Well while I fully sympathise with webmasters who run multiple AVS sites, long term will this benifit the industry, less cheap porn, less scams. And yep they are ways round this if you are prepared to invest time money and effort.
Your own domain, with your own sites, nominal charge 20 bucks a year, u become your own AVS, promote your partner proggys, and keep within the rules.....

For our sites we will miss AVS as conversions have always been high, but like everything these days, if you can diversfy, and grow with the changes your fucked. We are having to do this and on the back of huge losses from Globill.

But do this we will. Think IDEAS, not just "VISA OR BUSXX" Is out for adult. Thats old news.

:2 cents:

I spoke with Chris Mallick, CEO of Epoch at Internext and he told me that there would be no AVS's operating by the end of August.

Of course, as with SexCheck, AVS companies can still remain in business running their own sites but they won't be processing for any sites that they don't own.

visa, in conjunction with AOL, is launching a TEEN VISA credit card. this credit card will work similar to a debit card. the difference is that parents will have to add money to the card once the balance becomes too low.

now if visa is "looking out" for their business. why the hell are they launching a visa card for teens and how do they think (when parents have to be co-signers on this card) that they are going to keep their fraud and cb's down? parents can't control their own card usage, they are going to control a horny teens card usage?!?!

someone explain this to me in logical terms!

some of us have been telling people this for weeks

Cherry, you're the ONLY person other than me I think that found that article and know about that case. I could go on for HOURS about this shit.

Good lookin' out!

Lots of stuff to catch up on.

Cassie - they've been marketing these cards to teens for a while (although not in conjunction with AOL). They're called Visa Buxx cards.

1900 - Many AVS programs already do this, but I don't think Visa will fall for it as the domains are still owned by 3rd party webmasters. I wouldn't trust switching my WHOIS info over to an AVS program to make it 'appear' to be owned by the AVS.

The Hammer - I'm giving them until the end of the year. I think by Christmas, you'll only see the Big 3 (Cyberage, SexKey, and AdultCheck) still around along with the ones who have always been located offshore, like ProAdult.

AOL Launches Visa Teen

This article is less then a month old for anyone interested.

Lets give students cc's!

exactly.

and for the record, we are not going anywhere but up which is evidenced by the increase in webmasters joining, sites submitted, and surfers joining.

Carrie, there are laws in all 50 states limiting the amount of interest that can be charged consumers, both on revolving credit as well as installment loans. Its the chief reason loan sharking is illegal.

I agree with all you have said but let me be the devil's advocate for a moment. The conspiracy theory that has been outlined by Carrie as well as the one where the Bush Admin offers the card associations relief on anti-trust issues in exchange for restricting pornography are widely circulated for a simple reason, the pieces of that puzzle fit. The fact that the adult industry has provided so many reasons why the card associations could restrict or eliminate adult wholesale is the true beauty of this conspiracy theory. Not only could the card associations do this and reap rewards from the Bush Administration, but they could also offer legitimate business reasons why they did it, insulating themselves from litigation.

For the record, I also believe in UFOs, that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone, and that oil is the reason why teenagers from our country are dying on foreign soil today. What are the chances I also believe the government is capable of a conspiracy to crush the adult market without ever requiring a single hearing before an appellate court on first amendment issues?

Lol, ok.

First didnt someone make a bet a ways back with lens and such saying AVS's were gone (inside info) but he lost just because of the day he said it would happen? Everything else did fall into place though.

Second no content provider in the world (ok some will) will not alter their licenses enough to give and AVS as well as a webmaster a license for their content unless they super jack the rates through the fucking roof. Then you would need to wonder why the AVS people just do not buy the content themselves as a special order and launch some sort of build your own tour program like ARS did, and let webmasters build tours for one huge AVS set of super sites? Cheaper for the AVS in general and it follows VISAs rules.

Third Visa can only charge so much interest or it becomes illegal, under loan sharking. This percentage varies by state, and keep in mind those check loan companies do not charge 315% interest, it is a service fee. :1orglaugh

Fourth Yes the Government could be working with Visa, yes they do shit like this. You put the math together. Government wants to kill this industry, Visa wants tougher bankruptcy laws, forget about the anti trust shit.

