13 replies
Ok so here it is. I've had a site up for over 2 months now working on content products, links. I'm getting 50-60 visits a day but ZERO sales.

EVERY BIT OF CONTENT is 100% unique written by me, based on actual use of the products. I have about 1500 words on the home page with a comparison chart featuring about 15 similar products linked to Amazon and Top 5 nicely reviewed linked to Amazon. I have another page with 5 more similar products reviewed. Each review is about 200-300 words and is linked to Amazon .

I have a Tips page with 6 "How Too" articles 500+ words each (3000 words of non sales content) . I have a "Myths" page with 5 articles all over between 400-600 words ( another 2500+ words non sales). That gives me somewhere around 6000 words of content on 4 pages and 12 posts not directly selling products just general "How Too" and general information.

I have a video "How too" section with 8 You Tube videos, not selling just demonstration "How too's"

I applied to Amazon at the time I started the site. I got a letter 3 days ago telling me I needed to make a referral sale in the first 90 days to keep my account active. So I called Amazon to see what was up, they said "No Worries" you still have 45 days to get your first referal.

So I call up 3 buddies and had them go to my site and make small purchases. They all live about 150 miles away in different directions. Each one went to my site from their home computer, clicked on links to the Amazon products off my site and made a purchase of around $20.

Well guess what? I DID NOT GET CREDIT of any of the three sales. So Yesterday I called again, asking why I did not get credit for 3 sales I got e-mail thanked for???? I told the Amazon Associates Rep the people emailed my personal email to thank me for the great product referral and they just bought the product.

The Amazon Rep fumbled around with a few lame excuses why I may not have received credit for the sales. I told her how do I know if other sales had not been credited and in my eyes Amazon was stealing for me by not giving me credit.The rep apologized for the problem and would look into why I was not given credit.

Now today 1 day after the call 48 days after applying for the account I get a letter from Amazon that my account application has been rejected because of a "LACK OF CONTENT"??????? There is NOTHING in the terms about minimum content requirements. Looks like I got scammed!!!!

WTF I caught them scamming ME and they reject my account???? All others BEWARE!!! Sure looks like something fishy going on. I wonder how many out there are loosing $1000 without ever knowing about it??????

I have allot of time and effort into this site any advise on what to do next???? I cant find the products I build this site around on any other affiliate program.
#amazon #problems
  • Profile picture of the author collinslad
    I had the same happen to me - I've not been rejected yet but my 90 days isn't over yet.
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  • Profile picture of the author aarthielumalai
    I haven't read about anything like that with amazon. Hmm, I'm sorry you didn't get credit for your sale.

    Why don't you call someone else up and ask them. Explain what's going on and you should get some answers. Maybe one of the employees is doing something fishy? That happens a lot in the big corporations.

    If Amazon was shaving, people would definitely talk about it more, so I'm guessing the corporation in itself is not shaving.

    Just keep contacting them; you should get some solution. Good luck! And do let us know how it goes.
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    • Profile picture of the author jdynars
      Originally Posted by aarthielumalai View Post

      I haven't read about anything like that with amazon. Hmm, I'm sorry you didn't get credit for your sale.

      Why don't you call someone else up and ask them. Explain what's going on and you should get some answers. Maybe one of the employees is doing something fishy? That happens a lot in the big corporations.

      If Amazon was shaving, people would definitely talk about it more, so I'm guessing the corporation in itself is not shaving.

      Just keep contacting them; you should get some solution. Good luck! And do let us know how it goes.
      I did call Amazon. I called them twice about not getting credit for the 3 sales. Not 24 hours after the second call Amazon tells me I don't have enough content. That's a load of crap!!!!!! My site has more non sales unique content than 90% of the ACTIVE amazon sites I see.

      I think I pissed them off because I caught them red handed cheating me. I'll bet if more Amazon Associates tried what I did they would find MUCH more of this.

      Lets face it I have spent my hard earned money, a LARGE time investment and created a very nice site. I have been accepted by EVERY affiliate network with my site, Click Bank, Commission Junction, Offervault, Share a Sale, Avantlink all accepted my site. Many of these are picky about the type of sites they allow, and do have WRITTEN REQUIREMENTS.

