Affiliate Hall of Shame: Blog Posts that Pump an Affiliate When a Better Offer Exists
May 22, 2013, 12:59 pm
#16
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 6,385
I like how MV has a post on his Barclay's conveniently throwing in his four credit karma affiliate links with one clearly inferior offer. And then censors a comment.
Disappointing, but I guess he's sold out to the newbs so he doesn't really care.
Disappointing, but I guess he's sold out to the newbs so he doesn't really care.
May 22, 2013, 3:49 pm
#17
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: BUF
Programs: SPG Plt, HHonors Gold, UA Gold, PC Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 880
disappointing, but not surprising. that's been that blogs' M.O. for a while.
bc of that i wouldn't trust him on an award booking, to be honest. if he's willing to pass along a bad deal for a few extra bucks on CCs, how do i know he'd find me the best value on an award?
bc of that i wouldn't trust him on an award booking, to be honest. if he's willing to pass along a bad deal for a few extra bucks on CCs, how do i know he'd find me the best value on an award?
May 22, 2013, 4:18 pm
#18
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: BUF
Programs: SPG Plt, HHonors Gold, UA Gold, PC Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 880
thepointsguy did a piece on the united card now having no foreign transaction fees... and managed to work in 26 (26!!!!) links to other credit cards. hats off on an amazing job of working in 26(!) application links on an article with as little substance as that.
regardless, there's a bunch of cards linked of the 26 that aren't the best offer publicly.
regardless, there's a bunch of cards linked of the 26 that aren't the best offer publicly.
May 22, 2013, 6:52 pm
#19
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: AMEX Plat, AAdvantage Gold, UA, SPG Gold, HHonors Gold
Posts: 963
The problem with Affiliate links lies with the banks, not the blogger. They have broken faith in the relationship which causes the massive conflict we see today:
1. Banks demand a certain number of signups per month else threaten to cut links – blogger is incentivized to push links.
2. Banks offer better links than they offer the blogger – blogger still needs to push links so if they share the better offer they risk losing links altogether.
The banks need to support the blogger by allowing them to focus on their readers, but they aren’t working like that, and to make matters worse they are competing with them, the only way some bloggers can navigate this relationship is to ‘push links’ some of them not being the best.
In other words, banks are telling bloggers to whore themselves out, at the risk of losing readership, in the hope that they won’t get cut before they become too ugly to bring in cash anymore.
Thoughts?
1. Banks demand a certain number of signups per month else threaten to cut links – blogger is incentivized to push links.
2. Banks offer better links than they offer the blogger – blogger still needs to push links so if they share the better offer they risk losing links altogether.
The banks need to support the blogger by allowing them to focus on their readers, but they aren’t working like that, and to make matters worse they are competing with them, the only way some bloggers can navigate this relationship is to ‘push links’ some of them not being the best.
In other words, banks are telling bloggers to whore themselves out, at the risk of losing readership, in the hope that they won’t get cut before they become too ugly to bring in cash anymore.
Thoughts?
May 22, 2013, 7:03 pm
#20
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: SPG Platinum, UA GS
Posts: 121
There's no "quota" for the big blogs. We've seen here described several times that the banks don't want to work with sites that don't generate much business for them because of new regulations that went into place in 2013 -- the banks are responsible for any consumer misrepresentations that occur, so they have significant costs to read everything that's written to make sure they aren't going to be exposed to big fines.
That doesn't make sense to do with small blogs that generate only a handful of applications per month, hence the discussion of "quotas."
But there's nothing meaningful to say about quotas when you're talking about TPG, MMS, VFTW, or One Mile at a Time.
And you don't generally see at least MMS, VFTW, or One Mile at a Time intentionally writin about inferior offers.
So maybe there's something to your theory. A smaller site needs to push inferior offers to stay in the game. But if you want to push things back off the bloggers and onto the banks, then push it a step further back onto the federal government. :P
No, I don't think that makes sense. The answer here isn't to pimp, pimp, pimp. The answer is to generate good content, develop a strong readership, and by providing real value make the blog big enough so that you're not having to worry about quotas.
