and back to the top.

The silence says a lot.

Where the hell are these NATS guys? I have been trying to get in touch with them for the last week or so and no one seems to care to answer my icq or emails. WTF nats!

I am allowing some time since there was a recent show and apparently since shows take up 50% of the year and the companies seem to have everyone who works for them attend and all.

Are you really banking that much from your referrals?

I started referring people to stuff in the nineties man. Plus please keep in mind for a few years I ran a webmaster resource site that had its main source of income based on referrals to programs.

Had to come back to this. Do you really consider say 500 to 1000 a week (not my figures just numbers for math) banking?
On many 10-15% programs that is not a real high weekly sales volume if you have enough webmasters at enough programs.

I really got heavily into referrals at the time I started my free content site. Starting with just a little referral money at the time and seeing its potential I decided to try something new. I hated selling content so I decided to give it away. New sets every week, no restrictions on usage, and oh yeah most programs did not really offer much content.
I created a new ccbill account at that time and merged all my referral programs under it. It did not take long to have the referral income make me more than selling the content did in the past.
I know the content site had several thousand users over its run. So to answer your question again, yes I had enough volume to be banking a lot.

Sun goes down, thread comes up.

not looking to good, but am happy to help keep this thread alive.

and up again.

Interesting scenario. Another factor in your wmref decrease could be that the new NATS version of that sponsors program allows for the webmaster to signup with a totally new user ID & pass creating a new account and removing them from your downline.

bump ... bump it upp

This is something affiliates keep an eye out for when a program updates their system. Some may not go through the trouble we went through to reimport and scrutinize the database to make sure everything is intact.

I have allowed for that fact actually and mentioned that what caused part of this to click in my head was seeing a sponsor email asking people to sign up for Nats. CCbill links will remain active, blah blah...

Thanks merlin, you have almost posted your yearly post quota in here.

Starting to get pissed the fuck off now.

A single real business related question that is of importance to a large assortment of people and very few damn answers from anyone.

I just love the support from all the programs and software companies involved. Really goes to show how much some of you care about those that have assisted you in your growth.

where the fuck are the NATS guys?

anyone notice since all that xclusivecash shit happened they have been pretty quiet on the boards?

Maybe weekends are better for answers.

I don't think it is a TMM (NATS) question persay, but more one for programs who have gone from one affiliate management system to another. It would be interesting to hear MANSION's take on it as well, and insight from the actual programs that have done this transition. A list of those programs would be a good start.

As I stated earlier, we went with NATS from day one to avoid any future integration problems such as this. Better to have it clean and working well the first time through. I know the information for affiliate referrals in NATS is stored in a database and not accessable through the NATS admin.

A list of referrals would have to be accumulated and imported, but it seems as though it would be a large task to check the original referrals from CCBill or what have you, then check to see if any of those affiliates signed up again to the new system. And if the referrer has signed up to the new system as well.

Not saying it is impossible, but it seems like something that would be incredibly difficult for a program to keep track of. It may be something where an affiliate might lose all referrals the new referrals, unless they know their specific referred accounts. The old account would still be active until those rebilling members/links become unused.

Great business thread After Shock Media. This one will be bookmarked.

Well now is saturday so maybe they will know better.

Why thank you. I know it is getting a great deal of unique views but very few responses at all. Then again typical for many business threads.

Reason I want Nats or Mas, or any other third party software to chime in is because I would hope the would address this in their manual somewhere. Hell even the for dummies books use a little bomb icon to warn you about things.

As for the programs, well all have remained silent so far which is a shame. If what I think is indeed fact, I would be much more impressed with a program just saying "sorry man, it is our fault we overlooked it" than just remain silent on the issue. Hell they could just as easily say "I am really not sure, but I will look into it and get back to you" and if they did I would be satisfied. Shit happens and I can forgive a mistake, but do not just fucking ignore the question itself.

Either man up or expect me to systematicly go through each and every program I have referred to and also promote and move that traffic elsewhere.

Just saw this thread hence my late response. Since we are mentioned specifically I will answer albeit it being a Nats thread.

I will go into a transition from CCbill specifically since that is what the discussion is about.

When we import affiliates from CCBill:

1. We first get a list of the affiliates with all their info and import them in MPA3. We keep track on the old CCBill affiliate id for each affiliate we import, so we can cross-reference later when we convert the link codes, which link for which MPA3 webmaster is

2. We create new sub accounts in CCBill and set them in MPA3, so these accounts can be used for the new signups only - the one that go through MPA3. The old sub accounts stay, and any recurring memberships the client already has will rebill in the old sub accounts. This way it will be clear that the payout generated in the old accounts is for the rebills of the old sales and this payout is not paid via MPA3.

3. We set the old sub accounts to redirect all the incoming traffic to the MPA3 tracking script, and also pass all the link parameters to the MPA3 tracking script. This includes the affiliate id, sub account id, etc.

4. A massmail is sent to the affiliates, with their MPA3 login information, so they can login and check their stats in MPA3.

