I was going to stay out of this but it became a bit too much to bear.
Over the past 5 years we’ve done all that we can for our affiliates, we’ve never been involved with any of the affiliate scandals whilst many of our competitors tried to change your commission structures and terms and conditions retroactively. Further to this, when we took over the Money Mechanic program we honoured all the affiliate mappings, again unlike several of our competitors that spring quickly to mind.
Just because you didn’t screw the pooch then doesn’t mean you have the right to screw the pooch now.
We’re sorry that you have to wait the 6 months for you full payment, but you will receive full payment.
A publicly-listed company is responsible to its shareholders as well as its partners. Publicly-listed companies do not breach the contracts they enter into with their partners. They might request a little consideration from their partners, but they cannot take action unilaterally without grave consequences.
You were not forced to take any action here. You have decided that you are going to pull out of the US market – entirely your right, even if we all disagree with it.
However, any ensuing chargebacks, if they occur, are because of YOUR actions, not the affiliates.
What you are doing here is no different than telling US players who are due their winnings that you will pay them 50% this month, and 10% in each subsequent month, just to make sure that they don’t do a chargeback on you. How do you think people would take this scenario?
I urge you to do the right thing for both the affiliates and your shareholders by honoring your contracts and being responsible for your own actions by absorbing any chargebacks which arise as the result of your own withdrawal from the US market.