The curse of the voucher codes has reared it’s ugly little head again this month with news from Linkshare that Sweaty Betty are binning off all their code affiliates, except for one who’s being kept on as an “exclusive partner” (or perhaps they’re worried if they kick them out they’ll redirect their links to a competitor… that’s never happened now has it?). Anyway, the exclusivity nonsense aside, it’s surely time networks and merchants devised a better set of plans for dealing with the wholesale booting of “voucher code affiliates” from promoting them. Currently it seems networks and merchants favour Plan A, but perhaps there’s room for a Plan B? Plan A Dear Code Affiliate, We’ve decided to stop offering voucher codes. However, we’re also unable to grasp the fact that you may run more than one website and have also decided that you are incapable of removing a site from your code directory. To this extent we’re no longer going to work with you at all as we don’t think you’re intelligent enough to comply with our wishes. May work with you again in the future if this idea goes the way of the pear. Yours Marketing Genius Merchant
Plan B Dear Code Affiliate, We’ve decided to stop offering voucher codes. However, we would still like to work with you in a non-codes capacity, especially if you run other sites that relate to our business. To this extent could you please remove our site from your code directory within the next 7 days and inform us of the changes. We will then be in touch to offer alternative suggestions on how we can continue to work together in a non-code way. Unfortunately if the listing isn’t removed then we will have to regretfully terminate our affiliate agreement. Yours Marketing Genius Merchant
Surely Plan B is better than Plan A? Both have the same message, except Plan B offers a bit of an olive branch to the affiliate to maintain a working relationship with the merchant. Many affiliates run multiple sites, including code sites, just to cover their bases as various factors over the years have conspired to drive revenue into other areas of affiliate marketing. We’d all love to concentrate on content this or blog that, but the simple fact is many affiliates need to run code sites and cashback sites in addition to other sites. In other words, we need to run different kinds of sites just to get a finger tip in the affiliate marketing revenue pie. Kicking off an affiliate just because you, as a merchant, deems them a “code affiliate” is often blinkered and shows an inherent distrust of the affiliate you’ve been doing business with. It’s not good! If a merchant doesn’t want to appear on our site they just have to ask… it’s not a puzzle so why do merchants/networks make life so difficult for themselves and for affiliates? We have things set up on Loquax that if asked, in most cases, one click and all merchant offers are switched off or even removed… we work in what we believe is an appropriate way, so it’d be nice if we were treated with a bit more respect. | 
