Banned from companies Affiliate Program

[Supernoob]

Hey Guys,

On one of my websites I decided to promote some software for PC, I joined an affiliate program of a software company who I've used in the past and create a webpage for it and I use a picture of there product I promptly get this e-mail a day later. (Note before I promote any software I check if they have trademarks and this one didn't! - Also there name wasnt in the domain name, my website has 100's of pages and tutorials/guides.)

It uses our product names without permissions. Visitors of this website get the impression that this website would be an official website from us, which is not the case.

I'm pretty surprised how does this guy expect me to forward customers to his website if I can't mention its name, I asked him this question and he replies to my e-mail saying:

I hope you understand that we don't want to continue our affiliate program like this and we have just remove your affiliate account.

How bizarre, and I check back on there website now and they no longer have an affiliate sign up form?...

Has anyone else experienced this? Pretty miffed as now Ive lost a few sales. Oh well no more sales that company will get they don't seem to appreciate my work then another company can. :beerglass

 

[Nookie Monster]

Pretty strange ! I would think that they would love to have the exposure and traffic. Most companies expect their ads to reflect a trade name at the very least.

 

[jetti789]

It sounds like they are completely clueless about affiliate programs.
Consider yourself lucky that you found out before you
started to seriously promote them.

 

[Supernoob]

It sounds like they are completely clueless about affiliate programs.
Consider yourself lucky that you found out before you
started to seriously promote them.

Yeah I was about to create about 15 pages of tutorials of there software, I had only made one as I was away at some conferences so lucky I didn't.

 

[NanoDetonator]

Interesting,

I had the same experience a few years back, I promoted company using keywords related to business, as everyone does, but because a few of these keywords were also part of their companies name, I ended up competing with company and was at top of Google at time in primary search term which pissed them off as I was getting a ton of sales while their direct efforts shrunk. Talk about greed, they terminated me, but given I was on top of search, I got even, I went to their competition and and under cut them as I offered rebate of full affiliate commissions earned, blew them away, so here is the lesson, don't promote any affiliate program if you are competing with company direct.

Success to all,