Woolworths Suspension Notice

**cleo** · 23-12-05

Dear Publisher,

Please be aware that the Woolworths affiliate program has been suspended pending removal from the network on the 25/12/2005.

We would like to thank you for all your hard work on this program.

In the meantime we kindly request that you take down any links you may be using as soon as possible. Payments will be made for valid sales up to 25/01/2006.

Please feel free to login to your www.dgmpro.com account and join any of our other related advertisers.

If you have any queries please contact publishersupport@dgm-uk.com.

Best wishes,

cleo.

**Jeff** · 23-12-05

There's no excuse for leaving it so late to tell affiliates about this, but nothing DGM do surprises me any more.

I wonder how many affiliates have stopped work for Xmas now and will be surprised when they return to work to find that their Woolies links no longer work?

**scifind** · 23-12-05

Wasn't there a big announcement about 2 weeks ago about how great Wollies was on DGM and how the program was improved (cannot find it now) and how people should switch links from awin?

**Jeff** · 23-12-05

Originally Posted by scifind

Wasn't there a big announcement about 2 weeks ago about how great Wollies was on DGM and how the program was improved (cannot find it now) and how people should switch links from awin?

That thread disappeared this morning - can't see why though, unless it was just too embarrassing for DGM.

**scifind** · 23-12-05

Originally Posted by Jeff

That thread disappeared this morning - can't see why though, unless it was just too embarrassing for DGM.

This was my thought.

**Matthew Wood** · 23-12-05

Yes there was a thread about this, it was removed at DGM's request.

whats one of the main keys in AM? : trust, trust, trust..

Anyhow Merry Christmas everybody, i'm off home.

**a4uforummember** · 23-12-05

yes that was the thread started by cleo, entitled, 'woolworths just gets better and better with DGM', naively, it was started around the same time that affiliate window announced that they had woolworths on board (thank goodness).

It was also the post where cleo claimed that woolworths were running some sort of competition that gave site visitors a 1 in 25 chance of winning a prize. Kbudden pointed out that woolworths were only giving out 25 prizes and with the x amount of visitors that woolworths would get this was clearly way off being a 1 in 25 chance of winning.

Of course, she never came back to admit her silly mistake, or even change her post. You can see why they left dgm.

**Bod** · 23-12-05

it was 1 in 20.

It just goes to show they knew this was going to take place at least 3 weeks before affiliates get told, and we only find out from another network and their text info.

I will never ever work with dgmcon erm pro

**eskimo** · 23-12-05

Late program closure notices are my pet peeve, and other networks/merchants besides DGM have also been guilty of this behaviour.

What I don't understand though, is if it's a delibrate tactic, or just down to general apathy by merchants/networks? I can't see what real benefit there is to any party, to give only a few hours notice of a program's closure. I especially feel for PPC affiliates, who may get caught out.

**a4uforummember** · 23-12-05

I would imagine in this case that it was a last gasp to benefit from as many sales for woolworths as dgm could until the very end of the programme.

woolworths was moving and lots of people knew it was moving and had dgm made that announcement at the begining of the month all of woolies affilates would have moved then and there. Thereby denying dgm the key christmas rush.

Affwindow is a much better place for woolworths, the reporting, the structure, the interface, the enormous product feed, and the affiliate support is just so much better, and woolies have made a smart move.

**KevinEdwards** · 23-12-05

Hi,

I'm not the account manager for this account but I'll give a company response here.

There was a miscommunication here for which we hold our hands up to - we should have given the standard notice period followed by the cookie commitment.

I see this as vital to ongoing management of our accounts and wouldn't want any publishers to think dgm doesn't consider it important.

We should have understood the implications of the notice period - sadly we haven't given it - but we are committed to paying on cookie.

dgm values its publishers and has (I believe) made big strides in the last couple of months to addressing well publicised issues.

2006 will see the launch of a major upgrade to the current version of dgmPro, aimed squarely at addressing publisher requirements. It was always our intention to offer this funcationality from the offset and I'm glad to say everyone should see the benefits shortly - overdue, but here.

I'm firmly committed to our offering and believe 2006 will be a positive time for us and all of our publishers.

I'm out of the office now until 4th Jan, but will be logging on regularly as well as picking up emails.

Have a great Christmas and I look forward to working with you in 2006.

**drivetowin** · 23-12-05

I'm sorry Kevin but on DGMs part I really think this is inexcusable.

Those of us 'in the know' knew full well that Woolworths had served notice on DGM that they would be leaving the DGM network and moving to AW (and to be fair some of us knew about the move several days in advance but were bound by commercial confidentiality to say nothing) - you cannot excuse what happened as 'miscommunication' - it was a blatant attempt to deceive affiliates and keep the links with DGM - there is absolutely no reason why affiliates could not have been given at least 14 days notice that Woolworths were closing their DGM programme.

It is some relief that you are at least honouring the 30 day cookie but I feel that DGM have taken another serious step backwards in affiliate relationships.

I really do hope you are right in your prediction for 2006, I like DGM and the people like yourself who work there - but trust is a big element and you (DGM not you personally - I have a lot of time and respect for you) have a long way to go in rebuilding that trust.

**KevinEdwards** · 23-12-05

Keith,

Thanks for your comments.

Honestly? It was my understanding that notice hadn't been served. We at dgm had a discussion the other day and offered a publisher response based on this premise.

That this wasn't the case was miscommunication.

I'm frustrated this wasn't made explicit - but on the one program I was responsible for this year that ceased to work with us (Premier Travel Inn) I issued notice for the full 30 days plus 30 days cookie length on top of that. THAT is a standard publisher agreement and I fully buy into that as a commitment to our publishers.

I'm irritated this issue has come up because (as already stated) it should have been handled better. 2006 WILL be better - I've seen the evidence - and we have some great new programs coming on board that will go some way to restoring publisher belief in the network.

**drivetowin** · 23-12-05

Kevin

Thanks for that - I now understand what you mean by miscommunication.

I would agree with you that the PTI termination was a model of how programmes ending should be dealt with (now that is one merchant I dearly wish would come back

) - and all credit to you for the way that one was handled.