      Amazon is finding ways to cheat its associates, for those making sales I wonder how many more you did not get credit for??? Amazon has nothing in its Terms and Conditions about any type of content minimum. They got caught ripping me off and booted me because I questioned them on it.
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  • Profile picture of the author TCrosby
    200-300 words for a review is on the small end. I would recommend no fewer than 500, but more preferably closer to 1000.

    That may be part of the "lack of content" issue. To them, they see you as providing not a lot of value. They think "200 words isn't helping the viewer trying to do research much."
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    • Profile picture of the author nik0
      Banned
      No offense, but you cheated them as well, by having friends make purchases.

      Maybe they detected that, cause how otherwise could you know there were 3 purchases. I sold 1000's of items and never had a single customer email me to thank for the recommendation.

      Amazon knows that as well.

      Still seems odd that you didn't get credited for it are you fully aware of how Amazon works? That products need to be shipped before you get credit and that the order status means nothing?

      In case that's not the case it can also take 48 hours before your Amazon account updates the made sales. So did you wait 2 days?

      Not trying to defend Amazon, but this story sounds very odd to me.

      I sure hope Amazon doesn't shave as that would cost me a lot of money, never had any suspicion towards them though.
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      • Profile picture of the author jdynars
        Originally Posted by nik0 View Post

        No offense, but you cheated them as well, by having friends make purchases.

        Maybe they detected that, cause how otherwise could you know there were 3 purchases. I sold 1000's of items and never had a single customer email me to thank for the recommendation.

        Amazon knows that as well.

        Still seems odd that you didn't get credited for it are you fully aware of how Amazon works? That products need to be shipped before you get credit and that the order status means nothing?

        In case that's not the case it can also take 48 hours before your Amazon account updates the made sales. So did you wait 2 days?

        Not trying to defend Amazon, but this story sounds very odd to me.

        I sure hope Amazon doesn't shave as that would cost me a lot of money, never had any suspicion towards them though.
        I waited the 48 hours, I talked directly to an Amazon Rep on the phone in two different calls, both said I did not get credit for the sales. My account was rejected less than 24 hours after the second call.

        At no time in either phone call did the rep say my account had been rejected, was suspended or otherwise not in good standing. The woman helping me on my second call even brought up my site to make sure I had the link working correctly. She tested it and told me the link was working and would have a supervisor look into why I wasn't getting credit.

        About 15hours later my account application was rejected?????
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        • Profile picture of the author jdynars
          UPDATE!!
          I called Amazon again to find out why I got rejected. It seems my content looked TO GOOD for an affiliate marketer. Person reviewing my site assumed I simply copied the content off other sites. I'm VERY knowledgeable about the product line I chose so the content is from an expert with those products. The content is 100% original and composed by me, and after hearing me talk about the product line for 15 minutes the Amazon rep could tell I knew my stuff on the subject.
          SOOOOOO long story short, I got a pat on the back for the site and approved so I'm off and running. So now its time to start building links and getting traffic.
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          • Profile picture of the author vooser
            i got a email today saying my account was rejected to even though ive had it for months and have made sales i'm not going to chase after it. Don't use them that much.
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  • Profile picture of the author Amelle
    I read of someone else on a Facebook group that got the 90 day notice as well.
    I have never had problems with Amazon before. Keep hassling them about the orders not credited.
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  • Profile picture of the author salegurus
    So after all that ranting you still doing business with them, what if they "scam" you again?
    Signature
    Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.

    ― George Carlin
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    • Profile picture of the author vooser
      Originally Posted by salegurus View Post

      So after all that ranting you still doing business with them, what if they "scam" you again?
      +1 that salegurus
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  • Profile picture of the author BradVert2013
    Interesting. I've been having problems of my own. I started a new blog and just received another notice from them saying my account had been suspended because of no referrals - even though my affiliate links have gotten a few hundred clicks.

    It didn't used to be like this. There was never a 90 day limit for getting sales.

    Good news is I can reinstate my account at any time since I didn't break any rules (except for lack of sales). I think I might gain some more traffic first.

    Blah!
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    • Profile picture of the author nik0
      Banned
      Funny enough, after posting in this thread I got 200 clicks in a day and zero sales.

      Turns out some messed up customer clicked the same products over and over, like 150 times, I almost thought I was getting ripped off as well lol.

      Yesterday it got back to normal, about 80 clicks and 4 sales.
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