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@slotplayer 248790 wrote:
job or no job, I could not fathom being put in a position to have to lie to someone. having worked in high tech for 24 years before this I do remember one of my employers asking me to lie, the details are sketchy but I do remember not being comfortable with it and leaving that company shortly after.[/quote]
Kudos for making the right decision
@slotplayer 248790 wrote:
I can’t imagine being an AM and having to lie to people.
Trust takes a lot to earn and like love, can’t be bought for money.
Besides, everyone has a choice.
IMO, any AM who continues to be an employee knowing the affiliate program is cheating or up to dodgy business, is willing to sell their integrity out for cash, and should not be trusted.
I can, of course, speak to AGD…
It’s not perfect… I have ALWAYS had a full-time job… and there are some programs whose T&C’s slip through the cracks, we aren’t yet scanning, or they purposefully move from the location they are being scanned from. I have paid for development of a full-site scanner… but it has never been completed and cost me 10’s of thousands of dollars. Sucks – but that is life. **edit It is a dead development at this point, but could be ressurected this year. Instead I am trying to get all programs integrated for scanning the appropriate page(s).. **/edit
As far as threads not being answered… I am trying to get better at that. I will work on it for 2013. Yes, we don’t mediate always… but I can guarantee you there are PLENTY of affiliates who would thank us if they saw this thread for me personally getting them their affiliate payments.
When you don’t see an answer directly at AGD … it doesn’t necessarily mean we are doing nothing. I am trying to get BS to respond to Lloyd’s post at GPWA. I am giving them until the end of this week (due to holidays). If it is not answered – they will no longer be a sponsor at AGD. This is something we always do. I know it may not always appear to be that way… .but sponsors do have to play by the rules or they can’t sponsor. It takes money away from AGD development, but it is the ethical thing to do.
I’m willing to listen to anyone’s critique of AGD. We have made quite a few changes simply because affiliates have asked us to do so. We will continue to do this.
Thanks for listening.
-Andy
Owner, AGDI appreciate you coming to CAP and explaining the situation without trying to sugar coat or dispel the underlying issues.
However a bigger problem still remains unanswered by you and that is, the Rewards Affiliates issue.
Correct me if I’m wrong but the AGD catch cry is “Protecting Affiliates Interests”.
While your forum has numerous hard cold facts posted which prove RA/CR actively entice referred players away from referring affiliates, not only do you do nothing to warn affiliates (except the cross marketing icon), you continue to give Rewards Affiliates a straight link banner on the RA forum, wtf?
However, it seems when an affiliate program causes you or your buddies to lose commission etc etc, your bang on the spot kicking up your heels and screaming blue murder!
These clear bias and selective stances indicate to me (and probably other affiliates too), that possibly the Affiliate Alliance (which AGD is a member of), gives direction on who gets stomped on, and who is given get out of jail free cards. Just so everyone knows, the head of the Alliance is Corfman who currently holds a large monopoly in the gaming affiliate industry.
Owning the GPWA, APCW, casinocity.com etc etc, and these entities having both past and present business deals with Rewards Affiliates/Casino Rewards, certainly gives rise to the possibility behind door discussions could take place.
To back up my observations further, when the Casino Rewards unethical cross marketing came to a head at the GPWA, there was a Private Members vote. A “YES” was returned to Breach Casino Rewards.
However Corfman over-turned that vote.
Claiming, it was a poll to gauge members feelings and nothing more.GPWA – Gambling webmasters working with each other and with reputable online casinos and gambling sites.
APCW – Fighting for trust, honesty and integrity in the online gaming industry!
GAU – Albeit that’s died with Corfman being the only founding board member remaining.
AFA – Where Affiliates Come First.
Blind Freddy can see that Rewards Affiliates has carte blanche at the GPWA and APCW. Hence, it stands to reason, and gives valid indications that anyone or any entity connected to the http://www.affiliateforumalliance.com (owned by Corfman), may get their strings pulled (dictated to), on which affiliate programs gets pulled over the coals or breached and who is not touched!
I’m like most full time, honest affiliates. I’ve invest untold hours (for me that’s close to 47,000), not only into my business but the online gaming industry too.
However my livelihood, along with others, is being jeopardized and effectively sold out under our feet, by people who have a burning greed to monopolize the affiliate industry for their own selfish money making desires.
In closing, some will probably claim I’m trying to stir the pot. Others may take a different view but still try to discredit the above with throwing in the conspiracy theory.
I can’t change people’s opinions.
