Who is breaking Voucher Code guidelines

[Hero]

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Ban MVC and VC.com and most of the noise will go away. We all know they will both take things to the limit and look for any loopholes. Simply 2 sites are causing most of the problems and will continue to do so....in 12 months it will be the same people causing the problems.

If they comply to the IAB guidelines, what do you ban them for? Annoyance? Aggravation?

[ian]

If they comply to the IAB guidelines, what do you ban them for? Annoyance? Aggravation?

Forced clicks for the comical 'cut and paste' voucher code effort?

[dougs]

That would be a start You are going to end up with a police force and 10,000 page set of rules to stop them abusing the system.

As a merchant, Car hire UK, USA, and Europe - Compare cheap car rental prices worldwide will operate a simple policy, if we believe you are not operating within the spirit of being ethical then you won't be allowed onto our scheme and/or paid. So don't bother applying


Doug

[Hero]

Forced clicks for the comical 'cut and paste' voucher code effort?

MyVoucherCodes new trick

That cut and paste malarkey (of which, I may add MVC is not the only guilty party) in my opinion violates key terms in most networks guidance. It will be raised heartily at the next IAB AMC meeting (next Thursday).

[3wdl]

Lets be simple Hero
Ban MVC and VC.com and most of the noise will go away. We all know they will both take things to the limit and look for any loopholes. Simply 2 sites are causing most of the problems and will continue to do so....in 12 months it will be the same people causing the problems.
You know it, I know it and merchants know it.
Doug

Sorry Doug - that's not "simple" at all. Just because you have a personal vendeta against MVC does not mean that all merchants do. Time to change the record slightly I think.

As Hero has already mentioned, networks are working on ensuring that all Voucher code sites are complient with the rules that were put in place, perhaps these rules will change overtime and become more all-inclusive (as mentioned already, the copy and paste thing will be discussed at the next session), but we can't ban sites just because you say so!

There are a number of merchants who are happy being listed on these sites, some of which infact enter into affiliate marketing to get featured and mostly they are not breaking the IAB guidelines or have been warned about it and are changing their sites where appropriate, do please remember that the regulations only came in on the 1st January so there will always be some form of teething period to give affiliates the chance to ensure that they are fully compliant.

Just my personal view, non-network view, etc, etc.

[befuddle]

the copy and paste thing will be discussed at the next session

Then, what will be discussed at the session after that? Is this going to run and run until Promotions have full control of code sites?

[hpops]

Then, what will be discussed at the session after that? Is this going to run and run until Promotions have full control of code sites?

Nope, this is going to run and run full stop, all regulation is an ongoing process.

[dougs]

Lets be an outsider here and have no vested interest...ie none affiliate or network.....would you let this go one?

You would not.

James - Many merchants do not understand and many networks either do not have the tech or the interest to explain to them what is going on.

Ray, so we are trying to offer out a clean solution....the problem is?? For your info most people are just taking our codes, we are not running the sites, that is upto them.

Doug

[bazza99]

I think the forced clicks situation is separate to the breaking of voucher code guidelines - it's simply breaking most networks' T&Cs surely?

It's the same as someone brand bidding when a merchant expressly forbids it. An affiliate in that situation would surely expect a warning and then to have commissions reversed if they persist. The same should be applied in the case of the forced clicks.

[D-Mac]

some of which [merchants] infact enter into affiliate marketing to get featured [on MVC]

..making it commercial suicide for a network trying to gain new clients (especially in a recession) not to have the biggest affiliates on their books.

[bazza99]

Without wishing to single out Affiliate Future (it just happened that I spotted that James had posted above) - the Affiliate Future terms and conditions contain the following:

"Any Link placed must be done so in such a way that it is not misleading to any Visitor and done so with the intention of delivering Valid Clicks to the related Merchant for that Link"

I would expect any affiliate breaking the T&Cs to be dealt with, just as if they were breaking any other network or merchant T&Cs. They're surely there to protect the network, merchants, other affiliates and the industry as a whole.

That being the case, I'm not quite sure why any networks need to wait for this to be raised in a meeting. Surely it's something that should be dealt with now, just as in the case of someone brand bidding against merchant T&Cs?

As I say, I'm not picking out AF - I'm sure this applies to all of the networks (I haven't studied all of their T&Cs). Equally, I don't think this is only an issue relating to Voucher Code sites.

Failure to deal with this is a massive step backwards for affiliate marketing.

[ian]

... (as mentioned already, the copy and paste thing will be discussed at the next session)....

Not sure why this has to be delayed until an IAB meeting. Forced click with a merchant window popping under is against some network's t&c's

From Aff Win - "Links must not mislead Visitors. Links may only be placed with the intention
of delivering Valid Clicks." - the cut and past scam isn't a valid click, it's cookie stuffing

It doesn't matter if it's a VC site or not, but when a couple of high profile sites get round a new set of restrictions by adding functionality that blatently breaks the rules you've got to expect the community to be rightly miffed about it, esp when it impacts on their own income.

Not sure they need a "teething period" to sort this out. The functionality seems to have been added quickly enough, so I'm sure it can be taken off just as quickly. I'm sure there are a conveyor belt of ideas to use when one idea gets added to the banned cookie stuffing list.

[bazza99]

ian - absolutely.

[D-Mac]

[befuddle]

Yes thought it may run and run as these guidelines have probably not made a difference to people's sales or perceptions. Anyone know otherwise?
As a result of the anti-code brigade, I'm personally concentrating on adding non-code content rather than codes to my main site and I'm seeing great results but now have more dated content.
I accept the regulations, I mean guidelines, will likely change regularly to manage the creativity and innovation of these highly converting sites.
These code sites will still deliver results until the council adds SEO to the mix.
--<br>Posted via my Mobile Device