How it works:
When an old CCBill link is used, it is redirected to the MPA3 tracking script, MPA3 checks the passed parameters, queries the database and finds out which MPA3 webmaster (imported from CCBill), matches the CCBill affiliate id passed to the tracing script. It also checks the sub account id, so it can be clear what site is the hit for.
Then the tracking script translates this information into MPA3 parameters and redirects the surfer further to the tour page. If the surfer signs, the affiliate that sent the surfer is credited for the sale.

Webmaster referrals: CCBill affiliate export contains referral webmaster for each webmaster. At the time of the import, the MPA3 script is checking for each imported affiliate which webmaster has referred him and assigns the affiliate under that affiliate.

--- This will work the same way if we import from a competing product, processor, etc.

:2 cents:

Thank you MPA.

Any time.

BTW, for some reason threads tend to die after I post. It's kind of strange...

Its not you, this thread has a business related curse on it. Notice how many self bumps and other people bumping.

Ahhhh, now it makes more sense, because typically I have long and factual things to talk about, then the thread I post in just die. :1orglaugh

That's great information, I too really appreciate the reply and from what is written (if I understand correctly) confirmation that webmaster referral data is readily available (from ccbill).

I understand it may be "extra work" for sponsors to import this information even manually input into the new stats DB but........ hmmm

In the least ASM this thread has hopefully bought this issue "into the light" a little more, so perhaps it is a question that may be asked directly when any future sponsors make a stats change.

Thanks for the reply Oystein. :thumbsup

Hopefully, though I do not see it happening much. I directed someone who is switching now to this thread and they did not respond.

It is why I am really after a NATS response now. If they can respond and let me know webmasters are told etc then I would feel bettter.

I'm confused now. When a program switch to NATS or MPA3 or whatever, they set sales and rebills to 0% in ccbill, so the affiliates are not paid twice, from ccbill and the program again, too.

Wow. This place gets worse and worse and worse. The threatening, assumptions, lies, etc. (not all referring to this thread specifically). I think we're really about to be done with this place all together.

Sorry for missing this thread. An email, icq, or phone call could have gotten you any answer you desire also.

When we do an import for an old affiliate program we import as much data and information as we have and we can. If you have a question about a specific program that the program will not provide you then feel free to give me a call and we can look into it.

Complete understanding that you are not referring to this thread in general. I also realize I made a mistake early on. I meant to include all of the 3rd party affiliate programs available and just spaced it. Sorry for singling just you out in the thread title. Guess you can blame that on your marketing campaign :winkwink:

I made ample sure I never outright accused any particular program or software of any wrong doing. I had a business related question that I felt not only your company but in particularly the affiliate programs in general should of responded to.

I am sure I could of called, icq'd, emailed, whatever you to ask about this question. Though I ask questions that effect more than myself in public and not privately. I however am not about to call and ask for details on a program that itself does not wish to answer. The same programs that should of also contacted you or your company after viewing this thread if they really cared.

Thanks. And I understand. Like I said, not mad at you at all. If there are concerns on your part I'd like them brought to my attention. We were out of town for a few days for a meeting. Sorry for taking some time to see this thread.

we would like to know publicly, not over the phone

when programs switch to nats, is switching all webmaster referral data over part of the STANDARD process?

also, we would also like to know which companies are shaving affiliates when it comes to importing webmaster referral data...because, after all, there are a LOT of us that make good money off webmaster referrals, and if it isn't a standard thing to import we would like to know 1. who went the extra mile and did it and 2. who doesn't care about tiddly shit like that

now, let me also state, that I realize that it isn't a NATS issue, and that feature is available when a program signs up for NATS....so when a program doesn't do it, it doesn't reflect on NATS whatsoever, it is the sketchy program owner that didn't do it so that he could make that extra $100-200 a day by ripping off hard working webmasters

That was why I was bumping it morning and evening and not to often.

Can't say it better than that so "what he said" :thumbsup

PBucksJohn your participation is appreciated by all posters I am sure.

As ASM & Jace stated it's not a specific nats issue it relates to any spopnsor that changes stats packages and how they handle (or don't) the webmaster referral data.

I am still awaiting program responses.
I am also getting used to spin and or the need to have a politician decipher ring. Some straight answers from people is all I want.

especially when it's really just a yes we imported or no we didn't answer your looking for.. that lack of response is worrying. People who spin.... dont even get me started... you certainly seem to have patience asm.

I am a very patient individual. I also will bump this thread as needed and it will not die until I have my answers for everyone. I also keep my word and am going through programs one by one checking referral stats from the past. Once the list is completed the traffic will begin to go elsewhere. Then maybe some of them may ask me what is up.

Thats an excellent question, Andrej. They are NOT setup as 0% due to old rebills. So those old transactions will continue to go through. We create separate CCBill accounts for the new NATS system cascades. Our affiliates are not paid twice, but will receive payment from sales through NATS system as well as CCBill recurring transactions from former system.

Obviously, this is the case for our company and not necessarily the steps taken by others.

This clears it up for me, thanks. :)