Tesco vouchers

[tescovouchers]

Thanks for the responses.

If the point wasn't clear sorry, maybe I was carried away.

Yes any affiliate must abide by the T&C's and any responsible affiliate should comply with the network request and so forth.

A merchant is within their right to ask for whatever they want; the question is whether the request is reasonable and secondarily whether it is effective.

My point was that the current situation and the escalating requests are not reasonable nor effective. tesco1 is happily bringing in the search and generic traffic for Tesco codes while making adsense on the side, CPM's would work equally well. It's easy to monetise traffic for Tesco codes just NOT using affiliate links. As said, if you don't like the affiliate agreement go elsewhere - and many have been happy to do so.

The fact is that many people are making money on Tesco codes without any problems and will continue to do so. Whether Tesco doesn't like it or not is irrelevant - they have an open system for codes, the codes are in public domain and not restricted from general use. I strongly doubt we will see Tesco stopping myspace ads for example because people are sharing common Tesco codes in their profiles.

Tesco have made a choice on their end in the way they handle codes. They even have the technical ability to limit codes to certain accounts (as they have done now and then). Many many many merchants, in fact the large majority, have NO issues with improper voucher code usage because they control code usage on their end responsibly. If Tesco have problems they should be solving the issue themselves instead of expecting a marketing channel to do it for them.

My argument is not from a publisher perspective it's from an industry perspective. From a publisher perspective, as noted, there is no problem monetising these general use codes and in fact the limited market due to the absence of affiliates can make it more lucrative than other options. The argument is that this is an industry issue which networks should be approaching responsibly and reasonably rather than just buying the merchant explanation and pushing that line.

The networks need to understand that this is a merchant issue not a publisher or affiliate issue. If a merchant is having trouble controlling widely available codes that is their technical problem to sort out. Is it possible to stop the affiliate channel from publishing codes? Probably. However what are they going to do with the cpm channel? or the adsense channels? or people sharing on social networks with no monetisation to themselves?

We still expect all affiliates on the buy.at network to maintain a professional approach to this and represent our industry with proper conduct and stick to the T&C’s of the program.

That should go without saying and certainly that affiliates take this quietly shows that they are probably only too happy to work with merchants even when their demands are ridiculous. A professional approach would probably look quite different to that...

[shyguy0507]

I agree with Kieron here - after all it is Tesco's marketing budget and they can use it how they see fit.

Moneysavingexpert would fall outside of this as the voucher codes displayed are outside of an affiliate program on the forum and are generally posted by forum members.

So generally speaking people like to share money saving tips and vouchers fall into this and you'll find vouchers for most retailers across a huge number of free forums generally making it very hard to keep vouchers out of the public domain.

[loquax]

If Tesco have problems they should be solving the issue themselves instead of expecting a marketing channel to do it for them

Tesco have problems with affiliates publishing discount codes... they're resolving this by asking affiliates not to publish them.

There's nothing unprofessional, unreasonable, etc about the way it's been handled. It then becomes your choice whether you wish to use the affiliate channel or take another road.

Yes it's a pain that the codes are available "elsewhere" and I share your view in that I hope Tesco (and other merchants as well) now go on and make sure codes are handled/managed appropriately. Perhaps by asking affiliates not to publish non-affiliate codes and make them freely available is the first step in that process?

Jason

[tescovouchers]

The problem for merchants is that having unauthorised discount codes on affiliate sites is a double whammy for them as not only do they have to give the discount to the customer but pay the commission to the affiliate too. In many cases the discount will mean the margin on that one transaction is wafer thin anyway so paying a commission on top can take a transaction from slim profit to actually being a loss.

I'm going to be a right devil's advocate today (except that I'm really the devil).

Your point only brings up another industry misconception. Due to affiliate money being allocated by CPA the issue of margins often comes up while you wouldn't hear that excuse being given to a television media buyer for example. Affiliates are paid for performance not for margins.

