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A Warning for Affiliate Marketers

by tpw
19 replies
I signed up for a specific affiliate vendor, based in the UK.

I never figured there would be any problem with it, and on the surface there isn't.

The vendor only pays by check, and not by PayPal or other methods.

So I get sent my first affiliate commission check for 75 British Pounds (116 US Dollars).

My primary bank would not accept the check. They recommended a national bank.

So I went to the bank where I keep my savings, since they are a national chain.

Ah yes. They can cash the check for me. It will take 8 weeks to process, AND I MUST PAY an nonrefundable $50 processing fee.

I must pay the $50 processing fee in advance, just for them to begin the process. If the check is no good, I don't get the $50 back. And if the check is good, I get the money in 8 weeks, with about 40% of it spent on processing fees.

I am sure if the check was much larger, this would be a no-brainer. But as it is, it is a real gamble.

The check sits on my desk uncashed, until I decide the legitimacy of the Affiliate vendor.

Until then, those affiliate earnings amount to a fantasy of what could have been.
#affiliate #marketers #warning
  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    That's one reason I use credit unions for banking. There's a 30-day hold on funds to be sure it clears. That's it. No additional processing fee.

    I should say it's been 2-3 years since I've cashed a foreign check. Maybe it has changed now.
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    Just when you think you've got it all figured out, someone changes the rules.

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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      It should not be a reflection on the vendor. Just consider this experience to be a small tuition for education on international banking. They may have a provision for allowing future earnings to accumulate then cash out at a much higher level.
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    • Profile picture of the author tpw
      Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

      That's one reason I use credit unions for banking. There's a 30-day hold on funds to be sure it clears. That's it. No additional processing fee.

      I should say it's been 2-3 years since I've cashed a foreign check. Maybe it has changed now.

      Dennis: My primary "bank" is a credit union. They would not touch it at all.



      Originally Posted by myob View Post

      It should not be a reflection on the vendor. Just consider this experience to be a small tuition for education on international banking. They may have a provision for allowing future earnings to accumulate then cash out at a much higher level.

      I don't blame the affiliate vendor at all.

      I blame me for not considering how hard it would be to cash that check.

      I will either increase the payout level or change to a U.S. vendor.
      Signature
      Bill Platt, Oklahoma USA, PlattPublishing.com
      Publish Coloring Books for Profit (WSOTD 7-30-2015)
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      • Profile picture of the author Sheryl Polomka
        Originally Posted by tpw View Post

        Dennis: My primary bank is a credit union. They would not touch it at all.
        My bank was a credit union and they took the check but they did still charge the $15 fee - same as the main bank I also use - $15 fee.
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  • Profile picture of the author Brukhar
    I hate checks, they get lost in the mail, misprinted names, etc. Electronic payments and direct deposits are so much nicer but for some reason most vendors and ad networks are stuck in the 19th century
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  • Profile picture of the author Linda Hepworth
    Thanks for the heads up. I try to stay away from being paid by checks with affiliate programs, especially if they are out of the US.
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    • Profile picture of the author homebizoutlook
      I get real nervous when vendors do not pay by PayPal, the real industry standard for online payments.
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      PPC Domination
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      • Profile picture of the author myob
        Originally Posted by homebizoutlook View Post

        ... PayPal, the real industry standard for online payments.
        Me thinks you spend way too much time online.
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      • Profile picture of the author TJComer02
        Originally Posted by homebizoutlook View Post

        I get real nervous when vendors do not pay by PayPal, the real industry standard for online payments.


        I really hope you're not serious. Paypal is one of the biggest scams ever. With all the bad attention it gets, I still think there should be alot more done to expose them. I know over 20 people, yes 20 PEOPLE! , ALL IM'ers, who have had their funds frozen for NO REASON.

        My experience with paypal:

        I wake up one morning, with 500 bucks missing from my account, turns out paypal randomly took out 500 bucks for NO REASON, and they had no reason to give me besides a glitch or something similar. They didn't want to refund the money, they wanted the bank to turn down the transaction, but the bank got on the phone with them (I was on the line as well) and talked to them for an hour just to get them to reverse it.

        Second, paypal will freeze your account for no reason. They usually don't just do it for a couple of weeks either. They do it for up to six months at a time, and 9 times out of 10, they keep the money for every single day of the six month legal limit they have to be held to.

        They're gaining interest on this money I suspect. I know i'm beating a dead horse here, but, before someone starts to complain and make a comment about me complaining, realize i'm doing this because I do NOT want to see any of you guys have 10K frozen just because paypal decided to do it.

        Don't say I didn't warn you.
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        • Profile picture of the author Ken
          When I first began receiving foreign checks, my bank held the money until the check cleared and then charged a service fee. I'm not sure of the number,
          but, after twenty or so checks they no longer charged service fees or
          made me wait.

          Now it's all instant and free. They just need to get to know you.

          Ken
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  • Profile picture of the author mjming81
    That rings a bell right here in Oz. Back in 2009 I received a CB Check for $50 and almost one-third of it went in bank fees, one half at one of my other banks and they are all big international players. Of course a bigger pay check would have diluted the percentage as the amounts were fixed.
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    • Profile picture of the author KevinTorrence
      Ouch. That sucks. I hadn't even thought of running into problems like that. All the affiliate networks I've worked with so far have been US based. Thanks for posting this to keep us aware. Hope it works out ok for you in the end.
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    • Profile picture of the author TessaOmimaro
      Originally Posted by mjming81 View Post

      That rings a bell right here in Oz. Back in 2009 I received a CB Check for $50 and almost one-third of it went in bank fees, one half at one of my other banks and they are all big international players. Of course a bigger pay check would have diluted the percentage as the amounts were fixed.
      Hi mjming81

      What should be the approach when receiving a ClickBank cheque in Australia? Is it a painful process?

      Any advice would be most helpful! Thanks

      Best
      Tessa
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  • Profile picture of the author Sheryl Polomka
    I use to get my Clickbank payments by check and paid a $15 fee each time - better than $50 but it still sucks! I had to wait 28 days for the check to clear then I could access the money.
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  • Profile picture of the author Look4VGames
    You guys should think about singing up a savings account with old national, they cashed my clickbank and other affiliate checks on the spot. They never ask any questions
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    • Profile picture of the author tpw
      Originally Posted by Look4VGames View Post

      You guys should think about singing up a savings account with old national, they cashed my clickbank and other affiliate checks on the spot. They never ask any questions

      We don't have any such bank out here in the sticks of Oklahoma.
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      Bill Platt, Oklahoma USA, PlattPublishing.com
      Publish Coloring Books for Profit (WSOTD 7-30-2015)
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  • Profile picture of the author Rich Struck
    I have to believe you can get it cashed for much less than $50. Open the phone book and call every bank in town.
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Mayo
    Bill, Just send me the check and I'll fart around with it for a while. Hell, I'll do a WSO
    on how to get checks from other marketers for free! No Hype, No Hassles!

    Seriously, Contact the vendor and talk to him/her about your situation. Put in in a way
    that you could possibly get him other affiliates if this problem didn't exist. Give him
    other options such as paypal and a few others.

    Just my thoughts,
    Have a Great Day!
    Michael
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  • Profile picture of the author Robert Colle
    Well as someone already said above, consider it as yet another lesson taken about international banking. But I think it's no big deal you can still try to cash the check and pay those charges rather than wait to check out the affiliate merchant because as you wait so too do you accumulate other monies as affiliate commission that you might not be able to cash ever if it turns out that the merchant is some how.....you know? So first try to cash out that check and see what happens and then decide whether to continue or not.
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