I don't think MileValue (and certainly not TPG or FTG!) get a pass here because 'the banks made them do it.'
That doesn't make sense to do with small blogs that generate only a handful of applications per month, hence the discussion of "quotas."
But there's nothing meaningful to say about quotas when you're talking about TPG, MMS, VFTW, or One Mile at a Time.
And you don't generally see at least MMS, VFTW, or One Mile at a Time intentionally writin about inferior offers.
So maybe there's something to your theory. A smaller site needs to push inferior offers to stay in the game. But if you want to push things back off the bloggers and onto the banks, then push it a step further back onto the federal government. :P
No, I don't think that makes sense. The answer here isn't to pimp, pimp, pimp. The answer is to generate good content, develop a strong readership, and by providing real value make the blog big enough so that you're not having to worry about quotas.
I don't think MileValue (and certainly not TPG or FTG!) get a pass here because 'the banks made them do it.'
May 22, 2013, 7:51 pm
#21
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 6,385
The problem with Affiliate links lies with the banks, not the blogger. They have broken faith in the relationship which causes the massive conflict we see today:
1. Banks demand a certain number of signups per month else threaten to cut links – blogger is incentivized to push links.
2. Banks offer better links than they offer the blogger – blogger still needs to push links so if they share the better offer they risk losing links altogether.
The banks need to support the blogger by allowing them to focus on their readers, but they aren’t working like that, and to make matters worse they are competing with them, the only way some bloggers can navigate this relationship is to ‘push links’ some of them not being the best.
In other words, banks are telling bloggers to whore themselves out, at the risk of losing readership, in the hope that they won’t get cut before they become too ugly to bring in cash anymore.
Thoughts?
1. Banks demand a certain number of signups per month else threaten to cut links – blogger is incentivized to push links.
2. Banks offer better links than they offer the blogger – blogger still needs to push links so if they share the better offer they risk losing links altogether.
The banks need to support the blogger by allowing them to focus on their readers, but they aren’t working like that, and to make matters worse they are competing with them, the only way some bloggers can navigate this relationship is to ‘push links’ some of them not being the best.
In other words, banks are telling bloggers to whore themselves out, at the risk of losing readership, in the hope that they won’t get cut before they become too ugly to bring in cash anymore.
Thoughts?
There's no "quota" for the big blogs. We've seen here described several times that the banks don't want to work with sites that don't generate much business for them because of new regulations that went into place in 2013 -- the banks are responsible for any consumer misrepresentations that occur, so they have significant costs to read everything that's written to make sure they aren't going to be exposed to big fines.
That doesn't make sense to do with small blogs that generate only a handful of applications per month, hence the discussion of "quotas."
But there's nothing meaningful to say about quotas when you're talking about TPG, MMS, VFTW, or One Mile at a Time.
And you don't generally see at least MMS, VFTW, or One Mile at a Time intentionally writin about inferior offers.
So maybe there's something to your theory. A smaller site needs to push inferior offers to stay in the game. But if you want to push things back off the bloggers and onto the banks, then push it a step further back onto the federal government. :P
No, I don't think that makes sense. The answer here isn't to pimp, pimp, pimp. The answer is to generate good content, develop a strong readership, and by providing real value make the blog big enough so that you're not having to worry about quotas.
I don't think MileValue (and certainly not TPG or FTG!) get a pass here because 'the banks made them do it.'
That doesn't make sense to do with small blogs that generate only a handful of applications per month, hence the discussion of "quotas."
But there's nothing meaningful to say about quotas when you're talking about TPG, MMS, VFTW, or One Mile at a Time.
And you don't generally see at least MMS, VFTW, or One Mile at a Time intentionally writin about inferior offers.
So maybe there's something to your theory. A smaller site needs to push inferior offers to stay in the game. But if you want to push things back off the bloggers and onto the banks, then push it a step further back onto the federal government. :P
No, I don't think that makes sense. The answer here isn't to pimp, pimp, pimp. The answer is to generate good content, develop a strong readership, and by providing real value make the blog big enough so that you're not having to worry about quotas.
