Comments on: Amazon.co.uk screw Associates

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 22:30:41 +0000

Time to move on with Google and drop Amazon. I was unaware as well. I have been with the program for 7 years and have seen only 2 small checks. I just saw all the deductions in my past year. Jeesh.

By: Damian J

Damian J — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:32:37 +0000

Just checked my account & pretty much everything earned has be canceled out by personal spending "penalties". I can accept not being paid for my own purchases, but to punish & fine is totally outrageous!

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 16:46:43 +0000

Why don't you just create a second account with Amazon and purchase through the second account. They don't appear to check the address, just the account number (yet)

By: Tuan

Tuan — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 06:14:40 +0000

I just found that out today, only because of the new format of statements made what happened clear. From the statements, it appears that this policy was put in place somewhere in 2004. Before that, no mention of personal purchases and no negative credit towards your referral fees.

It's obviously Amazon's right to run the program the way they want it, but I also find that the way they credit referal fees, and later deduct them is objectionable. I would also have appreciated it if, when they made such a change in policy, they'd make an announcement. I understand that their agreement includes their right to make changes without notice, but is anybody is expected to check periodically the operating agreement, which is fairly long-winded, and not even that easy to locate ?

By: Bruce

Bruce — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 19:40:01 +0000

I almost make more money from Google Ads every month than with Amazon in last 12 months

My experience mirrors yours here Jean. Google Ads are a lot less effort for greater reward.

By: Jean Pierre

Jean Pierre — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 14:35:42 +0000

I found out the same today after having neglected my Amazon.de PartnerNet stats for a looooong time. Amazon deducted some Euros for "personal orders" in Q1 2006 on 3/31/2006.

I had the Amazon affiliate program running for 7 years on several websites. In the last months, clicks on the ads or referral product links were reducing to a minimum and I almost make more money from Google Ads every month than with Amazon in last 12 months.

I just think the market is almost set. Amazon has the biggest share on the online book market and is unlikely to loose it soon. There aren't many "new customers" left. People who are already shopping with Amazon don't click on Amazon ads on other websites, they go directly to amazon.com/.co.uk/.whatever...

By: Bradford Knowlton

Bradford Knowlton — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 02:37:25 +0000

Thanks for writing up this post. I came across the same thing in my payment history. I now know better and won't be ordering from my own links in the future. I'm glad I figured this out now, and not after trying to do some "wholesaling' scheme online.

I wonder if it still counts towards products shipped?

Thanks,
Bradford Knowlton

By: Paul H

Paul H — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 02:32:14 +0000

I just realized this today and performed a search to see if anyone else has found out about Amazon's penalties towards personal orders. Viewing my history, it turns out that at one point I actually had a negative earned balance... meaning that even though I had helped sell Amazon orders, my own personal purchases actually created a situation where I OWED money to Amazon.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I'm sure it is to make sales, however the point of the commissions is to pay people for introducing new customers who then go on to make more purchases in the future.

The associates program is financed with the expectation that part of the first sale is paid to the associate and the lost revenue made up from these future sales.

Amazon's associate program is not for wholesalers, nor for freeloaders. It seems the way you used it was to sign up and expect that taking 5 seconds to fill in a form entitles you to a discount for life. That's simply not a realistic expectation.

I can only recommend reading the terms and conditions before signing up to agreements.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Thanks Dave for the explanation (inside information?). I guess it was naive to have thought the Associates program was about anything other than self-interest for Amazon. I understand that Amazon is a business, and it exists ultimately to make a profit.

And your point about reading agreements is well made, although I expect most of us don't go through them line-by-line with a lawyer by our side. Maybe if Amazon spelt out the deal in plain English, as you have, it would all have been more transparent.

I still don't think this excuses Amazon's behaviour of crediting personal sales to your account balance, only to deduct them a year later. Clearly this was also self-interest i.e. keep the Associate purchasing from Amazon while s/he doesn't realise these sales don't "count".

An honest company would not credit the Associate with the commission fee on a personal purchase in the first place - or if it did so, would show (and importantly, explain) a contemporaneous deduction.