Affiliate Watchdog, challenging the skimmers?

[Casino-Matt]

So AGD is doing a great job providing information and rogueing the rogues.

However who is actually looking after the little guys who have run into issues with their affiliates?

I am not talking about NCO or any other terms that are clearly stated in small print. I am talking about affiliates simply skimming and stealing clicks and sign ups. I am talking about programs that go quiet and don't pay up. I am talking about programs that shutdown and reopen under a new name and dont take over the credited income and players.

Is there any authority where we can go with our complaints? Anyone regulating the affiliates to prevent them stealing from us? There are player mediation services but what about us?

Now Slots-Guide is run by guys with heavy duty government judicial day jobs and we want to see some justice for the little guy. But we cannot immediately call upon our big guns before we have gone through all the steps possible within the system.

So can anyone already ahead of us in this process point us through the steps and addresses you took with issues with affiliate programs?

Thanks.

 

[KasinoKing]

This is a VERY good question!

I have issues currently, not about shaving, but simply not getting paid my commissions.
Some would say I should have known better - but even for an experienced affiliate like myself, it is very difficult to know for sure if a new operator that appears is going to turn out to be good or bad.
I have two operators that I promoted who owe me over $6,000 together (a VERY significant sum for me) and I have no-one to turn to for help.
Both have paid me in the past, but now they are 2 -3 months overdue and my hope of ever seeing my earnings is fading fast...
This wont be the first time I've had to "write-off" earnings - but none have ever been close to these amounts before.

The issue of being shaved is perhaps more serious - because it's virtually impossible to prove.
I have dumped a few operator for SUSPECTED shaving - without trust there can be no working relationship.

I have thought about trying to recruit some "test players" to sign-up via my links and deposit, so that I can see if they track OK. But then, I would have to trust these people to actually do what I ask of them - and it would be very hard to prove if THEY were being honest!

KK

 

[Casino-Matt]

Looks like this question has really struck a nerve. Thanks for the reply KK and thanks for the private messages everyone.

What steps have you been taking to try and resolve your issues?

What do the regulators do in these situations? Malta, Gibraltar, etc etc etc?

We all know this is a sordid business and as individuals we have little in the way of power. But collectively we have a lot of power. Collectively there are things we can do to help ourselves or at least make life harder for the skimmers and scammers.

 

[Guard Dog]

I have never dealt with the regulators, but from what I have heard - they do nothing for affiliates. Places like AskGamblers, CasinoMeister, and ThePogg seem to have arbitration for players. I do not know of any for affiliates. I have certainly helped quite a few affiliates get their money, but it takes a LOT of effort and I have only dealt with the Affiliate Managers and sometimes the owners.

Regulators do not care about affiliates... only casinos. It makes no sense for them to help.

 

[KasinoKing]

I have never dealt with the regulators, but from what I have heard - they do nothing for affiliates. Places like AskGamblers, CasinoMeister, and ThePogg seem to have arbitration for players. I do not know of any for affiliates.

CasinoMeister will help affiliates too - but under the same rules as players...
i.e. the Casino (operator) must not be on the rogue or no-can-do lists - and you only get help ONCE for a non-accredited place.

He actually helped me get paid by Hype Casino Affiliates back in 2007.
That was my "one shot", so I can't get help with my current debtors.

KK

 

[Guard Dog]

You should have asked me... I got a lot of people paid by Hype Could have saved your 1 shot!!

 

[DaftDog]

Affiliates do have tools to fight these rouge programs. We have Affiliate Guard dog, GPWA and our own sites to wage a retaliation war. But we have to do it ourselves, we can't sit back and expect somebody else to do it for us.

@slots-guide.eu - you thanked people for sending you pm's. Why are those people too afraid to post in public? That's one of the reasons why so many programs are running rough-shod over their affiliates. If you're not prepared to fight these guys out in the open, by posting on forums and on your sites, how can you expect some-one else to do it for you?

 

[RyanWeb]

Also wish more people would post openly... I know for myself if I see a pattern of people not being paid, I am pretty quick to pull a program..

 

[NDG]

We had an outstanding payment from an affiliate program that was finally paid after 18 months.
It would be nice if the licensing jurisdictions actually cared about the affiliates, but they don't seem to.

 

[KasinoKing]

You should have asked me... I got a lot of people paid by Hype Could have saved your 1 shot!!

I don't think I knew you in 2007!
How did you get them to pay up - did you know the operator well...?

KK

 

[Guard Dog]

I don't think I knew you in 2007!
How did you get them to pay up - did you know the operator well...?

KK

You did! You were part of some slots contests at SlotsOnFire.com back then, I believe. I even had a Hype one that you participated in, if I recall correctly I knew the operator very well. I worked very hard because I loved the software (it was super unique). So - I had weekly meetings with the owner (phone) for awhile to talk about the software and promotion.

 

[KasinoKing]

You did! You were part of some slots contests at SlotsOnFire.com back then, I believe. I even had a Hype one that you participated in, if I recall correctly I knew the operator very well. I worked very hard because I loved the software (it was super unique). So - I had weekly meetings with the owner (phone) for awhile to talk about the software and promotion.

I'll take your word for it - my memory is shite at the best of times.
Ah yes - Player Preferred software - very unique and very fun!
You can still find a few of their games at some Bingo sites - but not the full range unfortunately
Looking back at my play log, I see I deposited a total of $400 at Hype... and cashed-out $600. Great days - great games...

KK

 

[Guard Dog]

ha ha.. I think I cashed out about $10k over what I deposited. Probably why I liked them so much. I did know they had some on the Bingo sites, but not my favorite