I don't think MileValue (and certainly not TPG or FTG!) get a pass here because 'the banks made them do it.'
After all, a clicks on superior non-affiliate offer isn't going to get you chase links. Approvals on affiliate links are.
May 22, 2013, 8:43 pm
#22
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: AMEX Plat, AAdvantage Gold, UA, SPG Gold, HHonors Gold
Posts: 963
From my limited knowledge none of your ideas are either the case. What happens is that the small bloggers are not approved for the big banks - like chase, and the only way they are going to get access is to get consistently increasing proposals... and the only way is to push cards.
After all, a clicks on superior non-affiliate offer isn't going to get you chase links. Approvals on affiliate links are.
After all, a clicks on superior non-affiliate offer isn't going to get you chase links. Approvals on affiliate links are.
In other words, the bloggers are incentivized to act not in their readers best interest by both stick and carrot, and are betrayed by their partner.
May 22, 2013, 9:17 pm
#23
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: NYC
Programs: Delta DM, SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, MTA Rust, Hertz Five Star something or other
Posts: 2,858
thepointsguy did a piece on the united card now having no foreign transaction fees... and managed to work in 26 (26!!!!) links to other credit cards. hats off on an amazing job of working in 26(!) application links on an article with as little substance as that.
regardless, there's a bunch of cards linked of the 26 that aren't the best offer publicly.
regardless, there's a bunch of cards linked of the 26 that aren't the best offer publicly.
Also, half those links are not affiliate-links and I simply listed all travel rewards cards which do not charge foreign transaction fees, which was the main point of the post.
May 22, 2013, 9:27 pm
#24
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: SPG Platinum, UA GS
Posts: 121
The first link in the post is an affiliate link to the United Explorer card, 30k bonus. Everyone here knows not to take that offer. It's your lead link.
Your Hyatt link may not pay you commission but it's not to the best offer (which comes with statement credit, a banner shows up when walking through the reservation process at hyatt.com, no need to be logged in or actually make a reservation, i've just verified this).
Your Priority Club link is to the 60k point offer when the 80k works perfectly well. Will you change it?
And this is just on a 10 second review of the post. (Eg I see you've got a Marriott 50k signup bonus up, there are frequently bigger bonuses but I haven't gone to check if there's a current one... but in any case even if there isn't don't you think you should tell your readers they might want to wait for one to come along since you also observe in the comments that cardholders generally have one shot at each card's bonus, so signing up for the inferior offer you post actually costs your readers points in the long run?)
It's not our job to do your work for you in ferreting out the best offers. This is actually your full-time job, isn't it?
Plus, of course, the post has been live for quite some time. Plenty of folks clicking away following inferior advice.
Your Hyatt link may not pay you commission but it's not to the best offer (which comes with statement credit, a banner shows up when walking through the reservation process at hyatt.com, no need to be logged in or actually make a reservation, i've just verified this).
Your Priority Club link is to the 60k point offer when the 80k works perfectly well. Will you change it?
And this is just on a 10 second review of the post. (Eg I see you've got a Marriott 50k signup bonus up, there are frequently bigger bonuses but I haven't gone to check if there's a current one... but in any case even if there isn't don't you think you should tell your readers they might want to wait for one to come along since you also observe in the comments that cardholders generally have one shot at each card's bonus, so signing up for the inferior offer you post actually costs your readers points in the long run?)
It's not our job to do your work for you in ferreting out the best offers. This is actually your full-time job, isn't it?
Plus, of course, the post has been live for quite some time. Plenty of folks clicking away following inferior advice.
May 22, 2013, 9:44 pm
#25
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: AMEX Plat, AAdvantage Gold, UA, SPG Gold, HHonors Gold
Posts: 963
The first link in the post is an affiliate link to the United Explorer card, 30k bonus. Everyone here knows not to take that offer. It's your lead link.
Your Hyatt link may not pay you commission but it's not to the best offer (which comes with statement credit, a banner shows up when walking through the reservation process at hyatt.com, no need to be logged in or actually make a reservation, i've just verified this).
