Awin Validation Week (Nov)

[getvisible]

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I guess doing a validation week we're encouraging other merchants to leave validation till then, but we're giving a kick up the Wallabys to the others:

Here we go:

September

Loopy Love - Come on!

October

7 Day Shop
LoanMakers
Hatton Garden

November

Calibre Comp
Hatton Garden
Cartridges by Post
7 Day Shop
Furniture 123
Designer Discount
The Career Engineer
Hotspot
Oddbins
LoopyLove

So looks like Loopy Love has fallen at the first. The stewards are calmly walking up with the rifle and are going to put it out of its missery. If the Jocky was more experienced it would have taken the fence earlier and landed safely!

Best go and look at the form for the Xmas National Handicap. Diffilcult to spot the form with the recent poor perfomances - best go for a each-way on couple of the thorough-breads. Certainly not a time for betting on novices.

[mikearmstrong]

Can you please tell me what a 'validation week' is?

Thanks.

[getvisible]

ah - it's an informal term for us putting pressure on merchants to validate the sales that are still pending.

A number of merchants were ambivilent about validating sales in the same month they occured so affiliates have encouraged the networks to, where possible, approve in the same month.

Sales that occur days before the end of the month obviously can't be validated as the customers have X days to return the goods etc. But actions such as registering to dating site can.

If sales occur say November 1st and aren't validated until December 1st you may not get the earnings until near the end of Febuary (other than Affiliatefuture who are the quickest to pay (two weeks from end of month)).

[mikearmstrong]

I like it!

I know we are new kids on the block and it perhaps sounds sycophantic, but I try to validate commissions as soon as they are received (takes no longer than two working days).

I'm hoping that doing this will create a wider affiliate membership.

[chrisk999]

My list:

July:
Mobileshop (surely Awin can chase payment off these guys?!)

August:
Mobileshop
UK Cellphone Warehouse

September:
UK Cellphone Warehouse

October:
UK Cellphone Warehouse
Mobiles.co.uk
e2save

You can probably guess I've stopped promoting UK Cellphone Warehouse now...

Cheers,

Chris

[Matthew Wood]

Not that many here..

September

Myoffers

October

Myoffers
Interose
DVD players UK
DesignerMensWear
Cloggs
Designer Sales Direct
Furniture 123
e2Save

Have not included November as there are too many!

[Marc Gear]

You guys dont even wanna _see_ my list :

Plans are afoot to ensure that merchants are not able to leave pending commissions this long in future. I cannot say any more but it is a similar solution to that other networks have implemented to solve the problem.

As a side note, This weeks newsletter contains a list of our top 20 fastest validators, which should mean you have a better idea of who is good at validating and who is not - and allow you to promote the ones who do make an effort with thier affiliate programme.

[moogie]

I think Merchants who don't pay up within a certain time should be fined or charged some kind of interest.

On AW we look after Days to Amaze and The Digital Camera company. We are on the phone first thing every morning to make sure any over night sales are cleared so that there is no hassle in late or outstanding payments.

If you are selling something for someone you should be rewarded for your efforts and not have to wait around for money. As you can gather I don't like late payers!

[getvisible]

This weeks newsletter contains a list of our top 20 fastest validators,

Dam good idea - so would network epc [cough]

[Marc Gear]

Maybe I'll do that next week.

[moogie]

It would be interesting to see who gets fined the most- hey?

[Marc Gear]

Here's that top 20.

<table align=center><tr><td><ol>
<li><b>(0.499 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=613">TextOver</a></b>
<li><b>(0.676 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=572">1st 4 MP3 Players</a></b>
<li><b>(0.677 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=602">Renovate Alerts</a></b>
<li><b>(0.726 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=584">Dr Dosh</a></b>
<li><b>(0.764 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=355">Desperate Seller</a></b>
<li>(0.812 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=455">Celebrations, The Party People</a>
<li>(0.951 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=361">Advanced MP3</a>
<li>(1.003 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=339">Finance Tracker</a>
<li>(1.007 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=314">Date the UK</a>
<li>(1.304 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=470">TalkSaferDating</a>
</ol></td>
<td><ol start=11>
<li>(1.336 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=560">Oz Lotteries</a>
<li>(1.488 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=200">SoftJam Software</a>
<li>(1.535 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=406">Euroffice</a>
<li>(1.715 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=577">Beauty For Nails</a>
<li>(1.726 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=298">Loanspage.co.uk</a>
<li>(1.792 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=349">OfferXS</a>
<li>(1.819 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=387">GermanWings</a>
<li>(1.956 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=15">CD-WOW</a>
<li>(2.082 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=616">Island Leisure</a>
<li>(2.096 Days) <a href="http://www.affiliatewindow.com/affiliates/merchantdetails.php?mid=608">Brown Bag Clothing</a>
</ol>
</td></tr></table>

Its based on the last three months validations, and only takes into account validated commissions, not declined or current pending commissions.

[moogie]

I know you probably won't publish it , but it would be interesting to see who the top 20 WORST payers are. I know we take about 2-4 days at most. Anything longer than a week in my view is not having your finger on the pulse and shows a lack of interest.

[Marc Gear]

There are a number of reasons why merchants take longer than a week to validate.

We ask merchants to validate commissions at least 6 weeks after they have occured, as this is normally long enough to take into account any returns period or fraudulent orders. We are aware that many merchants sell some goods on a pre-order system, and that they do not validate the commission untill to the goods are shipped.

[matbennett]

Returns are the big bugbear for most of us. Without giving too much away most of our fraud attempts are spotted pretty much immediately (and boy do they try it with jewellery!), but if you offer 30 day money-back which I think we are all meant to now this is an issue.

In an ideal world I'd like everything to be validated same day, this suits me as a merchant as much as it does affiliates. Having a contingency in place for later returns would be a great bonus though.

Luckily we don't get many returns, but if you have just confirmed a 17% commission on a £600 chain and the customer decides they don't like it isn't fun! No suprise then that 7 of the 10 merchants above aren't dealing in physical goods.

We'll do our best to make it to that list though.