Comments on: The Death of ClickBank http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/ Making Money through Ethical Internet Marketing. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:50:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Trevor Chilton http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-14499 Trevor Chilton Sun, 11 Jul 2010 00:44:16 +0000 http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-14499 This site is clearly dominated by publishers or affiliates but I want to add to this my views as the customer. First off you guys talk like all the customers are the thieves and seem to discount the fact that more than a few publishers are not one bit better at all. Now I have purchased a lot of products but as the quality of many products has gone down hill I have become more aggressive with asking for refunds when I find the product less than of value to me. First off I have never ever once asked for a refund in hours I usually try something for several weeks and when I find it less than of value I feel no compulsion not to ask for a refund. I have in the past purchased products due to the refund policy which of course is the whole idea it does increase sales significantly however as suggested elsewhere those that abuse this should be on a black list. However I do take exception to ClickBank being easy to get refunds from in fact I have been defrauded by their process twice in the past month on products that I have bought both that had a purchase then a monthly continuity. In both cases when I canceled the purchase they refunded only the monthly amount and conveniently forgot to refund the upfront purchase. However they only provided me with one invoice hence one link in which to ask for a refund. When I discovered that I only had a 35% refund it was past the sixty days so they have denied refunding something that they hid from me. This is not in the slightest way honourable or acceptable to me the consumer. I have also complained to the vendor who says you have to talk to ClickBank who in turn says you have to talk to the vendor. Talk about a royal runaround when the sole mission is to weasel out of the guarantee by hiding how it is that you are to get the refund. The second one I caught in time as a result of the first experience but to get my full refund I had to jump through several hoops to get to it as the system gave me direct access to cancel the upfront charge. Note in both cases they managed to cancel the smaller charge being the monthly and not the upfront. Sorry folks this is just plain sleezy when you purposely obscure the refund process from someone who did not like your product. For the record this product is not on my hard drive, I use it in no way shape or form plus it required monthly maintenance to be active so I did not get a free ride as most here automatically assume what is behind returns. AS other have suggested the fact is that there is a lot of products on ClickBank that are not worthy but yes those of us in marketing full well know how to get a refund yet please do not assume that all are the fault of the buyer just as often it is a vendor selling low grade product (crap) or one with zero service. One product I returned from a so called Guru was due to waiting two weeks for a response from support. A product without support is worth exactly zero to me so I sure do return them when the seller is just there to milk you and not put their money where their mouth is. Contrary I also returned a much more expensive product direct to a successful vendor without any hassle or bullshit games to play as I did with ClickBank. Now in the future I may well buy something I like from that same vendor but he has wisely kept the door open by not jerking me around whereas for ClickBank and this thief vendor purple pigs will be flying over my roof before I purchase again. The end of this is are you are a fly by night operator or one who is building a business and you can't build a business by deceiving the customer. This site is clearly dominated by publishers or affiliates but I want to add to this my views as the customer. First off you guys talk like all the customers are the thieves and seem to discount the fact that more than a few publishers are not one bit better at all. Now I have purchased a lot of products but as the quality of many products has gone down hill I have become more aggressive with asking for refunds when I find the product less than of value to me. First off I have never ever once asked for a refund in hours I usually try something for several weeks and when I find it less than of value I feel no compulsion not to ask for a refund. I have in the past purchased products due to the refund policy which of course is the whole idea it does increase sales significantly however as suggested elsewhere those that abuse this should be on a black list.