Your Priority Club link is to the 60k point offer when the 80k works perfectly well. Will you change it?
And this is just on a 10 second review of the post. (Eg I see you've got a Marriott 50k signup bonus up, there are frequently bigger bonuses but I haven't gone to check if there's a current one... but in any case even if there isn't don't you think you should tell your readers they might want to wait for one to come along since you also observe in the comments that cardholders generally have one shot at each card's bonus, so signing up for the inferior offer you post actually costs your readers points in the long run?)
It's not our job to do your work for you in ferreting out the best offers. This is actually your full-time job, isn't it?
Plus, of course, the post has been live for quite some time. Plenty of folks clicking away following inferior advice.
Your Hyatt link may not pay you commission but it's not to the best offer (which comes with statement credit, a banner shows up when walking through the reservation process at hyatt.com, no need to be logged in or actually make a reservation, i've just verified this).
Your Priority Club link is to the 60k point offer when the 80k works perfectly well. Will you change it?
And this is just on a 10 second review of the post. (Eg I see you've got a Marriott 50k signup bonus up, there are frequently bigger bonuses but I haven't gone to check if there's a current one... but in any case even if there isn't don't you think you should tell your readers they might want to wait for one to come along since you also observe in the comments that cardholders generally have one shot at each card's bonus, so signing up for the inferior offer you post actually costs your readers points in the long run?)
It's not our job to do your work for you in ferreting out the best offers. This is actually your full-time job, isn't it?
Plus, of course, the post has been live for quite some time. Plenty of folks clicking away following inferior advice.
It makes me wonder whether you are proconsumer, or just antiproducer.
May 22, 2013, 9:55 pm
#26
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Programs: Airline Free Agent, Fairmont Lifetime Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,041
I think we can all agree that there are way too many credit card app links out there
Matt: Why do we see more Credit Karma affiliate links? I saw Rom's Deals and Travel Summary use them now. Anyone can get them? They seem to be available to smaller bloggers. Is Bent Offers the one that offers the highest payouts AND enforces the quotas...which wildly encourages relentless pimping?
I agree that banks make this much harder than it should be. Matt upstream stated this about banks:
They have broken faith in the relationship which causes the massive conflict we see today
How shocking
Matt: Why do we see more Credit Karma affiliate links? I saw Rom's Deals and Travel Summary use them now. Anyone can get them? They seem to be available to smaller bloggers. Is Bent Offers the one that offers the highest payouts AND enforces the quotas...which wildly encourages relentless pimping?
I agree that banks make this much harder than it should be. Matt upstream stated this about banks:
They have broken faith in the relationship which causes the massive conflict we see today
How shocking
May 22, 2013, 10:13 pm
#27
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: AMEX Plat, AAdvantage Gold, UA, SPG Gold, HHonors Gold
Posts: 963
I think we can all agree that there are way too many credit card app links out there
Matt: Why do we see more Credit Karma affiliate links? I saw Rom's Deals and Travel Summary use them now. Anyone can get them? They seem to be available to smaller bloggers. Is Bent Offers the one that offers the highest payouts AND enforces the quotas...which wildly encourages relentless pimping?
I agree that banks make this much harder than it should be. Matt upstream stated this about banks:
They have broken faith in the relationship which causes the massive conflict we see today
How shocking
Matt: Why do we see more Credit Karma affiliate links? I saw Rom's Deals and Travel Summary use them now. Anyone can get them? They seem to be available to smaller bloggers. Is Bent Offers the one that offers the highest payouts AND enforces the quotas...which wildly encourages relentless pimping?
I agree that banks make this much harder than it should be. Matt upstream stated this about banks:
They have broken faith in the relationship which causes the massive conflict we see today
How shocking
I refused to use the Banner from BO since it is not only mixed with inferior offers, but some of them are actually detrimental.
EG my guy suggested I write a targeted post on best cards for bad credit. That then would sync up with their Banner program for bad credit cards - however when I searched the banner I found bad things - such as: Secured cards with horrendous APRs and Annual Fees (which I could almost stomach) but worse, splattered between them were cards with the same fees that were actually debit cards that didn't report- meaning you pay money and your credit score wouldn't improve, and you wouldn't know until some point down the line..
