This can reduce your risk of beeing shaved/cheated
 

Ok - first of all I'm not gonna name programs here :)

This is a simple check if referal-codes and cookies really work, as they should.
You know, stuff like hosted galleries, POTDs, exit consoles (where the program say you get credited) can be suspicious if it does not convert at all. So what you basically have to do, is to check it directly at the join page.

Using a ccbill site as example, this is what you do:

1. Clear cookies from your machine, and turn security settings to normal/low - so your browser is compatible.

2. Now surf from your hosted galleries, potds or whatever you want to check, to the paysite.

3. Enter the join page - and choose for instance credit card charge (do NOT signup :1orglaugh )

4. When you are at the signup.cgi - look at the source code

5. In source code - scroll down and find the line that has "ccbill_referer value". Here it should your 6-digit appear. Otherwise you are "not" the referal.
In same line you can alternative read the "referingURL" (the original)

I'm not sure how it goes for webmaster program referal codes, but my guess is at the affiliateadmin.ccbill.com/signup.cgi, its the "partner_referral VALUE"?? (can anyone confirm this?)

Anyway, its one way to check how/if your referal codes work :thumbsup
...and don't start blaming sponsors before you are 100 % sure. After checking 10 times, with different browsers and confirm it by others, it still could be an error :winkwink:

so there is a trick to cheat with ccbil :(

not ccbill, but in a "middle-station" like an exit-console. If your codes does not work from that way, you're really sure the "claimed" exit credits are not really true.
Or hosted galleries, that with a code or something clear away a cookie.

...and you cannot do much about cookie expiration (times can be configured in ccbill), but I would not call that directly cheating. Hopefully that will selfregulate, if promoters don't get credits, they stop promoting.

You have ICQ? Any sponsors that you want me to verify with you? :winkwink:

:1orglaugh They are all already verified, I spent 1 week on different statitics and checkings - the overall ccbill ratio has improved 100 % now, just using some simple tricks I wanted to share.

Tracking is not based only on cookies. Most of the affliate programs out there use IP and seesion tracking too. If it was just cookies it will not be reliable at all . :2 cents:

Thats correct. Thats why I say reduce the risk.
I think most smaller standard ccbill programs are cookie based though.