Comments on: Why Thesis Theme Affiliate move to Share a Sale is a fail

By: katinka

katinka — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 06:56:37 +0000

Actually, shareasale pays me out by direct deposit to my EU (Dutch) bank account. It’s not $7,-, it’s $3,50 per payout. Which with a threshold of $100,- is alright in my book. Way better than having to cache a check any day.

By: Ramses

Ramses — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 01:01:38 +0000

I also think it’s sort of a “fail”, but in the end we earn some serious bucks with it. Again!

The interface sucks like hell and I really dislike the change, especially as I am a non-US citizen having to pay something for being paid. Alas, we can’t decide how to do it right. I trust in DIYthemes and hopefully they still trust in us.

By: Johan - Muiden Nu

Johan - Muiden Nu — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:00:37 +0000

I am quite amazed how the Thesis team has messed up in such a big way for their international affiliates. I really wonder if they have chosen to make their affiliate program completely US-centric based on sales statistics or whether they are just plain stupid and forgot that there is a world outside the US.

The Thesis affiliate program has received a lot of praise in the past and I have always enjoyed using it, and I think it is a big part of the success behind the Thesis theme. I don’t understand why they would outsource such an apparently important aspect of their business to an external company with a horrible crappy affiliate program web interface and stop communicating with their loyal affiliates.

Have these guys made too much money and can they now only think of going to the beach?

By: Somone

Somone — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:49:25 +0000

Marko – you’re spot on about the misleading affiliate program speak. I queried when the affiliate commissions for upgrades stopped and was initially told it never happened. Then, after sending a screenshot was told oh yeah it used to but stopped when Missy came on board. More transparency would be nice about the fine print and changes – we all have RSS technology and emails.

I’ve also been trying to get a response from Brian or Chris for a few months now and nothing. Like nobody is home. Not feeling all that welcome suddenly. It will be interesting to see the payouts for first half of Jan 10 considering that the old affiliate system was turned off so suddenly without the majority of us getting a screenshot of our earnings – always helpful to check you’re getting paid properly AND helpful if not necessary for tax purposes. Back to the tax records – all bye byes when they pulled the plug!

By: FJ's Fitness Blog

FJ's Fitness Blog — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:20:18 +0000

Hah, this is complete retard city. $7 to get your money that you earned for them? That’s like an advertiser saying… “oh yeah, but first you must pay us some cash, then we’ll buy the ads on your site” -OR- an employer saying to the employee “Yeah we’ll pay you for the work you did, but you must pay us some cash first…”

Makes no f*cking sense. Even if you are moving away from the direct deposit PayPal method (another idiotic choice) and towards cheques, there is no reason to be charging your affiliates. I suspect angry affiliates and lost business, at least in the beginning.

Thank god I ain’t using Thesis.

By: Marko Saric

Marko Saric — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:19:38 +0000

Good point Joi! And thanks for the kind words!

By: Joi

Joi — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:13:06 +0000

At the risk of blowing sunshine up anyone’s butt, there are lots of programs on Share a Sale that you could hook up with at the same time and make a little extra cash in the process.

Extra cash is always an agreeable thing!

The blowing of sunshine is now officially over.

Btw, Marko – I love your blog and it’s one of few that I visit on a regular basis. You’re a great example of just how outstanding the Thesis theme is and can be.

By: Costa

Costa — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:41:44 +0000

Like you, I too think this move sucks for non US residents. Not so much of having to fax that piece of declaration, but more on the time it takes for a US check to clear before I can really see my money.

If share a sale do not like paypal, the least they can offer is payment through Western Union like what Adsense is doing.

By: B

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 19:46:50 +0000

I really don’t understand all the concern about sending in a fax form. If you’re a US citizen and you make over $600 from the affiliate program in a year you’re required to pay taxes on it.

This is a standard practice of every affiliate program I’ve ever been a part of.

It can be a real time saver if at the beginning of each new year you fill out & scan in a new W9 and then just email that to each affiliate program that requires it.

By: B

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 19:42:48 +0000

Marko, no offense but how do you not realize that you weren’t getting paid for “sub-affiliates”? Don’t you check your earnings etc?

Also, in any affiliate program I’ve ever been a part of, paying for sub-affiliates is a HUGE selling point. The fact that they spelled out what you get paid for & it never mentioned sub affiliates should have been a big clue.

How much did you think you were getting paid for them? What percentage etc?