Penalization by SEs

[exoticpublishing]

Hi there,

Well, I learned something new today :)

I just recently started my affiliate program about a year ago, & since I don't have an experienced affiliate manager, I am learning slowly rather than quickly.

Anyway, I just recently noticed that one of my affiliates had their domain pointing to my site & I got upset, b/c I never gave him him permission to do that.

At first I was using the words "copy", which he was focusing on to avoid taking responsibility for what he was doing & then I realized he wasn't really "copying" my site per say, but I still feel it is unethical, certainly lazy, if not a violation of copyright laws.

Then someone pointed out that maybe Google or other SEs could penalize me b/c his domain is actually forwarded to my site & then the affiliate URL is cloaked.

Does anyone have the answer to this as to whether Google would penalize and/or whether he is actually in violation of copyright laws?

I'd love to hear from another company where this happened to their affiliate program & what they did.

Thank you


Michelle

[Marcia]

Michelle, tell him to stop doing it and if he doesn't, then kick him out of the program.

[exoticpublishing]

I'm going to, but he claims he does this for like 300 affiliates & no one else has ever complained.

My questions are still the same, who thinks this is unethical, or just shrewd biz & will I be docked by the SEs.

Thanks :)


Michelle

[Marcia]

How is he getting the traffic he's sending you? Organic search, PPC or how about BHO's & hijacks?

It may not be all that simple, it can depend on what measures you're ethically and business-wise willing to live with. My personal feeling is that affiliates should pre-sell and that it's consumer clickthroughs that should result in sales and commissions being paid.

Any idea what methodology he's using to send you the the traffic?