
Do they keep coming back?
Do users keep using Google because they keep finding what they want on MVC?

I think to the last above 3 questions the answer is most probably yes therefore MVC traffic wont die out anytime soon, networks will still work with him and not cut off their nose to spite their face and MVC will still in some capacity annoy many people here with his practices.

even If MVC changes his practices on no code CTR's he'll still be no.1 until someone comes along with something better and knocks him off the top.

My personal opinion (totally unfounded speculation and simply gut feeling) is that MVC will get bought out sometime soon at which point Mark will race off in his Bugatti.

[deadgoodundies]

If it makes anyone feel any better Mark is still wasting money on PPC promoting justhom via MVC which closed months ago.
He's been emailed several times to take down any coupons for justhom but no reply (not sure why as it's costing him money not me)

In the words of an old teacher of mine "it's your own time your wasteing"

[morleymouse]

well this has people split doesn't it

my personal view is that its a MVC, summit and play issue - im actually quite interested to hear why summit felt the need to announce it?

I send daily emails to affiliates caught on brand terms asking them to stop bidding on those keywords, i send daily emails encouraging affiliates and trying to get conversion up, sometimes i even email affiliates to see how they are - i dont feel the need to announce it? Am i doing this who thing wrong? :scared

to take a different angle on this, because lets face it nobody seen any communication between summit, play and mark - how would you feel about an agency you work with, merchant or network announcing something on a public forum?

[MattSweet]

...im actually quite interested to hear why summit felt the need to announce it?

I would have thought that's pretty obvious.

I'm not saying I agree with the dirty laundry in public approach, but come on, enough affiliates have been goading merchants about acting upon MVC to create a genuine PR opportunity for a merchant.

[dougs]

We have never ever offered discount codes........I think having our logo and sending it to Budget could be classed as passing off.

The simple issue here is merchants are going to stop dealing with affiliates who take the mick out of them. MVC is the highest profile one and by making an effort to be better he will keep many relationships in tact.

But if I was a merchant and MVC was one of my affiliates I would have terminated the deal, purely because it is not a partnership relationship. That is what PLAY have done, they just made it public as they fel they were being abused.


Doug