However I do take exception to ClickBank being easy to get refunds from in fact I have been defrauded by their process twice in the past month on products that I have bought both that had a purchase then a monthly continuity. In both cases when I canceled the purchase they refunded only the monthly amount and conveniently forgot to refund the upfront purchase. However they only provided me with one invoice hence one link in which to ask for a refund. When I discovered that I only had a 35% refund it was past the sixty days so they have denied refunding something that they hid from me. This is not in the slightest way honourable or acceptable to me the consumer. I have also complained to the vendor who says you have to talk to ClickBank who in turn says you have to talk to the vendor. Talk about a royal runaround when the sole mission is to weasel out of the guarantee by hiding how it is that you are to get the refund. The second one I caught in time as a result of the first experience but to get my full refund I had to jump through several hoops to get to it as the system gave me direct access to cancel the upfront charge. Note in both cases they managed to cancel the smaller charge being the monthly and not the upfront. Sorry folks this is just plain sleezy when you purposely obscure the refund process from someone who did not like your product. For the record this product is not on my hard drive, I use it in no way shape or form plus it required monthly maintenance to be active so I did not get a free ride as most here automatically assume what is behind returns. AS other have suggested the fact is that there is a lot of products on ClickBank that are not worthy but yes those of us in marketing full well know how to get a refund yet please do not assume that all are the fault of the buyer just as often it is a vendor selling low grade product (crap) or one with zero service. One product I returned from a so called Guru was due to waiting two weeks for a response from support. A product without support is worth exactly zero to me so I sure do return them when the seller is just there to milk you and not put their money where their mouth is.

Contrary I also returned a much more expensive product direct to a successful vendor without any hassle or bullshit games to play as I did with ClickBank. Now in the future I may well buy something I like from that same vendor but he has wisely kept the door open by not jerking me around whereas for ClickBank and this thief vendor purple pigs will be flying over my roof before I purchase again.

The end of this is are you are a fly by night operator or one who is building a business and you can’t build a business by deceiving the customer.

]]> By: Bob http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-13630 Bob Wed, 20 Jan 2010 07:49:55 +0000 http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-13630 I think I can sum it up simply, for affiliates, cb has scam written all over it- it's really bad. Because of the hoplink thing, I don't know about pdc but I can pretty much say that affiliate marketing on the internet just doesn't exist at all. Because the hoplinks never ever work at all, they never give you credit for the sale, never ever happens. I know this for sure, it's simple to find out, get a hoplink and click on it, the first time you go there it says that you are the affiliate, but not after you leave the site anytime you come back, it just says affiliate:none it's that simple (I've noticed it will denote you as the affiliate for about three hours after the initial linkthrough or whenever you log off line and then your history). Hoplinks do not give you credit for the sale period, the large majority of computers out there have cookies set just like mine and the computer just simply doesn't remember the hoplink, when the costumer goes back to that site it gives all the sale to the webmaster. The costumer doesn't have to deliberatly clear the cookies, everyones' computer erases stuff like the hoplink automatically every few hours. Affiliate marketing online simply doesn't exist for affiliates, there is no such thing, hoplinks will not give you credit for the sale, period. Peace. And as for the refund thing, that's like going to a grocery store and asking for a refund of pudding you already ate. I don't think people should own the download and not need to pay for it. I think I can sum it up simply, for affiliates, cb has scam written all over it- it’s really bad. Because of the hoplink thing, I don’t know about pdc but I can pretty much say that affiliate marketing on the internet just doesn’t exist at all. Because the hoplinks never ever work at all, they never give you credit for the sale, never ever happens. I know this for sure, it’s simple to find out, get a hoplink and click on it, the first time you go there it says that you are the affiliate, but not after you leave the site anytime you come back, it just says affiliate:none it’s that simple (I’ve noticed it will denote you as the affiliate for about three hours after the initial linkthrough or whenever you log off line and then your history). Hoplinks do not give you credit for the sale period, the large majority of computers out there have cookies set just like mine and the computer just simply doesn’t remember the hoplink, when the costumer goes back to that site it gives all the sale to the webmaster. The costumer doesn’t have to deliberatly clear the cookies, everyones’ computer erases stuff like the hoplink automatically every few hours. Affiliate marketing online simply doesn’t exist for affiliates, there is no such thing, hoplinks will not give you credit for the sale, period. Peace. And as for the refund thing, that’s like going to a grocery store and asking for a refund of pudding you already ate. I don’t think people should own the download and not need to pay for it.

