Affiliate managers have been chattering intensely about CPA networks lately on the AffiliateManager.net forum, and one issue that’s been emerging is the lack of control an affiliate manager has in this sort of relationship.
The reason for this is that there is a Chinese Wall constructed between the affiliate manager and the affiliate within the CPA network.
This barrier is created by the CPA network, as their commodity is their affiliate base, and if the identities of these affiliates were to be divulged to the affiliate manager, there is the threat that the affiliate manager might try and poach those CPA network affiliates.
So anyway, today Jeff Molander recounted the harrowing experience of an affiliate manager that was trying to identify affiliates that were breaking the rules of his program.
Only he wasn’t able to do so, because the affiliate was not his – rather it was one running through a CPA network in his affiliate program.
In the future, I think either the rules of engagement are going to have to change, or affiliate managers are going to cut off the CPA networks. It’s just too risky to work with partners on blind faith.