KingNacho

Please take a moment to read my cautionary tale.

I have been dabbling in CPA for just a few months and had recently begun to make a few dollars via a review style site. Nothing major, but it was exiting for me as I had not had much success with it until this point.

As the sales started to come in, I decided to change things up and try a simple form submit vertical. One of the restrictions on this offer was not to post or email members of Craigslist. My idea was to offer a direct link to this form as part of a response to a health related question in the Craigslist forums.

As I was setting this idea in motion, a thought occurred that I might want to call my affiliate manager to make sure I wasn't violating the "no craigslist posting" and get myself in trouble. I instead convinced myself to try it anyway as the wording was vague enough to not say anything about forums.

I went ahead and placed the post. I got a few replies, and even got a couple of forms completed and a bit more cash in my account. However, a few hours later I visited the page again and noticed that my reply was deleted and my account with the Craigslist forums was gone as well. I figured, no big deal, and decided that I got lucky with just a deletion and went about my business.

Fast forward to a few days later. I go in to check my account and get an "account suspended" message! I email the compliance manager to get more information and find that the one forum post cost me my account with them as well as the money I had begun to recently make. I replied with an apology, and asked to be considered to work with them in the future.


Lesson: Don't even begin to try something that is potentially considered against the rules with your network! And if you do, at least talk with someone in the company to verify that it is allowable or not.

I only hope that this experience does not count against me as I move on to different CPA networks in the future.

alliednetw

Good advice. I m sure we will all learn from this.

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williamrs

Good advice! Rules exist to be followed

KC-Coop

Yep - I would definitely stay away from Craigslist traffic unless you have written acceptance from your network.

Some Craigslist traffic can actually be quality - but all of the fraudsters killed it as a viable traffic source by getting people to sign up for offers before they could buy something on Craigslist.

KingNacho

Thats very true. I honestly believed that what I had done had resulted in a quality lead for the advertiser. Of course, the TOS violation made that point completely moot.

Kenster

Good advice!

My advice is to always start out 100% straight and follow the rules to a T when you first join a network. Many people hear that some networks let you use CL traffic, and let you do this and that, and offline, etc etc. The truth is that they may let you try this once they are more comfortable with you. Once you prove yourself as a legitimate affiliate and drive them good solid traffic, they will be more lenient with what you can do.

But at first you need to develop that credibility and trust. So follow the rules to a T and have open communication.

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yasha78

Well, while it is definitely a good idea to follow the rules, unfortunately the networks often kick people out without any meaningful way of redressing the situation.

I mean - one inadvertent mistake was known to ban people forever. There should be some review process or, at least, a soccer-like system: One mistake - a warning (yellow card), second mistake - red card - account suspension.

CPA_Ian

Lesson learned: Always cloak your traffic

JK. I personally don't use CL traffic. However, I really can't see anyone going wrong by collecting emails through a legitimate means (say, offering free info), and later hitting your list up with an email-compatible offer.

It's just that people use deceptive means to promote their offers: They do things like post bogus jobs and then force applicants to fill-out a credit report offer.

If you're building a list and some of that list traffic stems from CL in a legit way, I don't see what's wrong. However, I don't do it myself because it sounds tedious, and I don't do much email list marketing.

ChrisBa

Good Advice, using Craigslist will get you banned from almost every network and have your earnings withheld, be smart!

KingNacho

Such a system would be nice, but in this case they spelled out the consequences right on the offer. This was a no warning, immediate suspension kind of thing for them.

I sent an email to the compliance manager on whether or not I am allowed to sign up for a new account with them. (I would love to be able to prove to them that I am a valuable publisher who just made a stupid mistake.) I have yet to get a reply, but am hopeful just the same that I can somehow redeem myself in all of this.

Mike Grant

Next time, make a post on CL and have them email you for something.

Then tell them via email they have to go the cpa offer.

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KingNacho

No thanks, I'm staying completely away from anything that can be seen as shady or under the table from here on out.

By the way, this story has a happy ending as I was just accepted back to that network under a new account! Still an expensive lesson, but one that has changed how I do business for the positive.

smaxor

Hey you learned a lesson. Always communicate with your AM's. They can give you the run down on the do's and do not's every network is different. But communication is the key.

Smaxor
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