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So another big company screws the little ppl – whats new!
The point is that google changed the rules of how the aff program pays to cover up a snafu.
This has happened in this industry also. I hope that programs that plan to enter the US will take a good, long look at this. You won’t get away with some of the s#!t you are dishing out when you operate in the US.
Ohhhh thanks FTC – you will take in money ($22.5 million ) and those that got screwed will simply continue to get screwed … (Google Affiliate Network is issuing compensation to affected publishers for estimated conversion activity via Safari, as determined by Google) how nice…. Just another government cash grab!
It aint even a cash grab.. Google probably made 10x 20x 100x that and only gets a $22 mill fine. Its laughable. The FTC is a gutless piece of political trash,designed to make the public feel safer. As for other companies worried about the FTC.. they will be rubbing their hands together..
U do realise companies factor these fines into their business plan, knowing full well they are a joke. Thats why businesses always pay ppl off a fine etc so they dont have to ADMIT any wrong doing. Because if they did it ADMIT wrong doing they could then be charged appropriately and FINED appropriately. It is politcal sheannigans designed to look good but in reality achieves nothing.
Yeah, well, the goddess google can get away with this with ease. But an affiliate program such as the ones we work for doesn’t have the funds google has, and it doesn’t have the massive number of affiliates google has. It also isn’t google and cannot control the damage affiliates can do to it’s reputation, nor does it have the massive legal department that is able to hammer out deals with the government.
When some of our affiliate programs re-enter the US, they had better toe the line, because I for one will not hesitate to bring suit against those who engage in thievery.
The reason they get away with it now is that it is just impossibly complicated and expensive for a US affiliate to deal with law suits given the jurisdictions the operate from.
But once they are licenced in the US there will be no such shelter, and there are some pretty clear laws here.
The reason the google judgement is significant is because it sets a precedent. A very important precedent for us affiliates.
In an unrelated matter, I just a check from the “Hanson V. Google Settlement Fund”.
I faintly remember filling out a form a long time ago. I believe it had to do with adwords. Anyway, isn’t it ‘nice’ that the government and lawyers all over the US are working to help us out.
I have not rushed to deposit it yet. It was for 1 cent.
Even though it is below the minimum, I wonder if I’ll also get a 1099 at the end of the year.
Haha, I am rich because I got one for $6.34.
I don’t even remember filling anything out, but I do remember the adwords mess. This is from way back when google still accepted gambling ads.
@arkyt 242597 wrote:
Ohhhh thanks FTC – you will take in money ($22.5 million ) and those that got screwed will simply continue to get screwed … (Google Affiliate Network is issuing compensation to affected publishers for estimated conversion activity via Safari, as determined by Google) how nice…. Just another government cash grab!
It just sounds like a money grab by Google and the FTC.
“Dear FTC, I got screwed by Google, can you do something?”
“Dear Google screwed affiliate, we’ll take Google to court, we’ll fine them, and they won’t do it again, because 22million will teach them a lesson”
“Dear FTC, can I get some of that 22million I got screwed out off”
“Dear Google screwed affiliate, no, its our money, we fined them for screwing you”
“Dear FTC, so we still lose?”
“Dear Google screwed affiliate, no you won, we won!!”
“Dear FTC, what did I win?”
“Dear Google screwed affiliates, a hollow victory”
This reads like a Dilbert cartoon.
@newmannewy 242598 wrote:
It aint even a cash grab.. Google probably made 10x 20x 100x that and only gets a $22 mill fine. Its laughable. The FTC is a gutless piece of political trash,designed to make the public feel safer. As for other companies worried about the FTC.. they will be rubbing their hands together..
U do realise companies factor these fines into their business plan, knowing full well they are a joke. Thats why businesses always pay ppl off a fine etc so they dont have to ADMIT any wrong doing. Because if they did it ADMIT wrong doing they could then be charged appropriately and FINED appropriately. It is politcal sheannigans designed to look good but in reality achieves nothing.
You can settle everything with the FTC. For as long as I can remember, when you misbehave and get caught, you can get a clean slate by paying a fine.
Let’s not mix up the two cases up – the one that paid now is ten years old or so, and it was a class action suit, not a complaint to the FTC. It got settled in court.
Class action suits can take forever, and all the while the accused pays lawyers. The accusers usually get pro bono representation, but pay through the nose because the lawyers collect big time at the end. Most of the money won in group action suits goes to the lawyers. The more people are part of the suit, the less money they get and the more the lawyers get. Also, the individual accuser can submit detailed records of what they lost and then will get more appropriate money. If you just say – “yes I got screwed too” – but don’t submit records, you get whatever is left after the lawyers and the bigger claimants have been paid. Hence my 6 buck settlement.
Complaints settled by the FTC are faster and cost everyone less and the lawyers make less also.
The legal system is far from being free. Class action suits are a way Joe Blow can file a suit that may not otherwise be feasible because of the legal costs.
If you file an idividual suit and you are in the right, the accused pays what they owe you plus maybe money as interest and compensation for lost time or ensuing hardship or whatever, plus all court costs.
Anyway, the two suits were completely different.
The first suit against google was also brought by ad customers, while the second one is made by affiliates who are owed money for services rendered – BIG difference in the law.
Laws concerning customers(consumers) are very different from laws that target reimbursement for services rendered.
So this latest grievance is a precedent for cases where affiliate programs suddenly change terms and conditions and hence breach contract. And it shows that the little clause in all affiliate contracts, that says that the terms can be changed at any time, is useless in real life in the US.
That is a big win for us in the US.
Just wanted to share some additional details on this story… Also, if anyone else gets more info as I have a feeling this one is going to continue to evolve, please do share here.
