ClassAffiliates.com WTF???

[OneWhoKnows]

Ok, I signed up for an account at ClassAffiliates.com - the dutch program for ClassMedia sites, such as the well known Oldje.com. I knew that the first version of their affiliate program was a complete mess after its launch a few years ago. So I wanted to check their current version of the program and if they have promo tools for legal tubes.

Well, just in case you were wondering the same, they don't. Only picture and movie FHG with NO gallery exporter tool (just a very simple text version with predefined format). Payouts are Check and Wire only

Ok, but the reason I'm posting this is a news message that pops up right after you login. It contains a lot of whining how hard it is to run an affiliate programs and that most affiliates are cheaters. And this:

Originally Posted by ClassAffiliates

Only rebills & no new signups

When we have to conclude that an affiliate brings no new members that do a signup and only generates rebills, then we will stop our payments. Payment of rebills are a form of motivation.
Doing otherwise would be unlogical: we as a producer have to invest in new content and affiliates have to invest in bringing new customers, that is just the way our business works.

So, if for example their ratio is not that good and you decide to stop sending a lot of traffic, just collecting rebills, don't expect to be paid. I mean, seriously - WTF? Yeah right, paying for rebills is just a form of motivation and not, let's say paying your resellers what you fucking owe them! I also found this other thread from August 2011 where ClassAffiliates denied payout of 1k EUR owed because they thought the affiliate is not sending enough traffic.

http://gfy.com/showthread.php?t=1035079

Oh, in case you're wondering where all the money goes that they don't pay their affiliates - ClassMedia is one of the founders of that ACIUF Antipiracy Union (together with the president of IMC/Payserve).

http://gfy.com/showthread.php?t=1059696

I always thought that this Antipiracy Union is a great idea, however this makes it shine a little less bright, I'd say.

Sorry, ClassAffiliates. In that news message you talk of "mutual respect", while you treat your affiliates like shit. So, if you want to get paid for your work, I'd rather stay away from ClassAffiliates.

[papill0n]

no incentive to promote their program but at least they are clear about it

[Roald]

well they are clear about it so now it is up to you

[anexsia]

Why bother having an affiliate program if you're just gonna be a dick towards your affiliates.

[OneWhoKnows]

Originally Posted by papill0n

no incentive to promote their program but at least they are clear about it

Well, it's inside onew news message that you have to click on to read the whole thing. IT#s not in their TOS. Actually they don't have any TOS for the affiliate program, the TOS link at the bottom goes to the subscriber TOS.

Originally Posted by anexsia

Why bother having an affiliate program if you're just gonna be a dick towards your affiliates.

Was asking myself that question, too. I mean they didn't have an affiliate program for years. Why they open it again if dealing with affiliates is obviously such a pain in the ass for them?

[OneWhoKnows]

In case someone wants to read that whole news message:

ATTENTION

About your payments
Class Media pays affiliates on the 15th of each month. This is due to the fact that the research and administration of the payments take a lot of time. This is because of these reaons:
· Each month we get a lot of fake affiliates. They generate fake traffic and do automatic signups with stolen credit cards. Of course we see them coming from a mile away, but it still takes time to cleanup their mess.
· Many affiliates have up to 10 different names and aliases. Some of them have 5 different accounts at ClassAffiliates.com. But when it comes to paying them all these names and accounts fall together. This does not speed up the payments in general.
· Many affiliates have for example a Russian name, while living in Poland, having a bank account in the Czech Republic and a website in the US. We understand that you want to stay anonymous, but also please understand that this gives us a hard time figuring out which affiliate is a fake and which one is legit.
· Many fake affiliates have only one goal in mind: steal our content and upload it to cyberlockers. We have to block them out which takes time.
· The bank account information of many accounts is incorrect or changes every month, which makes it hard for us to do the actual payments.
All of this together takes up a lot of our time, so please help us to make paying you easier:
· check your payment information (bank account info et cetera)
· don't worry so much about your anonymity: use just one single account with one name for all your traffic, we will never disclose any of your information to anyone and we will always respect your privacy

Misuse of promotion tools
We have noticed that some affiliates are using Class media promotion tools (e.g. pictures) to promote websites from competitors. We regularly check all our affiliate websites, and if we notice this kind of misuse we will not pay you.

