SYDNEY MORNING HERALD -- Dec 13 -- Internet publishers, affiliate networks and e-commerce sites are caught up in the deceptive activity, called "cookie hijacking". Zango struck a $3 million settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission for installing its Trojan ad software on computers 70 million times. Once the Trojan software, called adware, is active on a computer it "contextually" tracks the content a user is viewing and serves "pop-up" advertising which overrides any other content. Adware also allows online operators to manipulate the cookies of others with their own and then claim the commissions. Commission Monster has been criticized for harboring affiliates which have been manipulating cookie trails. Similar claims in the US led to a class action against the US affiliate network, ValueClick. FULL ARTICLE @ ADOTAS2 posts categorized "Commission Monster"
Are Affiliates Stealing From The Cookie Jar?
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD -- Dec 13 -- Internet publishers, affiliate networks and e-commerce sites are caught up in the deceptive activity, called "cookie hijacking". Zango struck a $3 million settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission for installing its Trojan ad software on computers 70 million times. Once the Trojan software, called adware, is active on a computer it "contextually" tracks the content a user is viewing and serves "pop-up" advertising which overrides any other content. Adware also allows online operators to manipulate the cookies of others with their own and then claim the commissions. Commission Monster has been criticized for harboring affiliates which have been manipulating cookie trails. Similar claims in the US led to a class action against the US affiliate network, ValueClick. FULL ARTICLE @ ADOTAS
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Is TRUE Paying Affiliates?
FF -- Nov 29 -- Word on the street is that TRUE is leaving affiliates awash and not paying out. Here's the word from TRUE...
" We have been migrating to Link Connector for some time now in response to the amount of fraud that comes in from Commission Junction. We are eliminating Commission Junction and will be building an in-house affiliate solution in the future. We do continue to use many affiliate networks through our major partners."
TRUE has been unhappy with CJ for sending them craptastic fraudulent traffic. They've settled their differences and gone their separate ways. I guess that means if you're a CJ affiliate marketing TRUE, you're high and dry. Change out those links. I tried reaching CJ for comment but got the usual zilch response. I've been monitoring dollars-per-unique earned from the affiliate links on Online Personals Watch for a while now and TRUE has been one of the best paying dating programs. I used CJ for a while and switched out to their offer through Primary Ads because the payout was better. My recommendation, if you want to run TRUE offers, use Link Connector. They hold Link Connector in good favor. Looks like they're still running on Primary Ads as well.
Payout comparison: Back in May 2007 CJ was paying out a bounty of $30 per paid membership plus $2 per lead (free sign-up) with a 21 day cookie. They were also running on Azoogleads for $2.30 per lead in May. Right now Primary Ads is running TRUE offers and paying out $3.50 a lead, and Link Connector is paying out $2 per lead.
[12/4 - I just got this heads up from LinkConnector. "TRUE no longer has an active campaign with LinkConnector. It is our understanding that they have ended their campaigns with other networks as well."]
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