So basically I would write a post to help out my poor readers rebuild their credit and totally throw them under the bus. I have access to these banners at all times, just the same as you see from Romsdeals and Travel Summary but I don't feel confident in posting them because the affiliate partner can slip in bad links, never mind 10K less points, but things that are almost designed to trick the consumer.
I will use direct links to targeted offers on my site - by which I mean I will advertise for the best CC offer knowing the reader will not be led astray, but won't advertise with the randomness that banners provide.
Yet another example of the bank/affiliate screwing over the blogger.
May 22, 2013, 10:20 pm
#28
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: NYC
Programs: Delta DM, SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, MTA Rust, Hertz Five Star something or other
Posts: 2,858
The first link in the post is an affiliate link to the United Explorer card, 30k bonus. Everyone here knows not to take that offer. It's your lead link.
Your Hyatt link may not pay you commission but it's not to the best offer (which comes with statement credit, a banner shows up when walking through the reservation process at hyatt.com, no need to be logged in or actually make a reservation, i've just verified this).
Your Priority Club link is to the 60k point offer when the 80k works perfectly well. Will you change it?
Your Hyatt link may not pay you commission but it's not to the best offer (which comes with statement credit, a banner shows up when walking through the reservation process at hyatt.com, no need to be logged in or actually make a reservation, i've just verified this).
Your Priority Club link is to the 60k point offer when the 80k works perfectly well. Will you change it?
As for PC- you're right. It is not my affiliate link, but I didn't realize 80k PC was working, but I updated my link to actually go to the FT thread so people can get the better offer.
For the Hyatt (also not my affiliate link)- I just tried to make a dummy rez and the $100 credit offer did not load. Did you do anything in particular to get that offer to load?
Honestly, I appreciate your feedback.
Last edited by thepointsguy; May 22, 2013 at 10:36 pm
May 22, 2013, 10:51 pm
#29
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: SPG Platinum, UA GS
Posts: 121
I just tested the Hyatt offer. The banner is on the bottom right hand side of the page where you enter your information for the reservation, and is $50 now.
The United offer is targeted, sure, but many many folks are eligible. Here's a helpful blog post with a link to see if you are targeted for the 50k+ offer (or even the fee waived United Club card) -- http://www.pointsonthedollar.com/a-q...explorer-card/
Seems to me that you should be telling folks to check for the best available offer (I saw the link to that blog post on VFTW, by the way, he's not pimping United Explorer's inferior offer) before using the link that pays you.
Give the best advice -- see if more miles are out there -- and if you can't get more miles then use this link which oh by the way pays a commission.
Glad to help. Glad to see you updating your posts. Wish you'd also disclose your financial relationships in the posts where you have those potential or perceived conflicts of interest. ^
The United offer is targeted, sure, but many many folks are eligible. Here's a helpful blog post with a link to see if you are targeted for the 50k+ offer (or even the fee waived United Club card) -- http://www.pointsonthedollar.com/a-q...explorer-card/
Seems to me that you should be telling folks to check for the best available offer (I saw the link to that blog post on VFTW, by the way, he's not pimping United Explorer's inferior offer) before using the link that pays you.
Give the best advice -- see if more miles are out there -- and if you can't get more miles then use this link which oh by the way pays a commission.
Glad to help. Glad to see you updating your posts. Wish you'd also disclose your financial relationships in the posts where you have those potential or perceived conflicts of interest. ^
May 24, 2013, 8:35 pm
#30
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,396
Do people really click on these credit card links with blind faith that the best possible offer is being presented to them? Do you shop for anything that way? Even if you don't, why would you ever shop for a credit card that way? Credit cards are inherently deceptive financial instruments with complex terms - anyone who assumes they are getting the best offer because XYZ blogger posted a link is naive.
When I apply for a card I check as many resources as I can for the best bonus. I read on flyer talk. I check the blogs. I look to the bank's website. To me this is just routine due diligence for this type of a financial decision. I would never outsource that due diligence without checking it myself.