Using your example what happens when someone sees a Tesco ad on Sky for a lounge chair and then thinks hmmm that looks nice. They head to the handy computer and type Tesco chair in google, see a result for "Tesco Direct £10 off!!", looks good so they click, visit a site with Tesco CPM ads, head off to Tesco and buy the chair with the £10 off code.

In that scenario Tesco will have paid £xxx to Sky for the ad, £x for a CPM and the £10 off code will be used (no affiliate involved at any point because they've all drank the koolaid) and I guarantee Tesco will not be saying "OMG my margin!!"

I don't see much margin difference in a Tesco customer using a code from even a non-monetised source after watching a Sky ad to a Tesco customer using a code and clicking through the aff link. The difference is that due to being paid on CPA it is too easy to associate marketing cost and margin. The insulting thing is that often that very margin is based on cost with traditional marketing as part of that cost.

Anyway I don't want to derail the thread on that issue as it's a big one.

[tescovouchers]

Tesco have problems with affiliates publishing discount codes... they're resolving this by asking affiliates not to publish them.

To be honest I doubt Tesco have a problem with affiliates publishing discount codes - rather they have a problem with people using discount codes.

The publication of codes is a symptom of their availability in the public domain and the ability for general use on the Tesco site.

The root of the problem is with Tesco. We're happy to bandage the wounds as affiliates but it's not going to stop the bleeding.

I agree with Kieron here - after all it is Tesco's marketing budget and they can use it how they see fit.

Have to say I'm with Kieron on this one - if Tesco (or any other merchant) choose not to allow their affiliates to display their voucher codes, that is their perogative. Equally as an affiliate, it is your choice, either work with Tesco as an affiliate, and don't display their codes, or display Tesco codes and stop being an affiliate for them.

As I posted above I agree with that. There should be a distinguishment though between complying with a merchant request and stating that it is not a reasonable nor effective one. Merchants are within their rights to ask whatever they want - it's the job of networks and affiliates to tell them if it is reasonable or effective.

[befuddle]

Originally Posted by drivetowin Equally as an affiliate, it is your choice, either work with Tesco as an affiliate, and don't display their codes, or display Tesco codes and stop being an affiliate for them.

I'm wondering if I unsubscribed myself from the Tesco and/or Mothercare affiliate schemes and published all the available codes I could find, so that a "code" domain is treated as a code resource ... would there be pressure from the affiliate network or the merchant to still remove the codes from the site?

I'm working on a new project where merchant codes will be published but affiliate links may not even be included.

[tescovouchers]

I'm working on a new project where merchant codes will be published but affiliate links may not even be included.

That's really the rub right there isn't it? The network stance isn't a problem for publishers because it's easy to monetise the information through other means - after all CPA is just one of many models for traffic monetisation. The only one losing in this situation is the affiliate networks and oddly they are the ones who don't seem to be thinking about it.

That's what makes this stance (and it's not just Tesco - it seems others with technical issues on their site are attempting the same action) so silly. It's either

1. Tesco don't have margins to allow code use and aff commission
2. Tesco don't want affiliates to publish codes
3. Tesco don't want codes published
4. Tesco don't want codes used inappropriately.

The answers are

1. They are not declining commission just on code use they are banning anyone who publishes codes which indicates it's not a margin issue
2. That seems about right
3. That's impossible to prevent online
4. Only Tesco can control that

I think the real reason is 4 (Tesco don't want codes used inappropriately) but they are acting as if it's 2. Preventing affiliates from publishing codes will result in 3 and 4 continuing. Even if some parallel magical internet-land existed where information can be controlled they would still end up with 4.

And as I've said over and over only Tesco can prevent that from happening. Just like plenty of merchants do already.

Networks and affiliates can control publication of Tesco codes on affiliate sites but they cannot control inappropriate or unexpected use of codes on the Tesco site. So why are Tesco making requests as if they can and why are the networks following that line?

[loquax]

The only one losing in this situation is the affiliate networks and oddly they are the ones who don't seem to be thinking about it

.... and hard working affiliates who work within the rules to promote merchants who lose sales and users to other sites (some with forced cookies too...) because they won't publish non-affiliate codes!