]]> By: Josh Spaulding http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-12172 Josh Spaulding Thu, 16 Jul 2009 03:09:01 +0000 http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-12172 @ Rob - Not to defend them, because they certainly have their flaws, but the reason they do this is to prevent people who haven't make any sales at all (just generated money by ordering products through their own link) from being paid, which is a good thing. But it is pretty ridiculous. @ Rob – Not to defend them, because they certainly have their flaws, but the reason they do this is to prevent people who haven’t make any sales at all (just generated money by ordering products through their own link) from being paid, which is a good thing. But it is pretty ridiculous.

]]> By: Rob http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-12171 Rob Thu, 16 Jul 2009 03:01:22 +0000 http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-12171 I just laugh at their terms of payments to affiliates. Have you read the requirements before they'll pay you? It is quite hilarious, almost to the point of saying "We will only pay you if there is a "z" in the month". I have over $100 in my account (not that much I know) and I won't get that for ages because I need to make sales from about 5 different payment methods or something before they'll issue a cheque. Why can't they just pay via Paypal? The answer is simple. They don't want to pay you. I think CB is a dinosaur and we all know what happened to the dinosaurs. I just laugh at their terms of payments to affiliates.

Have you read the requirements before they’ll pay you? It is quite hilarious, almost to the point of saying “We will only pay you if there is a “z” in the month”.

I have over $100 in my account (not that much I know) and I won’t get that for ages because I need to make sales from about 5 different payment methods or something before they’ll issue a cheque.

Why can’t they just pay via Paypal?

The answer is simple. They don’t want to pay you. I think CB is a dinosaur and we all know what happened to the dinosaurs.

]]> By: Ivan Walsh http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-12158 Ivan Walsh Sat, 11 Jul 2009 03:48:58 +0000 http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-12158 2 ways to reduce the refund process: 1. tell clickbank NOT to advertise your product to the country where the refunds are coming from. 90% of all my refunds come from a certain country in Asia. Starts with I. 2. with Google Adwords, make sure youre Google ad campaigns don’t include these countries. Focus your Google Adword campaigns on wealthy countries where the likelihood of refund requests will be lower. I have tried this and it works. Ivan 2 ways to reduce the refund process:

1. tell clickbank NOT to advertise your product to the country where the refunds are coming from.

90% of all my refunds come from a certain country in Asia. Starts with I.

2. with Google Adwords, make sure youre Google ad campaigns don’t include these countries.

Focus your Google Adword campaigns on wealthy countries where the likelihood of refund requests will be lower.

I have tried this and it works.

Ivan

]]> By: Jonathan@Friends&Money http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-9945 Jonathan@Friends&Money Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:17:53 +0000 http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-9945 Got to be honest I've never been a big fan of clickbank and whilst I now that it can provide some excellent channels to buyers, I prefer to market my own products through PAYPAL on my site. Whilst this also has it's own draw backs, I just find it a more flexible tool and means that I remain in control of my products and my customers don't end up getting ripped off Got to be honest I’ve never been a big fan of clickbank and whilst I now that it can provide some excellent channels to buyers, I prefer to market my own products through PAYPAL on my site. Whilst this also has it’s own draw backs, I just find it a more flexible tool and means that I remain in control of my products and my customers don’t end up getting ripped off

]]> By: Matt http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-9150 Matt Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:08:48 +0000 http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-9150 I think that both of these problems are tied more to the IM niche than any other niche clickbank products are associated with. Think about it, the average consumer will not know what a hop link is, and the average consumer will not be familiar with clickbank and its generous return policy. If you are promoting or selling a good quality products outside of the IM niche, it is highly unlikely that these two problems will hurt your efforts. I think that both of these problems are tied more to the IM niche than any other niche clickbank products are associated with.

Think about it, the average consumer will not know what a hop link is, and the average consumer will not be familiar with clickbank and its generous return policy.

If you are promoting or selling a good quality products outside of the IM niche, it is highly unlikely that these two problems will hurt your efforts.