Fifth Even with Visa bucks ect, teens having cards. It would not harm us. We as an industry are only required to go so far as to determine proof of age, the courts have said a credit card/checking account was good enough faith on our behalf. It is the parents responsibility on what their kids to with it, the parent has to get the card for them and personally load the card as well.


Cliff notes:

1. Past bet with lensman, inside info about avs, lost only cause of date.
2. AVS would never work deal with content providers. Look for AVS to turn into supersites with BYOT ala ARS.
3. Interest rates are capped per state.
4. Government wants porn dead, Visa wants bankruptcy reform.
5. Visa bucks - no harm us, parental responsibility not visa's.

You want a real doomsday scenario ?

No one outside the AVS's have actually seen the documents outlining what VISA requires of them. In fact, this may not be the end of the regulations for AVS's anyway. Supposing ultimately VISA wants URL level control (much as done with pay sites) as part of there 'brand protection' strategy (as well as the obvious CBR thing). VISA wants to be sure each individual web site doesn't use any content or practises they disapprove of when encouraging customers to use their cards. AVS's have to charge their webbies $500 to register each AVS site. That would presumably put many AVS's out of business, or at least shrink them considerably to virtually nothing. If that does happen, where do you think it goes from there ? I'll tell you, URL level control ? Affiliates may be next....... Think of the knock-on to TGP's etc.

Now that would be industry shaking, and funnily enough, if you think it right thru, probably the end results would be quite close to what the current US government seems to want but can't quite get via legal means.

I really really hope not, but in the current climate, who the hell knows.....

avs are getting screwed. Whos next ?

It's strange alright. Next thing y'know they'll be implanting microchips and nannites into our bodies for identification purposes.

wait....one minute..

Yeah, that's what they said when they first issued credit cards and then changed the 'usury' laws during the Nixon administration.

Get wise bro, banks and their hidden controllers run the world.

Sobe?

There's rumours already. Even more interesting times ahead if they prove to be true :)

Rumors? Spill what you know....!

Just exactly that - a few rumours probably very unreliable about 3rd party billing and affiliate programs and their possible demise. With all the CC BS floating around they may well just be someones imagination going into overdrive. Just have to wait and see though I suppose.

Good point but don't forget that VISA isn't everything. If VISA and Mastercard eventually pull the plug, you can expect webmasters starting using check processing a lot more. And if most porn sites use check processing, surfers will get used to it quickly. I think check processing isn't working very well right now simply due to the fact that VISA and Mastercard are in the game. If they pull the plug, you can expect check processors to pop up from everywhere and the technology would probably be improved a lot ...

:2 cents:

100 AVS's down the drain!

if someone could just verify funds for check purchases we would this problem solved for the most part...but with chek purchases returning at around 50% just dosent make sense yet

Fuck.... I missed the 100 count....

IMHO the technology could be easily improved but check processors probably don't care much as most transactions are done with a credit card. But if credit cards pull the plug it's going to force everyone to improve the check processing technology....

I think that someone (Kimmy?) said recently that check processors are also going to start cracking down on websites that have a lot of check fraud. That would probably make checks as problematic as credit cards, because there seems to be even more fraud with checks.

Very interresting thread this is...
Come on and let's know who in here were the stupid fucking prick webmasters that uses the scamming AVS systems, it's no wonder Visa are hunting and shutting down these system....
You get free access but are paying 50$ to get it, it's so fucking lame and I cant believe anyone in here are actually using this shit... I'm glad that those webmasters who thought they had an easy buck are closed down and hope these will never make a $ again on the net, but if it hits "us" the honest no bullshitting webmasters then it sucks...
All the conspiracy thougts are fine and there might just be some thuth in this, but still this is hitting us because some very very stupid webmasters wanted to make a quick buck...
I'm just glad I'm loosing just a tiny bit of $ and not as the sorry webmasters who have spent years building a steady income...
Fuck Visa that's right, but kill the lame stupid sorry asses webmasters who have brought this to Visa's attention !

Regards Mysik