The simple fact is that Tesco don't want affiliates to publish codes - they've told Buy.at, Buy.at have told the affiliates - that's all the information there currently is available - but I guess Buy.at will come back with a further explanation on how Tesco intend to move forward from here?? (Tyson? yes/no?)

E.g. perhaps they'll work out that if an affiliate link has been followed no codes will work? Or perhaps, and if I were Mr Online Tesco, I'd suspend all discount codes right now, apologise for taking that step, offer customers a discount if they register when codes will be reintroduced, and then use some of that £6billion profit to devise a system that can accommodate code usage.

The thing is that affiliates & misuse of voucher codes has perhaps been a nice little earner for some - and things are (hopefully) starting to change - so that affiliates work within the rules and merchants devise better systems to ensure they manage codes properly.

Jason

[tescovouchers]

Good post loquax/jason. I didn't mean to cut out affiliates like yourself from the loss bit, but honestly I think that if this type of "solution" keeps spreading even you would have to look at your stats at a certain point and say hey CPA is not working out, time to switch to another form of monetisation.

The simple fact is that Tesco don't want affiliates to publish codes - they've told Buy.at, Buy.at have told the affiliates - that's all the information there currently is available - but I guess Buy.at will come back with a further explanation on how Tesco intend to move forward from here??

I think this is optimistic and part of why I signed up to post is because I see this larger trend among merchants who haven't bothered to tighten up their technical ends. Tesco have had this problem for years yet have not done anything about it, this email from Buy.at is just the most recent (they sent out emails on TD year/years ago).

Earlier a "professional approach" was asked for by buy.at. I do agree that affiliates who wish to remain Tesco affiliates should comply with the request. However I think a truly professional approach by the network would sound like this:

"Hi All,

Tesco have taken the decision to no longer allow voucher codes to be used accross the whole affiliate channel. All affiliates on the programme have been informed of this and as such have until 30th August to remove all voucher codes.

After discussion with buy.at Tesco are implementing this same procedure with all enforceable marketing channels with the same deadline of August 30th. If you find any publisher monetising Tesco codes in any way past this date (adsense, cpm, etc) please report the url to ispycodes@tesco.com and they have guaranteed it will be actioned within 24 hours.

As we recognise this is a technical problem on the Tesco site we have agreed on a series of steps they must take in order to remain on the buy.at network. Tesco have agreed to implement an interim technical solution of xyz by September 15th and a full technical solution by September 30th which will prevent any codes from being used by accounts other than those to which they have been assigned.

buy.at apologises for any inconvenience this causes to affiliates and will adjust commissions for remaining publishers during this interim period to x% in recognition of their support.

If you have any questions please contact me on 0191 222 9744.

Kind Regards,"


Personally I think that is a "professional approach" that recognises both the participation of affiliates in helping Tesco as well as acknowledging the ultimate solution is up to Tesco to enforce. I think the current strategy of "take down the codes or get booted and no we're not going to actually solve the root problem" is simply an example of bending over with a 'gently sir' comment; an approach more typical of the oldest profession.

[Tyson Pearcey]

Hi Jas,

As I have posted on this thread I am now lucky enough to receive an email notification every time a reply is made on the thread.

Right as this one is directed at me.... I'll pop back in. Yes spot on mate. As stated we will come back after we have spoken to the Tesco team and update you on the latest.

On a positive note why not get creative and build some Tesco results with the buy.at ContentEngine. I’m sure once you’ve given it a try the ease of the customization will make you smile about things again.

buy.at launches content generator - ContentEngine

I’m sure you can have a more enjoyable time this afternoon crafting up some great new sites and pages with the NEW buy.at ContentEngine rather than speculating on the reasons why this decision was made. We have your interests covered and we’ll be following up as soon as we can.

tescovouchers,

Thanks for your comments. Did you read my original post which already addresses your last comment?

Have a great long weekend!
Tyson