Amazon Associates Program Closed For Minnesota Residents

[Moto801]

Just got this email from Amazon...

Is there anyway around this? I need their affiliate program!

We are writing from the Amazon Associates Program to notify you that your Associates account will be closed and your Amazon Services LLC Associates Program Operating Agreement will be terminated effective June 30, 2013. This is a direct result of the unconstitutional Minnesota state tax collection legislation passed by the state legislature and signed by Governor Dayton on May 23, 2013, with an effective date of July 1, 2013. As a result, we will no longer pay any advertising fees for customers referred to an Amazon Site after June 30 nor will we accept new applications for the Associates Program from Minnesota residents.

Please be assured that all qualifying advertising fees earned prior to July 1, 2013, will be processed and paid in full in accordance with your regular advertising fee schedule. Based on your account closure date of June 30, 2013, any final payments will be paid by August 30, 2013.

While we oppose this unconstitutional state legislation, we strongly support the federal Marketplace Fairness Act now pending before Congress. Congressional legislation is the only way to create a simplified, constitutional framework to resolve interstate sales tax issues and it would allow us to re-open our Associates program to Minnesota residents.

We thank you for being part of the Amazon Associates Program, and look forward to re-opening our program when Congress passes the Marketplace Fairness Act.

Sincerely,
The Amazon Associates Team

 

[OldSalt]

Out of state PO box or out of state LLC?

 

[Moto801]

Out of state PO box or out of state LLC?

Well I do have some family that live out of state. Was thinking of just using my name with their address.

 

[IceDragon88]

Just got this email from Amazon...

Is there anyway around this? I need their affiliate program!

I'm not really sure but try looking to promote amazon products via Viglink...

 

[zep123dmc]

I'm not really sure but try looking to promote amazon products via Viglink...

This is what I'm probably going to do as well. Viglink. If the article I read is accurate then it doesn't seem too bad of an option. They take 25% of your commissions, but they're always at the highest referral rate percentage, so it'd be 8.5% for Amazon versus say 6.5% if you don't sell that much in a month to get 8.5%.

So if you sell a $400 product on Amazon, your final commission would be $25.5 with Viglink, versus with a regular 6.5% commission as a regular Amazon affiliate the final commission is $26. Does that sound right?

 

[Tom Green]

How much of your monthly income was coming from Amazon affiliation?

 

[Tom Green]

I wouldn't rely on Viglink too much:

A. You want to have control over which ads, placement of ads and content of ads your visitors see. Especially for a highly organic linking, such as having a Book review Blog not being strewn with links, but just have the link to that book on Amazon in an elegant way.
B. You don't want to keep a middle-man that might fall out. Although they seem to be going strong, you want to be AS close to the source, i.e. the merchant, as possible.

Finally, Amazon is really not the best option for a tightly bound niche website. I would see about trying to find more reliable solutions that aren't bound to keep playing the politics games on YOUR back. Amazon is using its affiliates as a tool to beat taxes off. Perhaps you're not getting the best deal out of this.

 

[ContentLockPro]

You should try some offshore type of offers, or middle-mans to get away with this one.

 

[Tom Green]

If you're into the electronics part of Amazon, you can conveniently switch over to http://dx.com/affiliate/Login

They have great gadgets and they monetize the customers very well, basically remarketing, etc.

 

[zep123dmc]

How much of your monthly income was coming from Amazon affiliation?

I'll be making over $300 this month with Amazon. I don't use any Amazon banner ads, just links in the content linking to Amazon, or a button link in the sidebar, and I'm in the patio, lawn and garden niche. I'm not sure on an LLC as I've never done that before and I heard there's a lot of online paperwork and such to get it going

 

[Tom Green]

Regarding an LLC, that's the easy part, just head over to legalzoom.com, it's what they do.
Regarding the lawn niche, you can try www.greenfingers.com

 

[Danny1111]

If it were me and I wanted to continue - I would setup an LLC/Bank Account in another state

if you didn't want to do that - then I would check CJ.com and see if they have any programs that would work for you.

I've tried CJ and Amazon and prefer Amazon - but you never know they maybe a better fit for you.

All the best - and sorry to hear this happened to you.. cheers.

 

[bartosimpsonio]

Out of state PO box or out of state LLC?

This is probably what Amazon is trying to achieve. If they get enough people out of MN the politicians may do something about it. Note the wording, the "unconstitutional" in the first sentence tells us Amazon is protesting this, companies don't usually employ this language. Calling it unconstitutional is calling it illegal, it's pretty strong wording.

 

[Moto801]

So I called amazon and told them I have another address in a different state besides Minnesota, and they said all I need to do then is change my address on my account and their system will automatically figure it out and I'll be good to go.

 

[rltv2011]

Great!

 

[Y.O.L.O.]

So I called amazon and told them I have another address in a different state besides Minnesota, and they said all I need to do then is change my address on my account and their system will automatically figure it out and I'll be good to go.

How long did it take the system to recognize the new address? I just changed mine.