Baaaad Mr. Merchant!

Written by Rosalind Gardner on February 16, 2006 · Comments (4)
Filed Under Newsletter ·

Here’s a note I received from a friend and affiliate industry ‘insider’.

Ros,

I just HAD to tell you about this.

This is yet another technique “Baaaaad Mr. Merchant” deploys for gaining link popularity with the search engines.

Send affiliates ad copy with their link code at the bottom.

Within the ad copy itself he adds another link with black fonts so it isn’t obvious that it’s a hyperlink.

That link isn’t an affiliate link but goes directly back to his site.

Not only is this sneaky but if a visitor actually clicks the link the affiliate loses their commission.

Here’s an example of the code:

<a href=”http://baaaad-mr-merchant.com/” style=”text-decoration:
none”>
<font color=”#000000″>working from home on your
computer</font></a>

I was completely aghast.

I’ve never seen any merchant with whom I’ve done business engage in what amounts to affiliate commission theft by the merchant himself!

(This guy needs his knuckles rapped, and HOW!)

What can I say but CHECK YOUR AFFILIATE LINKS!!!

Not-so-cheery,
Ros

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    • Comments

    4 Responses to “Baaaad Mr. Merchant!”

    » Merchants Stealing From Affiliates on February 18th, 2006 1:06 am

    […] Yes, you heard me right - not one affiliate stealing from another. Ros Gardner blows the cover off a method some vendor is using to get link popularity - and maybe sales - at the expense of the affiliate. Filed Under: Internet Marketing COMMENT FEED | TRACKBACK […]

    		 MyAvatars 0.2

    Sandy on February 21st, 2006 7:28 am

    Ros, do you have any plan how to bust that merchant’s balls?

    Hello Sandy,

    Nope, nothing other (so far) than cautioning affiliates to check their links. Please also see my comment about karma below. :-)

    Cheers,
    Ros

    [Reply]

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    thomas on February 21st, 2006 7:31 am

    sounds like james martell.. was it him?

    Hmm… interesting deduction - and I’d love to tell you who it was but unfortunately, the best I can do is to caution you to CHECK YOUR AFFILIATE links CAREFULLY!

    Cheers,
    Ros

    [Reply]

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    Doc Jakson on February 21st, 2006 9:47 am

    I don’t doubt that this type of thing happenes more than we think. Let’s get some balls and name names here instead of pussy footing around trying to be politically correct. Putting the names of people like this”up in lights” will go a long way to shutting them down and prevent others from pulling the same crap.

    All the best,
    Doc

    Hello Doc,

    As above, I’d dearly love to name names… and although I’d love to take this peon down in court, he’s not worth my (or anyone else’s) time or energy.

    What goes around comes around. His own bad karma will seal his fate sooner or later.

    Cheers,
    Ros

    [Reply]

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