Important Notice: Comet Vouchercode affiliates

[Ross T]

Tweet

<img src="http://www.awin1.com/cshow.php?s=108498&v=157&q=75830&r=45628" border="0">

Dear Affiliates

Over the next three months Comet will be researching the impact discount codes and discount code sites have on its traffic. We want to understand the incremental sales benefit and be able to develop a suitable business model for discount code sites.

In principle we understand when voucher codes are used correctly they can drive significant volume and add value to our affiliate programme. To help us formulate a suitable business model going forward we have taken the decision to pause activity with sites that we define as voucher code directories. We would like to stress this is a decision that will be reviewed after we’ve collated enough data, we estimate to be 3 months, to carry out comprehensive research into how best voucher codes can be used.

We would like to stress this does not impact Comet’s ongoing promotions and on site offers that we will continue to roll out to our affiliate base. As stated the specific affiliates will be voucher code directories and as such only a very small number of affiliates are impacted.

The research study will begin in a week’s time on the 27th Jan 2009 so please can you remove all relevant links for Comet. Any questions please direct to Affiliate window.

We are extremely grateful for the hard work all voucher code affiliates have put in to promoting Comet’s affiliate programme and will be in touch later on in the year with our findings.

Should you be unsure whether this impacts your activity please contact Ross Truesdale - ross.truesdale@affiliatewindow.com

Kind Regards
Robin Chan
Comet Online Marketing Manager

[KieronD]

we have taken the decision to pause activity with sites that we define as voucher code directories.

So I take it you will be contacting sites directly that you define as voucher code directories individually and asking them to remove Comet links?

[KevinEdwards]

I believe the list of relevant affiliates is being compiled and affected affiliates will be contacted shortly.

Thanks,

[Vrindavan]

i am not clear the email message.

Who need to remove the links?

remove all affiliate links ?

or just remove the coupons or coupon links ?

[renegade]

I'll certainly remember what I was doing while Barack Obama was being inaugurated!

That's really bad news for all voucher code site owners.

Kevin, can you clarify how this will affect affiliates with code sites and non-code sites on the same affiliate window ID?

For example, how will any affiliate with an icodes white label site be affected?

[DannyW]

This doesn't bode well in my eyes, surely there's a better way to conduct this study? ie look at their stats? And the phone number cropping up on their site recently.


[edited = Dan]

[Ross T]

This doesn't bode well in my eyes, surely there's a better way to conduct this study? ie look at their stats? And the phone number cropping up on their site recently.

[edited = Dan]

Hi Danny –

Comet will be removing the number for affiliate traffic which has been the case in the past. The reason the number suddenly appeared is that the original number was changed and not updated for affiliate traffic.

Regards
Ross

[Barry]

For the duration of the ban is it ok to push all my Comet traffic to my cashback site instead?

Ta

Baz

[Ross T]

For the duration of the ban is it ok to push all my Comet traffic to my cashback site instead?

Ta

Baz

Hi Barry

To clear things up - Traffic that is looking for Comet vouchercodes should not find any content on vouchercode directories or be directed to other sites containing Comet contents.

Regards
Ross

[Barry]

Hi Ross

I posted here before I spoke to you in the afternoon.

I understand what is required as per our msn chat and am happy to take part in the comet experimnet. - As per the 27th all my links will be direct to comet, to help them gather stats.

However - If comet enters back into the affiliate arena - I expect to be one of the first in the line because I have complied. If I am not in the line then there is going to be a whole lot of PPC ads and references to their competitors on the pages I rank highly for in the serps. both brand and generic.

I can understand why they are trying to do this research. However there has been a few affiliate programs who have closed their doors in the past, but I have managed to still convert traffic toward another merchant because I can supply a viable discount code/offer/suggestion that makes it cheaper for the consumer than what they searched for initially.

Ross = remember to ping me on the removal date please, you know I am a fruit cake and will forget.

Ta

Baz

[Mogga]

Hi Barry

To clear things up - Traffic that is looking for Comet vouchercodes should not find any content on vouchercode directories or be directed to other sites containing Comet contents.

Regards
Ross

So not plain text link to even the comet site.

[DannyW]

This is confusing now. Having spoken to both Ross and Kevin on the phone, and read these Comet/Code threads - I'm still none the wiser as to whether to pull links, make clean links, pull the comet listing or do nothing in response to this.

Could Comet/Affiliate Window please give a clear instruction as to what to do instead of beating around the bush. :cry

[Ross T]

Hi Danny

If your site is classed as a voucher code directory offering merchant voucher codes to visiting traffic then you must remove ALL affiliate links to Comet. We ask that you do not use alternative linking methods or re-direct to another site offering affiliate links to Comet.

This will clearly ensure that traffic 'looking' for Comet voucher codes are not cookie dropped as this may skew the data for the trial period.

Regards
Ross

[DannyW]

Thanks Ross, and yes I spoke to you yesterday - then spoke to Kevin, who said "Take the old codes down" leave the page up... So I think you can understand my concern over clarity on this matter. You've said different things to me in the space of an hour.

It's not a qualm with you, Kevin or any Affiliate Window staff.

• You say "We ask that you do not use alternative linking methods"

• Yet Barry has stated he spoke to you on MSN and as a result of the conversation Barry says "all my links will be direct to comet"

So which one is it? I think a clear document outlining exactly what is to be done needs to be put out, instead of you saying one thing to someone then Kevin saying something to others.

Dan

[nickhx]

Are they not just saying to remove the tracking affiliate link from your page but you can obviously link directly to comet if you wish?

Ie. if your link is currently http://www.awin1.com/track.php?a=xxx...k/someproduct/

that you are allowed to replace that with:

www.comet.co.uk/someproduct/

(although obviously you are giving comet free traffic in that case)