Next Affiliate Program - The Facts

[Matthew Wood]

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I think Fiona has done the right thing here, tackling at last the questions that affiliates want answered, some potentially commercially sensitive.

Personally I think we should respect that and not shoot Fiona down as the third party in the relationship.

That said I don't agree with way next have handled the situation and certainly do not agree on what I presume is the instruction by next to not allow 'vocal' affiliates onto the programme.

Fiona can you confirm that it was indeed on the instruction of next head office? or was this an internal i-level decision?

On a positive note the first step to recovery has been made in that dialogue is now open.

As with all business situations you have a choice, you either promote another business based on perception, trust and how transparent and genuine they are, or you don't.

[fionah]

Fiona, it's good of you to finally come out and chat to us all.

Thanks, I'm enjoying it.

Now picking up on part of what you said....it would be a very good idea during one of the buy.at events coming up (or a number of them as they're taking place around the country) for you and i-level to be present so we can all over a glass or two have a good chat about the program and where all the upset has arisen and see how it can be alleviated.

I've been to various buy.at and A4U events in the past. Most recently the Retail Vertical event a couple of weeks back. Were you there? Its a shame I didn't bump into you.

So my question is.......does Next pay commissions for sales outside the UK and in places where franchises operate and where customers in those countries can buy online and use the store collection service (Ireland,Spain ..any others?). There was a similar issue with La Senza in that they only validated UK online sales even though they linked worldwide and customers could collect from franchised stores so affiliates with high overseas traffic were getting nothing for sales generated outside the UK.

Its an interesting question and one I'll have to consult next about before I can make a reply.

[John]

Fiona - Would you be able to provide a list of programs currently managed by i-level, so I don't accidently end up working with you on a different program?

[Ambski]

Fiona - Would you be able to provide a list of programs currently managed by i-level, so I don't accidently end up working with you on a different program?

...ouch! LOL!

[getvisible]

Would you be able to provide a list of programs currently managed by i-level, so I don't accidently end up working with you on a different program?

ouch!

I must be getting soft in my old age!

[john-pp]

Personally I think we should respect that and not shoot Fiona down as the third party in the relationship.

Was it a "third party" that came up with the gem about "polluting" or is that one all yours fionah?

Ok... this shouldn't be directed at a personal level, but if you make outragous statements like that you should be able to qualify them and be expectant of the flack you will surely receive.

--
john-pp

[Joe90]

Fiona - Would you be able to provide a list of programs currently managed by i-level, so I don't accidently end up working with you on a different program?

Hilarious -

[Julie H]

I'm not sure it is Fiona that's posting. One minute they don't say anything and it all has to be approved and the next minute the replies are flying around - seems suspect to me. I think someone is posting and replying in Fiona's name and using her log-in.

John - rotflmao!

[renegade]

Thanks, I'm enjoying it.

I'm certainly not smiling, some of us pay the mortgage by working with brands like Next.
If we decide not to promote a major brand for any reason or are rejected for any reason it's certainly no laughing matter.
The future of affiliate marketing depends on merchants, agencies, networks and agencies ALL working together.
I appreciate you're damned if you do comment and damned if you don't comment but you're coming across as flippant, dismissive and condescending from where I'm sitting and it's not helping anyone.
The bottom line for me is Next are not going to respect me as an affiliate - so I'm out.

[fionah]

I'm not sure it is Fiona that's posting. One minute they don't say anything and it all has to be approved and the next minute the replies are flying around - seems suspect to me. I think someone is posting and replying in Fiona's name and using her log-in.

John - rotflmao!

It's still me! In the interests of trying to resolve all this I have dedicated my day to answering you guys. However, I can't be on here all the time because I do have other work to do!

I am just reiterating points which have already been discussed in previous emails and posts etc.

[fionah]

I appreciate you're damned if you do comment and damned if you don't comment but you're coming across as flippant, dismissive and condescending from where I'm sitting and it's not helping anyone.

I'm sorry if you feel that way but its not my intention believe me. I have to work on next on a daily basis and I really want to clear the air and open up discussions so we can move on from all this.

[loquax]

I really want to clear the air and open up discussions so we can move on from all this

Ok - to move forward you need to go back....

1. The questionnaire, which imo is overly intrusive, needs to be adapted and/or made voluntary. You don't need to know blogs, usernames, etc etc etc... it will come in time as a relationship develops but in a questionnaire to apply for a program is a bit ott.

2. The not accepting affiliates who have spoken out about you (e.g. Frostie) simply because Next made a bit of a bad business decision needs to be addressed. It's a major point imo.

You can't stop free speech... going back to my example you ignored... you can't shut up a customer who has had bad service from Next, therefore don't expect a 'business partner' to be quiet if you mess them around.

3. You (or Next) need to understand that if you do things right, you get positive results for your brand... do things wrong and you get negative responses. Work out why your brand is receiving criticism - to help you it's not the affiliate side of things.

Solve the answer to (3) and moving forward should be a breeze....

Jason

[loquax]

Ooops - missed something out...

4. retract the polluting statement you or Next made at the start of the thread - it really was ill advised.

Jason

[gadget]

..the questionairre asks about blogs & user forum names..

Forum User Names!!

How absolutely ridiculous is that?!
Whatever happened to anonymity and privacy?
What's to stop me putting a false name (other than my personal common decency)?

[Utterfly]

It seems Next and their management company is finally getting what they deserve for all the disrespect and lying they demonstrated...

When NEXT was on AWin I worked with them for a couple of months, generating 20-30k in sales per day, before they went into "budget problems" and decided to ban me as violating network T&C and seize over 13,000 pounds earned in Affiliate Window account.

Mark Walters from Awin controversially dictated that sending visitors from unused type-in domains was "forcing a click to a merchant, counter to their network code of conduct", even though their "network code" had nothing to do with this. All other networks confirmed this practice is perfectly acceptable (unless, of course, there is a TM conflict, which wasn't applicable in this case).

Working with NEXT I saw how aggressive merchant could be in order to squeeze as much as possible out of affiliate payments. They wanted to restrict me to NEXT Directory only and keep 80% of commission coming from retail sales; they had a cookie tracking problem for several days which I identified but none of other affiliates were notified and compensated; they run a competition to win bonuses but to the best of my knowledge it was never completed and bonuses never paid... and so on.. and so on.

Stay away from Next / I-Level.