Credit card week at VFTW...
Apr 22, 2013, 7:45 am
#1
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,624
Credit card week at VFTW...
Throughout the week I will feature what I believe are the (5) best credit card signup bonus offers, (5) best credit cards for points-earning every day, and (5) best credit cards for non-points benefits.
So it makes me a little sad to see this orgy of affiliate-pumping. Alas, it's the way of the points and miles blog anymore, it seems.
Here's the disclaimer, which I think is one of the better ones:
(Note that some of the cards in this post offer credit to me if you’re approved using my links. I try to offer only the best available cards, and most lucrative deals available for those cards. So if you’re aware of better deals than I’ve featured please do let me know! The opinions, analyses, and evaluations here are mine. The content is not provided or commissioned by American Express, by Chase, by Citibank, US Bank, Bank of America, Barclays or any other company. They have not reviewed, approved or endorsed what I have to say.)
Apr 22, 2013, 7:52 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North America
Posts: 2,265
VFTW is one of the few blogs I have direct to my the face book page. Largely because it was very slow to go the affiliate-pumping route.
So it makes me a little sad to see this orgy of affiliate-pumping. Alas, it's the way of the points and miles blog anymore, it seems.
So it makes me a little sad to see this orgy of affiliate-pumping. Alas, it's the way of the points and miles blog anymore, it seems.
One can't be naive to not know that many visitors to his site are not on FT nor do they know which are the best points-and-miles CCs.
Apr 22, 2013, 8:38 am
#3
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,625
There have been cases where he kept deals under the radar, but that's not a fault in my book.
Apr 22, 2013, 9:25 am
#4
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,624
What seems to be the problem if he's honest about the top 5 credit cards? Credit cards is usually considered the best way to earn miles. So what if he (on his blog) recommends his top 5 choices and uses his affiliate link? You're critiquing his work without knowing how he's going to pitch the top 5.
One can't be naive to not know that many visitors to his site are not on FT nor do they know which are the best points-and-miles CCs.
One can't be naive to not know that many visitors to his site are not on FT nor do they know which are the best points-and-miles CCs.
But it has done so much reporting on this issue that it has it's own section: http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfr...t-card-offers/
So this effort feels a lot to me like affiliate pumping...presenting previously presented information as 'new' in an effort to drum up affiliate business.
YMMV!
May 6, 2013, 3:44 pm
#5
Used to be 'Travelergcp'
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: New Orleans
Programs: AA Plat, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,826
It's very funny to me that we're all complaining about blogs with affiliate links, but we're doing it in a for-profit forum with tons of it's own display ads and affiliate links. Why is it ok for FT and not for Gary?
May 6, 2013, 4:34 pm
#6
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
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Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,624
Before VFTW took affiliate money it was above any such specter. Now, I will be the first to say that VFTW seems to go out of its way to provide full disclosure and even advise AGAINST certain affiliate links. So of the bloggers taking affiliate money I still trust him the most. But his are a best practice not followed by far too many bloggers, imho. And it would still be cleaner if they did not take money from the industry they purport to provide consumer advice on.
YMMV.
May 7, 2013, 11:49 am
#7
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 6,385
But we don't expect anyone from Internet Brands to be giving us solid advice about which credit cards to churn. We do count on solid advice from bloggers. So their taking money from some credit card vendors raises the specter of a conflict of interest.
Before VFTW took affiliate money it was above any such specter. Now, I will be the first to say that VFTW seems to go out of its way to provide full disclosure and even advise AGAINST certain affiliate links. So of the bloggers taking affiliate money I still trust him the most. But his are a best practice not followed by far too many bloggers, imho. And it would still be cleaner if they did not take money from the industry they purport to provide consumer advice on.
YMMV.
Before VFTW took affiliate money it was above any such specter. Now, I will be the first to say that VFTW seems to go out of its way to provide full disclosure and even advise AGAINST certain affiliate links. So of the bloggers taking affiliate money I still trust him the most. But his are a best practice not followed by far too many bloggers, imho. And it would still be cleaner if they did not take money from the industry they purport to provide consumer advice on.
YMMV.
Except Frequent Miler.
May 8, 2013, 6:25 pm
#9
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 6,385
True, but here I have to say that I actually don't mind, because with each of the posts I'm seeing at least 20 comments that seem relatively legitimate. So that means hundreds of people are benefitting from the post, maybe because they don't subscribe to the other posts. Or it could be another reason. I don't know.
But at least their posts aren't absolutely trash.
But at least their posts aren't absolutely trash.