Is this legal?

14 years ago

Well, there are no "rules" against it but it might get you banned from the affiliate network and your product cancelled if it is a software or subscription. Depends on the TOS I guess...

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JayXtreme

14 years ago

Originally Posted by NicholasX

So I just got this idea about buying a product from my own affiliate link.

Let's say that it's a $77 product, then I buy the product from my own affiliate

link. let's say I get about $40 per sale. So that means I can get the product for

$77 -$40= $37 instead of $77. Is this legal?

People do it all the time. Personally, I'd much rather offer the commission to another affiliate and let them get the sale.

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Alexa Smith Banned 14 years ago

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- Kay King 14 years ago
  
  The only time I do it is when I want a review copy for a product I may promote.
  
  I'd rather pay the base price (less affiliate fee) than ask for a freebie.
  
  On affiliate sites where this is not allowed - you won't be able to do it. Amazon will not credit you if you buy through your own links - CB does.
  
  But - and it's a big "but" - if you are planning to sell products as an affiliate and your first thought is that you don't want to pay an affiliate fee - what if your customers think the same way when you advertise an affiliate product in an attempt to earn a commission?
  
  Food for thought.
  
  kay
  
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VilPietersen@

14 years ago

I'm not too sure if it's legal! It does work though (don't ask me how I know).

Bottom line mate! There's only one punishable crime in this world and that's getting caught.

I don't think you're the first person who's thought of doing it! I know my reply wasn't that useful so i'm going to go with no, it's not legal to do that

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rondo

14 years ago

Clickbank might allow it but 9 out of 10 affiliate programs don't. Check the terms.

Andrew

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yommys01

14 years ago

I have done it several times with clickbank. I don't think they have any problems with that.

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Ken Leatherman

14 years ago

You do realize that since you are asking the question, you have something in your gut that is telling you, you don't feel right about doing it that way. So it comes back to your sense of right and wrong. You have your own yard stick I'm sure; so use it.

As Kay said above "Food For Thought".

Ken Leatherman

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Bellthorpe

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Ken Leatherman

You do realize that since you are asking the question, you have something in your gut that is telling you, you don't feel right about doing it that way. So it comes back to your sense of right and wrong. You have your own yard stick I'm sure; so use it.

Exactly. VilPietersen@, for example, has provided his view of right and wrong, and others amongst us will have a different view.

It's almost certainly not 'illegal', but it might be contrary to the T&C of the programme of which you're a member. Read them, then make your decision.

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Rajan Cajan

14 years ago

As an affiliate how can you promote something if all you know is on the sales page. I do buy from my own link so I can intelligently make an honest review. I have not been penalized by clickbank.

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kindsvater

14 years ago

There is no "law" that makes this per se illegal.

As an affiliate, you will necessarily have some contract with the merchant in order to get paid.

If that contract prohibits buying the product for your own use through your affiliate link, then it would not be legal because it is a breach of contract.

.

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Alexa Smith

Banned 14 years ago

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Johnny Slater

14 years ago

That makes no sense at all. "Any random person" as you put it would be paying full price for the product, regardless of who gets a share after the fact.

Buying through your own affiliate link gives you the product for a discounted price that isn't available to others who are not affiliates, or affiliates who prefer to play by the rules.

Why should you get a product at 1/2 the price that the rest of the world pays? Just because you "might" be an affiliate later does NOT entitle you to a discounted price.

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

I have absolutely no hesitation buying a Clickbank product this way if I want it solely to review because I might want to promote it.

I find it impossible to imagine that any vendor, opening the product up to affiliate sales, would either intend or expect a potential affiliate to pay the full retail price, because that would be saying, effectively: "I'll sell this to any random person in the world for the vendor-share of the retail price, except potential business associates of mine, who must pay me the full retail price". That would be a strange sentiment indeed for someone wanting to attract affiliates, wouldn't it?

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Dan Riffle

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Johnny Slater

Why should you get a product at 1/2 the price that the rest of the world pays? Just because you "might" be an affiliate later does NOT entitle you to a discounted price.

The reason why is stipulated in post #12 (the only opinion that really matters considering the OP's specific question). You can argue morality or ethics until you're blue in the face, but what really matters is the contract between the affiliate and the merchant. If the contract prohibits it, don't do it. If it doesn't, go for it, provided you're ethical proclivities don't prohibit you.

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hypnosisqueen

Banned 14 years ago

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Kay King 14 years ago

I've pm'd or emailed sellers after buying through my own link to let them know I was buying a review copy.

Usually the reply from the seller is "I would have given you a free review copy". I appreciate that but if I buy a copy I don't start with any bias or feel I'm obligated to the seller.

It's a minor point - but works for me.

kay
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Underground SEO

14 years ago

Of course it is not illlegal as such, it just may be against the TOS of the affiliate network. I know for a fact you can do it with clickbank but they do say something about it, I just can't remember what, you'd have to check their terms.

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Is this legal?

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