I can say though, the facts above scream volumes.
And, not forgetting, I’ve been standing up against anything that is dodgy or unethical for years in the online gaming industry. So if your going to judge me, remember I’ve been around a long, long time. And, I know a thing or two about varied dodgy deals that have gone down behind closed doors.If I didn’t, certain factions wouldn’t close me down in attempts to silence me
Director – AWAA
ha ha.. .I kinda got a good laugh out of this one to be honest (sorry, but there IS some humor here…. I’ll demonstrate):
@AussieDave 248855 wrote:
These clear bias and selective stances indicate to me (and probably other affiliates too), that possibly the Affiliate Alliance (which AGD is a member of), gives direction on who gets stomped on, and who is given get out of jail free cards. Just so everyone knows, the head of the Alliance is Corfman who currently holds a large monopoly in the gaming affiliate industry.
…AND…
Blind Freddy can see that Rewards Affiliates has carte blanche at the GPWA and APCW. Hence, it stands to reason, and gives valid indications that anyone or any entity connected to the Affiliate Forum Alliance (owned by Corfman), may get their strings pulled (dictated to), on which affiliate programs gets pulled over the coals or breached and who is not touched!
That ‘alliance’ never got off the ground. Corfman has never had any say over anything at AGD and never will. I am sole owner and do whatever I want. This is all so amusing because that ‘so called alliance’ even has a forum which probably still has spam in it! If it lived in a building there would be cobwebs from week 1
Seriously, though, Corfman can run his own companies.. but he doesn’t run mine. Will never happen. He has ZERO say on who I mark as predatory, certified, warning, or allow as a sponsor. The only people who have a say on that are the Certification Team Members – of which he (nor anyone he employs) are a part. Feel free to browse AGD to see who they are if you want, it’s no secret.@AussieDave 248855 wrote:
I appreciate you coming to CAP and explaining the situation without trying to sugar coat or dispel the underlying issues.
However a bigger problem still remains unanswered by you and that is, the Rewards Affiliates issue.
Correct me if I’m wrong but the AGD catch cry is “Protecting Affiliates Interests”.
While your forum has numerous hard cold facts posted which prove RA/CR actively entice referred players away from referring affiliates, not only do you do nothing to warn affiliates (except the cross marketing icon), you continue to give Rewards Affiliates a straight link banner on the RA forum, wtf?
However, it seems when an affiliate program causes you or your buddies to lose commission etc etc, your bang on the spot kicking up your heels and screaming blue murder!
I’ve heard this before. Maybe I am a bit lax due to time constraints, money constraints, but not because I am paid to allow CR/RA or anything of the sort. I know your HUGE beef with them Dave and I have seen your ‘proof’, but nothing is quantified. When I have enough money I will try to perform some sort of audit – but I hold little faith in those. This is why I marked them as a program that ‘Cross-Markets’. That is the only proof I have seen and they got rid of a LOT of the cross marketing links they used to have.
@AussieDave 248855 wrote:
Owning the GPWA, APCW, casinocity.com etc etc, and these entities having both past and present business deals with Rewards Affiliates/Casino Rewards, certainly gives rise to the possibility behind door discussions could take place.
To further back up my observations, when the Casino Rewards issue of unethical cross marketing came to a head at the GPWA, there was a Private Members vote which came back as “YES” to Breach Casino Rewards. However Corfman over tuned that vote. Claiming, it was a poll to gauge members feelings and nothing more.
GPWA – Gambling webmasters working with each other and with reputable online casinos and gambling sites.
APCW – Fighting for trust, honesty and integrity in the online gaming industry!
GAU – Albeit that’s died with Corfman being the only founding board member remaining.
AFA – Where Affiliates Come First.
I can’t speak to any of that, only Michael Corfman can. I don’t understand what AFA is, but assume it is another Corfman-owned site. Doesn’t matter to me.. I don’t run his businesses any more than he runs mine.
Well… that took longer than I intended.. I’m sure there will be a rebuttal
Andy
-Owner, AGDWhy is this thread a derail into Rewards all of a sudden? The topic is affiliate cooperation – how we can cooperate and stand one for all and all for one – not any specific program.
Let’s try to stay on topic and explore possible solutions to the fractioning of the affiliate community.
The feeling is mutual with regard to the funny, ha ha.
Lets get this straight, I’m not the only one who holds factual proof that Rewards Affiliates are actively hoodwinking players away from affiliates and in this process, stealing their rightful commissions.
