How to Avoid Scam Affiliates? Need Advice

You just need to really be on top of it checking each order to check they're legit. If you have lots of transactions going in/out of your affiliate program then it is probably best to hire an affiliate program manager to do this for you.

I've been reading up on how JVzoo does it - you can set affiliates to the delayed payment of 60 days but then change that after they've shown they're legit.

And if you run your products through clickbank they handle it all and pay your affiliates every 2 weeks.

Preventing Affiliate Fraud - An Interview with Ben Edelman has some good tips like

Step one is to write those good T&C’s, as I mentioned. After that, reviewing every application. If you need to use auto-approve, and some guys do think they need to use auto approve for faster approvals; I understand that. Then for god’s sake after the affiliate makes his first sale take a look at him. Auto-approve him to get in, but have some system, maybe just a file in Excel, where you go and take a look at each affiliate once they’re slated to get paid. After that, when they’re someone who’s numbers don’t add up, their site looks terrible, but they’re supposedly making thousands of dollars of sales, call them up. If they won’t take your call or can’t be reached by phone, that’s already suspicious – delay their payments a month. If they won’t talk to you even when you’re delaying their payments, then there’s something really wrong. A guy should want to talk to you when you’re holding their money.

Good advice I think.

The problem with the "15 day refund" is that there's no such thing when it comes to the payment processors. Paypal will issue refunds up to 60 days.

I use Warrior Plus and JVZoo and would NOT, under any circumstances, approve an affiliate that I didn't know and trust, unless it on delayed payments of 60 days.

I've been burnt by the criminal affiliate scheme once and once was enough. It cost me a lot of bucks.

Hey there,

As someone who has dealt with fraud, here are my tips.

- Be strict on who you pass

- Make sure they have 20 + sales on whatever platform you choose to sell through with very low refund rates.

- Don't pay instant commissions to anyone

- Manually approve all affiliates (any doubts don't pass)

Follow those rules and you'll have very few problems. Hope that helps

Why don't create something that make them involved for more than 60 days if they really want to enjoy completely the product?

Like a free membership to a forum, or something that expires in 90 days. Once they ask the refund they lose this rights.

i joined shareasale.com since they said they can help screen affiliates; any experience w/them? agree re delay payouts 30-60 days and check before approving them; personally I'm only going to approve affiliates who can prove they're in the USA/Canada/UK/Australia at first, for security; may require a $1 paypal payment to verify identity

I would run my business through clickbank, or delaying payment to affiliates for 30 day initially until you talk to them, and others who they represent so you know they are legitiment

You can process through platforms like ClickBank or DealGuardian, who conduct the affiliate security checking for you so you dont have to worry about it.

Is there no way you can run your business and work your affiliate programme around Clickbank?

Clickbank creates the affiliate links, pays both you and the affiliate instantly, and also sorts out the delivery of the products.

Also, Clickbank has some great preventative measures to combat fraud attempts.

So personally, if you look at it in a "payment processor" sort of way, I'd rather trust clickbank as the payment processor, than paypal.

I'm an affiliate on SAS and I would never pay to be verified.

I believe SAS did that a long time ago when I signed up.