]]> By: Josh Spaulding http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-9119 Josh Spaulding Sat, 30 Aug 2008 19:11:39 +0000 http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-9119 @ Registry - You have a very odd name, but I won't hold that against you ;) You may want to take a look at my comment policy though. One thing I failed to consider in this post was the fact that most of the products in ClickBank aren't related to Internet Marketers and since Internet Marketers are primarily the only ones who know how easy it is to get a refund through CB, it wouldn't be an issue. It's just an issue with IM products. @ Registry – You have a very odd name, but I won’t hold that against you ;) You may want to take a look at my comment policy though.

One thing I failed to consider in this post was the fact that most of the products in ClickBank aren’t related to Internet Marketers and since Internet Marketers are primarily the only ones who know how easy it is to get a refund through CB, it wouldn’t be an issue.

It’s just an issue with IM products.

]]> By: Registry Fix Review http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-9118 Registry Fix Review Sat, 30 Aug 2008 18:18:32 +0000 http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-9118 Dan: <i>"The refund thing IS annoying but Clickbank will be the industry standard for a long time to come (in my opinion anyway). <b>A lot of people make A LOT of money with Clickbank...</b>"</i> For the very reason you state at the end of this comment, despite its flaws, CB doesn't seem to be going any place (as in "dying") anytime soon. I promote affiliate products on CB and so far, have not suffered much from the liberal refund policies at CB. To be honest, though, two thirds of the products I promote are not related to the I.M. niche. Will be interesting to see how it will go with a recent site I just set up, which <i>does</i> promote I.M. niche products. Their refund policy seems to be in the "damned if you do and damned if you don't" category. As others here have pointed out, especially in the I.M. category, those of us who purchase some of these products who have been around for a while are quite sensitive to the fact that not all product releases are worth having. Without that refund policy, we'd be losing more money, especially the little guy who's just trying to figure out what I.M. is all about in the first place. That said, I agree with the general premise that CB and its policies are flawed, but then what are you going to do! They've helped me begin to make some income from my efforts in I.M., and I'm sure many others as well. There's not many other affiliate programs out there where you can earn 50% to 75% commission on a sale. You just about need that high a percentage in order to make any kind of living these days. Dan: “The refund thing IS annoying but Clickbank will be the industry standard for a long time to come (in my opinion anyway). A lot of people make A LOT of money with Clickbank…“

For the very reason you state at the end of this comment, despite its flaws, CB doesn’t seem to be going any place (as in “dying”) anytime soon.

I promote affiliate products on CB and so far, have not suffered much from the liberal refund policies at CB. To be honest, though, two thirds of the products I promote are not related to the I.M. niche. Will be interesting to see how it will go with a recent site I just set up, which does promote I.M. niche products.

Their refund policy seems to be in the “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” category. As others here have pointed out, especially in the I.M. category, those of us who purchase some of these products who have been around for a while are quite sensitive to the fact that not all product releases are worth having. Without that refund policy, we’d be losing more money, especially the little guy who’s just trying to figure out what I.M. is all about in the first place.

That said, I agree with the general premise that CB and its policies are flawed, but then what are you going to do! They’ve helped me begin to make some income from my efforts in I.M., and I’m sure many others as well. There’s not many other affiliate programs out there where you can earn 50% to 75% commission on a sale. You just about need that high a percentage in order to make any kind of living these days.

]]> By: The Affiliate Conspiracy Review http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-5408 The Affiliate Conspiracy Review Thu, 08 May 2008 07:35:45 +0000 http://www.ethicalim.com/affiliate-marketing/the-death-of-clickbank/#comment-5408 The refund thing IS annoying but Clickbank will be the industry standard for a long time to come (in my opinion anyway). Alot of people make ALOT of money with Clickbank and the products there are much better than those at PDC. I've promoted products from both as an affiliate, and I've always done alot better with Clickbank. Dan The refund thing IS annoying but Clickbank will be the industry standard for a long time to come (in my opinion anyway). Alot of people make ALOT of money with Clickbank and the products there are much better than those at PDC. I’ve promoted products from both as an affiliate, and I’ve always done alot better with Clickbank.

Dan

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