@AffiliateGuardDog – Andy 248859 wrote:
I have seen your ‘proof’, but nothing is quantified.[/quote]
- Affiliate tagged players bombarded with straight links.
- Btags being replaced by in-house CR tags or indicating a direct type-in, either. way players being stolen from affiliates.
- On site CasinoRewards push to hoodwink players away from affiliates.
- Insane amounts of spam to tagged players with better bonuses at their other casinos.
When the above proof was posted to AGD, you stated, you commenced an audit into CR.
Some eight (
weeks or so later I inquired into this progress. All I got was smart mouth semantics and a generalized throw offs from you. However finally you came clean and admitted you’d not started the audit as you’d stated and led AGD members to believe.Using the “quantified” excuse, which was the catalyst for you claiming to commence the RA audit to begin with. Is out-dated, over used and well past its believable use by date, mate!
If the above facts, which btw have been posted to other affiliate forums etc etc, by other people besides myself, are dished by you as not being valid, then IMHO it only adds further speculation to your strings are being pulled.
It’s like when Bill Clinton was asked did you have sexual relationships with Monica Lewinsky. It’s the same situation here. IF AGD, or any other entity or person were in cahoots, no one is going to come out and put their hand up to it, hey!
@Dominique 248860 wrote:
Why is this thread a derail into Rewards all of a sudden?
Frankly, I don’t see this as being off topic at all. Given the link above.
If affiliates are to have trust in any affiliate association or entity that claims to hold their best interests at heart, then everyone should be accountable. Not just a selected few.
It’s what essential binds people together. that is, knowing no matter who, no one receives special treatment if they $crew up. Given the RA topic and what’s been posted thus far, I think I’m well within my rights as an affiliate to ask these probing questions.
And given you discussed PPC and Google, I see this as a valid home for my post contents too.
*Derail / Dave if it were only Rewards Affiliates doing this sadly more groups tend to cross promote your traffic.
e.g. visit crazyvegas casino with your aff. link and click on
1. vegaspartnerlounge/starpartner image on the main page woooops there is no btag tracking anymore……….!
2. promotions page click on loyalty program goes to vegasloyaltylounge.com (y)our btag is not tracking anymore./derail
@AussieDave 248868 wrote:
Frankly, I don’t see this as being off topic at all. Given the link above.
If affiliates are to have trust in any affiliate association or entity that claims to hold their best interests at heart, then everyone should be accountable. Not just a selected few.
It’s what essential binds people together. that is, knowing no matter who, no one receives special treatment if they $crew up. Given the RA topic and what’s been posted thus far, I think I’m well within my rights as an affiliate to ask these probing questions.
And given you discussed PPC and Google, I see this as a valid home for my post contents too.
It is very much off topic, we are not looking for solutions for the fractioning of affiliates at all, we are discussing a specific program and that’s it.
Maybe you can open a seperate thread about Rewards, and I can migrate the pertinent posts over there then.
@Dominique 248871 wrote:
It is very much off topic
And your PPC, Google comments and what ever else youv’e said unrelated to this thread are not OFF TOPIC!
Some people may see this as a way to take the heat off AGD. Given your a Mod there too, just saying
But if you want to play the hypocrite card be my guest, it seems to be the MO used when the “A” list are backed into a corner and the questions need to bne buried quckly.Can’t seem to locate the post by Inspiration which I received email notification on.
Here is the message that has just been posted:
***************
*Derail / Dave if it were only Rewards Affiliates doing this sadly more groups tend to cross promote your traffic.e.g. visit crazyvegas casino with your aff. link and click on
1. vegaspartnerlounge/starpartner image on the main page woooops there is no btag tracking anymore……….!
2. promotions page click on loyalty program goes to vegasloyaltylounge.com (y)our btag is not tracking anymore./derail
***************Yes I’m aware of that happening and other dodgy things they do too. That’s why the AWAA has them and their casinos blacklisted
@AussieDave 248872 wrote:
And your PPC, Google comments and what ever else youv’e said unrelated to this thread are not OFF TOPIC!
Some people may see this as a way to take the heat off AGD. Given your a Mod there too, just saying
But if you want to play the hypocrite card be my guest, it seems to be the MO used when the “A” list are backed into a corner and the questions need to bne buried quckly.The OP posted a history of the gambling aff industry, which I thought to be a good idea, and so I picked up on it and supplemented it as it was a good foundation to work from to find solutions to the splintering of affiliates.
I haven’t hear one solution for that from you yet. What do you suggest?