Only rebills & no new signups
When we have to conclude that an affiliate brings no new members that do a signup and only generates rebills, then we will stop our payments. Payment of rebills are a form of motivation.
Doing otherwise would be unlogical: we as a producer have to invest in new content and affiliates have to invest in bringing new customers, that is just the way our business works.

Mutual respect
We appreciate the work our affiliates are doing very much and respect you for doing it, especially in this time of economic recession.
However, some affiliates email us in a tone of voice that implies as if they are the ones who make all the money. (More specifically, these are small affiliates that make about 50 euros a month).
But make no mistake: it's not the affiliates that make the money, it is not us who makes the money, but it's the girls who bring in the money with their nude performances in front of the camera.
We are producers, you are sales men that represent our products. This should be clear to both parties and we should share a mutual respect based on this understanding.
We create great products that will bring you money, not the other way around.

Unprofessional public display
Some affiliates feel the urge to spam forums with the incorrect statement that we won't not pay you.
We admit that our payment situation has had problems in the past. This was due to the fact that pirates and cyberlockers have been terrorising our market for many years, not because we didn't want to pay you!
We know from our colleague producers that we are not the only ones and surely lots of affiliates have too been a victim of the current global piracy by cyberlockers (file hosting companies).
But we have regrouped some time ago and again offer the opportunity to become an affiliate for Class Media and do our payments.
We also pay previous payouts from affiliates that have worked with us in the past and still had some payouts that were on hold. However, it should be clear that misuse of our tools will not be tolerated.

Conclusion
Reliable affiliates that are willing to work and invest can still earn good money with Class Media products!

Looks like I'm guilty of "unprofessional public display" now

[beaner]

Originally Posted by Roald

well they are clear about it so now it is up to you

I must be really drunk... all I read was blah, blah...

[SnakeX]

thats not the first time i see that...before some years one of the biggest sponsors(dont remember who now) here at gfy said about his revshare program:

Why to pay you for ever because you brought some customers one time and they rebill?

[u-Bob]

thanks, now we know to stay away from them.

[u-Bob]

Originally Posted by SnakeX

Why to pay you for ever because you brought some customers one time and they rebill?

that's the whole concept of revshare.

[OneWhoKnows]

Originally Posted by SnakeX

Why to pay you for ever because you brought some customers one time and they rebill?

Hehe, nice one. He already answered his own question. Because WE brought them and without us (our websites) he wouldn't have gotten that customer.

[pompousjohn]

Sounds like they are just bragging about how incompetent they are to run an affiliate program.

[Markul]

Originally Posted by pompousjohn

Sounds like they are just bragging about how incompetent they are to run an affiliate program.

[signupdamnit]

Originally Posted by anexsia

Why bother having an affiliate program if you're just gonna be a dick towards your affiliates.

Because a lot of affiliates are stupid and will send traffic regardless. For instance I bet many reading this right now who have been in business for years aren't even aware that Nasty Dollars stats aren't first page raws or uniques. I know this is the case because I see someone showing they don't know this every single month without fail. So many affiliates are just dumb. I hate to say it because I'm an affiliate myself but it's true. And so you get sponsors who try to take advantage of the combined stupidity and naivety.

[Freaky_Akula]

That sucks.

[porno jew]

in the end go with what makes you the most money. those rules suck but if they sell hand over fist it would be worth it.

or you can restrict your promotion to those programs which fit your lofty white knight ideals of what an affiliate program should be and make no sales.

[RycEric]

Marcel the infringer and scammer.

[OneWhoKnows]

Originally Posted by RycEric

Marcel the infringer and scammer.

??? Care to share?

[RycEric]

Originally Posted by OneWhoKnows

??? Care to share?

http://gfy.com/showthread.php?t=1035079

he still owes people money and still involved in trademark infringement.

[anexsia]

Originally Posted by signupdamnit

Because a lot of affiliates are stupid and will send traffic regardless. For instance I bet many reading this right now who have been in business for years aren't even aware that Nasty Dollars stats aren't first page raws or uniques. I know this is the case because I see someone showing they don't know this every single month without fail. So many affiliates are just dumb. I hate to say it because I'm an affiliate myself but it's true. And so you get sponsors who try to take advantage of the combined stupidity and naivety.

It sucks, but I gotta agree with you

[V_RocKs]

Class action waiting to happen...

[rabbit]

they have stopped paying affiliates in the old program... i wouldnt trust them in the new