Comments on: ShopAtHome.com or How Affiliate Marketing Gets Hurt

By: David

David — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:19:06 +0000

As I am getting into the affiliate networks with both LinkShare and Commission Junction, your article is a revelation to be aware. Thanks Geno. I will have to pursue this with more detail.

By: Sandra

Sandra — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:40:59 +0000

I think these type of people/companies just don’t get it how much work is put into affiliate marketing. I think companies that associate themselves spend their marketing dollars unwisely and are not educated about how these type of business’s are hurtful to their bottom line. It is up to marketing professionals to reach out to companies to offer better more effective alternatives. Some of us must reach out to local business and educate them. Shame shame.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 13:54:07 +0000

I was just about to sign up for the shop at home affiliate, but definitely will not be doing so. I have a coupon blog and noticed the only other real competition I have is a member of the shop at home affiliate and has the toolbar download on every page. I wanted to make sure it was safe before I started offering it to my visitors, but definitely will not do this!

I have seen some other coupon websites offering the shopathome toolbar and I now wonder if shop at home just built them all to get more people to download their toolbar.

By: Tammy

Tammy — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:16:26 +0000

I am one of those victims that fell for the ShopAtHome cashback program. I’ve been a big fan of cashback programs. Last fall I signed up for ShopAtHome.com. They advertise great cashback percentages and I was really excited to get the extra savings. ONE HUGE PROBLEM… when I checked the cashback amounts on my purchases, 9 times out of 10 they shorted me on my cashback! Even after escalating the issue, they STILL did not get it right. Just a warning to everyone, if ShopAtHome advertises 6% cashback, make sure they are crediting your account with 6%. Many times I found they were only giving me 1% cashback. I never had this type of problem with other cashback programs, but it appears to be they way ShopAtHome operates, which is nothing short of false advertising. I am so disgusted with this company that I’m trying to put this info everywhere I can so that consumers can be aware. If they too fell for this program, they need to check their account to see if ShopAtHome is compliant with their advertised cashback percentages. Now, after reading your information, I feel so victimized in more ways than one! They need to be sued!

By: Sheila Williams

Sheila Williams — Mon, 24 May 2010 01:24:22 +0000

I am glad you made this article available to consumers. I had my computer scanned for spyware and Shopathome.com had 41 counts.I will educate myself and be on the look-out for the cookie cutters.

By: Geno

Geno — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:41:07 +0000

Just found them in the Scrubs & Beyond affiliate program, and booted them out. Bye-bye, ShopAtHome!

By: Raphael

Raphael — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:58:41 +0000

Great post Geno very helpful, thanks for all the details & info.

Keep up the good work.

Raphael

By: Geno

Geno — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 02:27:21 +0000

msladybug,

Thank you for taking time to comment.

You know, I’ve been interviewing people in our industry on the problems of present-day affiliate marketing, and among the top 3 problems all of them have pointed out: (i) unethical affiliates (exact phrase used: “parasites and cookie overwriters”), (ii) lack of knowledge on the merchants’ part, and (iii) lack of ethics on the part of select affiliate networks (those that take advantage of the merchant’s ignorance, and allow for unethical affiliates to operate within the merchant’s affiliate programs). My personal views match those of the interviewees with only one difference — that of prioritization of problems to deal with. Just as yourself, I believe that the first priority should be given to education — education of merchants, and affiliates — as only educated people can discern between the right and wrong, the ethical and the unethical; and only educated affiliate marketers can make weighted decisions based on facts.

Once again, thank you for your comment.

Geno

By: msladybug

msladybug — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 06:02:29 +0000

Excellent post, Geno. Your experience and knowledge in this industry can reach so many people, thanks for taking the time to post such informative and detailed messages. I am also working with AffiliateTrust.org trying to make a difference in this industry. Education is key for affiliates, merchants and even Affiliate Managers. Unfortunately, the quick buck makes things look attractive only to find out in the long run it came at a very high price.

By: Geno

Geno — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:17:33 +0000

Karen,

Great points.

I agree on the benefits of manual approval of affiliate applications. It can get “time consuming” but it will save you from major affiliate marketing disasters (including the ones that can be brought to you by such players as ShopAtHome.com, OneCause.com, etc)

Geno