Using Your Clickbank Links For Discounts - The Truth Revealed!!

by 23 replies
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Alright, so I have seen this topic countless times on the Warrior Forum.

"Can you use your own Affiliate Link to purchase a product you want to promote?"

A lot of people believe this is an 'Ethical Dilema" where it really depends on the person purchasing through their own link. Others believe it is alright to do simply because the product owner would get the same profit per sale.

A few threads here on the Warrior Forum that discuss this topic are...
http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...b-account.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...iate-link.html

The problem with these threads is that they have no solid answers for those who are asking this question.

So here is the 100% real answer direct from CLICKBANK CUSTOMER SERVICE!!

I contacted Clickbank Customer Support via Email, asking the following (From personal experience)...

Clickbank responded within 24 hours with the following answer.
**Please Note, this is cut/paste directly from my email.**

I hope this answers this elusive question for everyone. I also want to suggest that if you have any more questions like this, that you contact the customer support of the site in question. Many large sites like Amazon, Clickbank, CPA's, and many more, have great customer service help for these types of questions. Don't be afraid to ask these questions. People are paid to answer them for a reason!

~Teravel Mercado
#main internet marketing discussion forum #clickbank #discounts #links #revealed #truth
  • Banned
    Thanks, Teravel.

    "Interesting" that she should mention that, and provide that link, when actually there's absolutely nothing there at all that backs up what she says above. Typical Clickbank, though. :rolleyes:

    And typical Clickbank that different people asking the same question can get totally different answers, too (with different paragraphs pasted in). :p
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Good info to know. I always wondered what would stop people from doing this, and now I know. Thanks!
    • [1] reply
    • Getting an e-mail response from what could be a lower-level member of staff doesn't prove anything dude.

      If you can point to some specifics in their TOS which clearly states it isn't allowed, it would help.

      It does mention people who use their accounts to get discounts, but it uses the words sole purpose.

      Which suggests to me it is okay, as long as you aren't using your account to ONLY get discounts and nothing else.

      Before they were much clearer, they said it was okay but "not encouraged" in their TOS.

      I'm not saying I believe it is/isn't okay ethically/morally or whatever -- that's one for the deep thinkers on here to discuss
      • [ 2 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
  • What reason would they have to lie to me? I promote products through them, thus I am making them money. So why would they put my account in danger of their own rules when that would hurt their business?

    Following the link from the email, and clicking on Customer Distribution Requirement, you will see the following...

    They want to Prevent Affiliates from Abusing Clickbank by Fraudulently collecting rebates or Discounts on their own purchases.

    Sounds pretty clear to me that Clickbank doesn't want people using their own links to get discounts.

    If you purchase a product through your own link, you are denying the owner full profit from his advertising directly through Clickbank (Which leads to his sales page without an affiliate link). This would technically be considered Stealing, even if your "Sole Purpose" isn't to just get a discount.

    We can all twist words to benefit our own needs. Your "Sole Purpose" arguement carries little weight.
    • [1] reply
    • Banned
      "Fraudulently", yes, perhaps.

      But what they actually say (or refer to in this email - they've said different things in other ones) is ""

      "Sole purpose", they say.

      And who can blame them?

      To me, on the other hand, it sounds pretty clear that they wanted to answer your question without admitting that thousands of Clickbank affiliates make the odd purchase through their own affiliate-links, as they have done for a decade, that they're fully aware of that, and that it isn't actually prohibited in their terms of service and/or accounting procedures.


      Using Your Clickbank Links For Discounts      ? - yes, apparently so.

      The Truth Revealed?       - no, I'm afraid not: far from it.

      And few do so more regularly or with greater variation than Clickbank.
      • [ 4 ] Thanks
  • If I owned a store that sold groceries or furniture or what ever, would I go to a competitor to buy these things for myself, or to evaluate them in order to see if I wanted to sell them in my own store? That would be plain stupid.

    I bought a whole bunch of products from Clickbank through my own affiliate link. The only complaint they had was that I refunded some of them because they were junk. I guess Clickbank thought I did it a little too often. They did suspend my account from getting payments, but it was restored promptly when I asked them about it.

    If the vendor will not give me a review copy, then my only alternative is to buy it through my affiliate link. If they don't like it, then damn well give me the review copy.
    • [1] reply
    • Banned
      I agree.

      I will add one thing, though: when I do buy someone's product through my own affiliate-link for purposes of deciding whether or not to promote it as an affiliate, if I decide that it's no use at all to me for that purpose (for whatever reason - not necessarily but sometimes because it's crap), I never ask for a refund. Because the purpose for which I bought it was "reviewing it", and I've done that. As far as I was concerned (even if not as far as my potential customers might be concerned), it was fit for the purpose for which I bought it, because that purpose was simply "looking at it" and I did that. And of course it's a legitimately deductible business expense for me anyway, so who cares?

      (I don't actually believe that there are many vendors who'd mind my doing this, anyway, without ever asking for a refund - I really don't. And if there are, that's their problem. They made their vendor's cut of the sale out of me, anyway, and that's all they were ever entitled to).

      And for the record, since this thread's allegedly supposed to be "the truth revealed" (), I've discussed that with Clickbank: they know I do that, and they have no problem at all with it.
  • Nothing could be more clear...

    You will still find people buying through their own affiliate link...

    And Alexa I will have to respectfully disagree with you.

    Honestly I do not understand your reasoning on this.

    I am a clickbank vendor and I greatly resent someone buying from their own affiliate link.

    Greatly.

    I would resent the fact that you are purchasing my product for 1/2 price.

    But further, why would you risk having your account terminated by violating Clickbanks TOS?

    If you want a review copy of one of my products, ask me.

