WHSmith - what's up doc?

Looks like WHSmith can afford to throw away millions on television advertising, but can't be bothered to pay their affiliates on time.

We haven't received our fourth quarter 2001 cheque yet, even though it was due nearly two MONTHS ago. Are any other people in the same boat?

We have been 'partners' (cough, splutter) of theirs for nearly four years and ever since WHSmith bought the Internet Bookshop, the commission payments stopped arriving on time.

Our payments are USUALLY several weeks late. This has been going on for years. We have tried to be patient and have hung on, hoping things would improve. Do WHSmith Online pay their managers several weeks late each month too? I doubt it.

I don't have hours to waste each quarter chasing up payments from WHSmith.

Which alternative online bookseller would you guys recommend? Is BOL any good? I'm not too fond of Amazon.co.uk, because even when we directly link to a book we end up getting only 5% commission. Plus the site is becoming more and more cluttered like its American counterpart, with fewer and fewer products that earn affiliates any commission.

N. Azam
www.Litmania.com/dom - save an extra 50% off domain names before 28 March!

I would still suggest use amazon.co.uk. Streets online are going to launch there new affiliate program so might be worth check them out. I would say go for amazon. Great reporting, very flexible linking. Also with scripts from affiliateseek.co.uk u can put together charts very easily.

Thanks for your opinion.

We, too, are waiting for Streets Online's new affiliate prog. If it's as lousy as the old one, we won't bother.

Then, it's a stand-off between BOL and Amazon UK.

BOL = 7%
Amazon = 5%

Just don't know if BOL has the same kind of brand recognition and, hence, conversion ratio as Amazon.co.uk

What do you think?

As for WHSmith, it's 10%, but with no tracking and payments being weeks late every quarter and requiring several emails before they take place, we won't bother anymore. Now I know why most major sites didn't bother with WHSmith despite the lucrative commission percentage. Only problem is we will have hundreds of links on hundreds of pages on numerous different webhosts to change from WHSmith to new merchant. Not looking forward to it

N. Azam
www.Litmania.com/dom - get an extra 50% off domain names before 30 March!

Mr Lit

I see your site on the top of all the search relating to wh smith.
I vowed never to goto amazon with the measly 5% commission but i have succumb to them, they convert well just wish it was at 10% though.

Audiostreet used to convert well and there customer service is second to none I used to buy all my cds from them

i have never used BOL. Do they also do CDs. Bartelmann are not that well known in UK so may suffer.

If your selling CDs try CD wow with the bounty of 2.75 % !!!

>If your selling CDs try CD wow with the bounty of 2.75 % !!!

2.75% is not much, wouldn't you agree? Considering we have to pay so much at Pay Per Click Search Engines and the main directories to draw traffic to our site, earn 20p if somebody buys a CD is not going to make us rich. Considering that only one person in a hundred we send to a merchant tends to buy anything nowadays, that's 0.2 pence per surfer.

WHSmith still haven't paid us for Quarter 4, 2001, despite numerous emails. Getting very frustrating. Any other affiliates been paid?

Your not going to make you millions selling books and Cds it seems.
Amazon's reporting has gone awol since march 29th. I put it down to end of quarter but its frustrating especially as I like to check mine daily, well I would like to hourly!!

I never gave Wh smith the time of day due to their poor reportings.
Audiostreet I am not sure if they reported all my sales and you always have to chase them for cash.

Ok so BOL anyone got any opinions on them, at 7% for books ( is it same for CDs) they might be best bet

Yep, it's 7% for CDs and games as well. Considerably more than most other merchants out there.

But I'm holding out for StreetsOnline (greedy aren't I ?) If they give more than 7%, we'll go with them. Neither StreetsOnline or BOL have the same brand recognition as WHSmith or Amazon, so I'd put them equal. Or would you say one is better than the other and more likely to convert sales?