@Dominique 248878 wrote:
I haven’t hear one solution for that from you yet. What do you suggest?
Really!
I thought I made my observations and suggestions pretty damn obvious. But for your benefit, here is the non sugar coated version. Strap yourself in
The majority of affiliates are 1 person operations with varying degrees of success.However before our affiliate industry can return to square one it needs a good suppository to clean out the cr#p, which has been allowed to infiltrate and dictate their rules forged to feather their own nests.
GamblingGuru hit the nail on the head, “It’s like speaking to wise guys with dollars signs in their greedy eyes“. That btw, was direct to the GPWA.
Super affiliates etc etc can look after themselves.
But it’s the smaller affiliates who power these associations & or affiliate watchdog sites. If these places are incapable of keeping their affiliate members informed about risks to their livelihood, then what the hell are people supporting them for!
When an association or watchdog gives an affiliate program a seal, it also gives that program credence. And, if that program goes bad or it fails to pay its affiliates on time or any other issues which may develop, that association, in fairness to its members, should be all over the programs backside.
And do it in public threads where all affiliates are kept in the loop.
But that rarely happens. Or if it does, by the time any action is taken, it’s way too late.
Instead, sponsor programs are given carte blanche and affiliates; who these associations & watchdogs would be ghost towns without these members, sit on their hands and do nothing.
It’s the affiliate members of these associations etc etc who get $crewed every time.
Stories fly around that breaching or blacklisting doesn’t work. Well that’s just propaganda BS. Probably initiated by those who want to guarantee their fingers remain firmly planted in all their pies.
As an example, Commission365 sponsored of the AWAA.
In April 2011 payments to both affiliates and players were being stalled and far exceeding their T&C’s. I tried to work it out with them but nothing changed, just more broken promises. So I was left with no other alternative but to breach them in accordance to our Fair Practices Policy.A mere ten (10) days later everything was fixed up, and the AWAA lifted the breach. However until that point, until they were breached, none of the issues were rectified.
Obviously the AWAA has an impact when I either breach, issues warnings or blacklist. Within a few days of these being listed in Google, an email arrives asking how to get off our negative listings!
When associations and watchdogs use catch cries along the lines of holding affiliates interest first, yet demonstrate a complete opposite, anyone who sees this as being OK surely must hold a vested interest in this status qou being maintained.
Until these attitudes are changed and reiterating, the cr#p is driven out of our industry, we’ll continue to see affiliates being burnt, and the powers that be looking the other way when sh#t hits the fan, in relation to the dodgy programs they give credence to.
@AussieDave 248768 wrote:
And then there are the claims posted recently by Lloyd over at the GPWA on the 14’th December 2012 regarding Brightshare. This forum has a thread about it, but still no response from BS – it’s as if everyone is hoping it will just go away.
It’s things like this that our so called affiliate associations should be standing up about and getting to the truth.
But nothing is done, and no one says boo!
Yet I’m sure with LAC approaching all these places are preparing to throw parties (p#ss ups) and walk around patting everyone on the back. Seriously, it’s pathetic!
BrightShare completely rejects the incorrect, damaging and misleading statements made by Lloyd Apter, who left BrightShare nearly two years ago, which are being used to damage our good name and solid reputation. We see this as an intentional, malicious and unfounded discrediting of our reputation on a public forum. It is nothing more than a sad need for self-promotion, and a solicitation for renewed contact. We do not accept Lloyd’s attempt to generate personal business and draw interest to himself by creating negative buzz about his previous workplace.
We are proud to be one of the most straightforward, honest and transparent affiliate programs in the gaming business. As always, we are open to direct and mutually respectful dialogue with all our partners and welcome any queries about our program through direct communication with our team of dedicated account managers.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a wonderful 2013 – a year of health, happiness and prosperity.
May we all experience continued growth and strong partnerships based on respect, professionalism, mutual benefit and honesty – values which we stand for.
The BrightShare Team
@Marcia 248903 wrote:
BrightShare completely rejects the incorrect, damaging and misleading statements made by Lloyd Apter, who left BrightShare nearly two years ago
Playing the Devil’s advocate, if what Lloyd has posted has weight, it’s not like Brightshare is going raise their hand to dropping Btags, hey.
Another question, was Lloyd sacked or did he resign on his own free will?
Last question, given both BS and Lloyd reside in the same country, and you’ve claimed Lloyd’s statements are both damaging and misleading, will Brightshare be taking civil legal action?