    But don't try to rip me off....

    Here are some real life examples:

    Marlon Sanders, and Jimmy D. Brown do not allow customers to purchase their products from their own affiliate links.

    There may be more marketers who feel exactly the same way....


    My advice? Don't do it...
    • [3] replies
    • Banned
      No problem there ... I will still respect you in the morning.

      I can only repeat it, really (which won't help)?

      I'm not violating Clickbank's TOS. This is the only point where I take issue with you. I'm just not. This will sound arrogant but I believe I've read them, studied them, discussed them with a lawyer, and discussed them with Clickbank far more than most people here.

      I'm often the first person here to pull people up for violating other people's TOS: can you really imagine I'd do that and then post about it openly?

      I can only repeat that I've discussed it with Clickbank and they have absolutely no problem at all with what I'm doing.

      Thank you very much.

      I always do that, anyway. I only buy one "for review purposes" when I don't get that one way. And as explained above, I don't ever ask for a refund even if I hate it. Sorry if you think this is unreasonable, Albert. I don't. But I accept that you do and that you're not alone.

      (Would you like me to buy it through my best friend's link instead - the person who told me about it originally? You won't earn any more.)
      • [ 2 ] Thanks
    • You are a vendor and you don't know Clickbanks Affiliate ToS?

      Affiliate Dos and Don’ts (I suggest you have a thorough read)

      Since you wont actually read the ToS, for the benefit of everybody reading, I shall quote it below(This is in the don't section btw);

      It doesn't say anything about affiliates not being able to purchase through their own links. Unless my reading and comprehension skills have taken a holiday.

      Chris
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • I'm not a Clickbank Vendor (yet), but if I was, I would feel privileged if all 300,000 Warriors bought my product through their own account
      • [ 2 ] Thanks
  • Is it me or has this been debated to death this week?!

    Bottom line is Clickbank have no interest in telling you that it is okay. They certainly don't care if you do it and the vendors have set a commission rate that they're happy with so pretty sure they don't care either.

    Either you buy through your own links or you don't. You're certainly not going to change the mind of anyone already buying through their own links and if you really want to take the morale high ground and pay full price for your products then all power to you, nobody is stopping you.

    Really don't understand how this can annoy you. You set a price your happy with and the customer gets what they're looking for.

    Sure it would be nice if they asked you for a review copy but most people don't have time to ping numerous emails back and fourth for the sake of $12.

    Plus these people buying through their own links maybe the people that keep you in diamonds and furs. You could be biting the hand that feeds you...
    • [1] reply
    • LOL, more like all or part of the last 3 decades. And still no real answer. And that's how CB want's it.

      The same is true with many questions asked of PayPal. Ask 3 reps and get 3 answers, all quoting chapter and verse of the portions of the TOS that backs their answer.

      We humans tend to go with the answer we want to hear.

      George Wright
      • [1] reply
  • I did that for 10 of my purchases. I've never gotten in trouble with CB.
  • Well, I don't have copies of prior TOS, but I really do recall at one point where Clickbank actually encouraged people to buy through their own links as it would help you review the products and help promote them.

    Things could have changed over the years, I haven't read their details for a long, long time.

    But I have never been put in "Time Out" for buying stuff.
    • [1] reply
    • Yep, the truth can now be revealed that I've been stealing up to 75% of vendors' profits for many, many years by buying through my own links, and never been busted yet.
  • Clickbank doesn't care if you buy the products through your affiliate link.

    The only time they care is when you first sign up with them and have to show 5 different buyers before they start paying you. That's what they were talking about in the email.

    After that, you're free to buy through your own link. But of course they're not going to blatantly say "after you get 5 different sales, then you can buy through your affiliate link". Rather they imply it both in your email as well as in the Accounting Policy.
  • My personal philosophy is that if I become aware of a product through someone else's link (blog, email, webinar et. al.) and I choose to purchase the product, then I will make sure to do so from their link (since they made me aware of the product). If I find a product on my own or from somewhere that is not promoting the product, then I buy through my own link.

    There is a product from a poster to this thread, that I purchased awhile back (through my link), just to check it out to see if I wanted to promote it. I liked the product and have since sold a half dozen units in the past month. Had I not purchased (or had to pay full price), I highly doubt that I would have promoted it.

    I struggle personally with being in this industry. It is hard for me to promote a product that I have not used.

    The saddest part of all, is how many times a product has been SO BAD or completely misrepresented in sales copy, that I ended up refunding it, even after getting a deep discount by purchasing through my own link. Just shows you how bad some products are.

    If CB were to find it a major problem, they would not allow it, or not pay the commission. I am an Amazon Affiliate, and have purchased through my link and I do NOT get paid a commission for those transactions.
  • Hi folks

    This is my first post so please don't shoot me if I am making mistakes.

    I have purchased a number of products and sold a number of products and have been paid by Clickbank. I now find that my access to to the clickbank ssl account website is blocked when I want to purchase something. I am not sure whether I have been blocked for requesting refunds or whether there is something on my computer blocking access to the Clickbank ssl account website.

    If I use another computer and plug it into my internet connection I am able to access the website. Just my pc seems to be blocked.

    What do I do to get around this problem as it is so frustrating not being able to access the website
  • Ok Alexa and Chris Worner.

    I stand corrected.

    While not illegal, and not specifially against the TOS of Clickbank, it is something I will not do.

    But that is just me.

    We can agree to disagree on this one.

    Thanks for setting me straight.
    • [1] reply
    • If you really need to buy something through your own Hop Link, have someone else buy it for you and hand them the money (cost) in exchange for the product.

      This of course depends on the type of product..

      You'll get the product and the credit towards your account..

      Party on!
      Bob
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