focalex

[dnaxx]

Please don't use focalex!

I have earned around 230US$ but they don't pay me because they said that i fraud their service (which is of course not true). But they didn't say me what I did.

Many of other Focalex members, especially with earnings mor than 100US$, where canceled because focalex said they were cheating.

[Haze]

And they probably were cheating as you probably were.

[dnaxx]

but the funny thing is that I was NOT cheating.

[Cheap Bastard]

sad news is, affiliates aren't worth anything nowadays... If a company wants to (NOT saying they are) they can just drop loads of affiliates and still have plenty left...

If they are, not much you can do about it. They know that too... Who's gonna sue their --- for a mere $220...

[solace]

Good point Cheap Bastard. I would say the same apply to ad networks. They can rip off accounts accumulating small amounts, then duplicate the act with countless number of such accounts, and use these "cheaters" termination to survive. If they close down one account, 10 more apply. Who is going to sue their --- for a puny amount? Such is advertising these days.

[Czar]

That's true. A few high-profile companies (I won't name names, but you probably know which to which I'm referring) recently raised their minimum payment threshold just prior to cancelling their program, without notice, guaranteeing only those members who were above the increased threshold would be paid. The rest was pure icing for the firms.

That aside, Focalex is a very reputable firm, and I doubt that they would cancel accounts ad hoc. If you honestly did nothing to artificially increase your ststs, you should continue to email or phone the firm (calmly) to counter this suggestion. If you have any log files available, you could offer to present these as evidence in your support, while asking for either your account to be reinstated, or your outstanding revenues to be paid in full.

[solace]

Czar, you actually don't need to cheat (artifically inflate stats) to be terminated by a network ad hoc.

For instance, if one of the banners you host link to a website with questionable content without you being aware, you can get terminated. If you have direct links to sites who decides to add questionable content without your awareness(without having questionable content on your site), you get terminated. And if all else fails, if you "infringe copyrights", you get terminated. This clause is all powerful. Unless a site is totally 100% text based with nothing else, a clipart created by someone else is copyright infringement. A photo of product on an affilate store is copyright infringement. A pic of Britney Spears is copyright infringement.

There are tons of clauses in the TOS that empowers ad networks to terminate you ad hoc. Please pardon my bitter tone everyone. I am not saying all networks are like that. I am saying the networks have the power to do that. Some reputable ones, like Advertising.com, is upholding their integrity and making money the morally honest ways. There are others who resort to underhand methods (which I am not naming as well) which are perfectly legal.

[Czar]

I agree solace, but this is a discussion about Focalex, in particular, and I can vouch for their credibility. Not only have I been watching and discussing this affiliate program for over a year in my role of editor at Net-Ads, but I've been using them personally for several months.

The point I was trying to make is that if dnaxx was not intentionally breaching any terms, Focalex may have made an honest mistake in cancelling his account. Instead of taking an offensive stance, I suggest that dnaxx points this out to the Focalex team. I am confident that they will be understanding.

[solace]

I apologize. I am really getting too bitter on forums. My reply to you was not directed to Focalex in anyway, but advertising industry as a whole.

I have never worked with Focalex, and am not doubting their credibility at all. At the same time, I am not saying that dnaxx is cheating. Your advice to dynaxx is definitely useful to him. Attempts at negotiation to get a common understanding should always be made before either party resorts to go public.

Again Czar, and everyone else, I am sorry for my misleading and negative tone.

[dnaxx]

In middle of march I received an email from focalex telling me that I had cheated (as I already mentioned).
I made serveal posts in their Message Board and mailed them also three emails.
I got no answer from them.
In the board I got serveral responses from other focalex members who had the same prob as i have. Nearly all of them had more than $100 in account.
And nobody from them got paid til now!

There are/were also rumours that focalex ran out of money.

btw: my account is not deactivated; they only do not pay me!!!

[Czar]

Okay, I'm going to try to encourage a Focalex rep to drop by here in an attempt to stimulate some form of response.

I'll let you know how I go...

[dnaxx]

thnx for trying...
...i hope you are more sucessful then i was.

[Dodzzz]

If I were you, I just quit and forget the webmasta thing,
being a webmaster sucks nowadays..

[dnaxx]

if you make it for the money, then yes.
But I need the money only to finance my server. Revenue is great but not necesary.

[Dodzzz]

no!, my site is around 30 days old, and it really fast growing,
now have around 6000 pageviews/day
I thought if I can get a $2 CPM (stupid me, I didn't know that CPM banner is suffering)
I can get 12 bucks a day, not bad,
I thought when my site grow like 30000 pageviews/day then I could get like 60 bucks a day= $1800/month!! that's serious cash!

and what about 100.000 pageviews/day? well it's $6000/month, wow! that's huge for just updating website,

heh.. but it's over now, the CPM game's OVER!!!!!!!

[Edited by Dodzzz on 04-17-2001 at 07:48 AM]

[dnaxx]

all my sites have currently arount 15000 visitors/day.

Advertising.com and Burstmedia have canceled my account because it's entertainment related, and they have no ads to sell (I made around $20 with them per day).

All other companies also do not accept my site except safe-audit (only a few dollars per month).

So I'm using CJ and Reporting.net (only 2-3US$ per week).

I hope the advertising market will get better because currently I pay around $130 for my dedicate server and get only ~20-~$50 (max) from advertising space per month.

[Dodzzz]

wow! with visitors like that,
why don't you try doubleclick.net and flycast? maybe you get a better luck there! ^_^

I think we (entertainment related web publisher) need to take a break a year or two, 5, 10 years maybe..

[dnaxx]

i tried doubleclick but they didn't response.
I'm in contact with flycast, but i think i'll get my contract in jan. 2002 (if I get one!).
I also tried low-paying companies like the common wealth network, but they rejected my sites.

[Dodzzz]

hmm...
tough time.. just like solace said..
I just removed all my reporting.net's link..
because one affiliate began not paying for the web search, the other one lowered their Click through rate to 0.01 (am I a cat or something, I need to eat!)
so I just removed it, now, my site (http://www.squaregallery.com) has no revenues, completely non profit dotcom!!! arrggghh!!!