Do Buy.at not have merchant contracts?

[drivetowin]

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Sorry guys, you know I really really like your network, but what is going on there lately - for the second time in a week I get an email saying that a programme (in this case Dreambreaks - on Monday it was the Science Museum) is closing in four days time as the merchant is changing their online strategy. - and last week we had notice that BT Domains was closing that afternoon.

OK I know that cookie sales will be honoured thanks to the programmes being on buy.at but these short notice closures are to my mind bang out of order - surely a merchant should be obliged to give 30 days notice (or at the very least 14 days notice) - now either the merchant is giving more notice and you are not telling affiliates until much nearer the date of closure so that the programme generates the maximum possible number of sales - or you have contracts which a solicitor two days into their first job can ride a coach and horses through - or you have the clauses in your contract and just don't enforce them.

I accept that there will be cases where for example a merchant goes into administration, that a programme has to be closed at a moments notice, but these should definitely be the exception and not the rule.

Now I don't know which it is and to be honest I don't that much care, but I do care that the network which has for a long time prided itself on being the 'affiliate champion' (and rightly so), now appears to be more merchant led than affiliate led.

[Richard Forster]

Hi, as you rightly stated sometimes circumstances are out of our hands- this is the exception and not the rule.This remains the case and i would like to re-assure you that we remain affiliate focused especially with regards to short notice closures. We always aim for the 30 day notice period to give you as much notice as possible.

As always please get in touch if you have any issues,

Kind regards,

[Tyson Pearcey]

Hi Keith,

As you and I discussed this at the Digital Cream event this week... I said then and I'll say it again now...... I agree with you.

We'll be taking some actions internally over the next couple of days to make sure there isn't a need for this type of thread starting again in our forum.

PS thanks for the kind words and gentle push!

Cheers
Tyson

[drivetowin]

Hi Tyson

No problem mate - sorry I went off on one a bit there but you know my feelings on this matter and I know you share my concerns.

Onwards and upwards......................

[monk-i]

Keith is spot on and its not just Buy.at it applies to all networks really. Its forgotten as well how much work this then can create for an affiliate and its no wonder it can annoy us all. All that work is to waste sometimes as you cannot always find a replacement merchant if its a particularly niche market.

A bit of notice can give us time to source potential alternative merchants and get it all rigged up again without much of a blip.

It does seem to happen with too much ease.