Dirty Toolbar Practices: Scott Jangro’s informative series on how toolbars cheat

There are not many things that can bring affiliates to band together. Cheating them out of their commissions is one sure way to do it.

As technology grows, various affiliate networks,  rather than adapting the way their compliance departments look at affiliate tactics, have chosen to ignore the practices of affiliates whose tactics while technically legal break the very agreements set forth by the networks themselves. The networks do so for a variety of reasons: a) often the advertiser/merchant is unaware of the situation; b) it is difficult to keep up with new technology; c) the networks still get paid for such transactions; and d) not enough sustained pressure is put on the networks to change.

While the networks benefit this is not a victimless situation. Affiliates who play fair are cheated out of their commission. Advertisers end up in some cases paying double for transactions and more importantly losing the source that brought them the customer.

This problem has been around a long time. Folks like Ben Edelman, Kellie Stevens, Center for Democracy and Technology, and ABestWeb (see current discussion with multiple videos on a toolbar by One Cause) have made various attempts to make networks enforce their own rules. After all, how else are they going to earn the role of “trusted 3rd party”?

Personally I feel education is the only way to put pressure on the networks. Education of affiliates as well as merchants. Which is why I am glad to see Scott Jangro, former Director of Product Management for BeFree and Commission Junction and one of the smartest folks in online marketing, compile an informative series of videos that display these tactics in layman’s terms. If you are an affiliate or a merchant get informed on how this technology impacts your business.

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