MPI Affiliates Program and DS DVDs

[MsCriseyde]

This is an FYI for webmasters of Dark Shadows web sites and also for those who buy products via Amazon and MPI Affliate Program links from the web sites you like.

Let me explain this briefly, for those who are unaware of what affiliate programs are and what they do. MPI Home Video offers an affiliate program to webmasters. In exchange for linking to the MPI site, the webmaster receives 15% of the revenue generated from sales via his/her link. This 15% is given to the webmaster in credit to be used to purchase items on the MPI site. Amazon.com offers a similar program, paying 5% in cash for referral sales.

So, for someone such as me on a very limited budget, these affiliate programs would be a great way to make enough cash or credit to purchase the DS DVDs for myself. In fact, I generated about $15 in MPI store credit in advance sales of the DVDs.

Then MPI decided to create the new Dark Shadows DVD site. Because this is a separate web site, members of the MPI Affiliates program do not receive credit for DVD sales. In other words, if someone clicks the MPI link on my web site, they are taken to the MPI Home Video page, from which I can earn referral fees. However, clicking on the link there for the DS DVD info takes that person off the MPI Home Video site to the new DS DVD site. I earn absolutely nothing for generating sales for MPI when this happens. This is a hell of a note considering the barrage of press releases MPI has sent me over the past few weeks. The phrase bait and switch comes to mind.  

Therefore, I would strongly encourage anyone who aims to support their favorite web site and/or webmaster via online purchases to buy the DS DVDs through that site's Amazon.com Associates link so that the referring webmaster can earn a referral fee. That is, of course, unless you are just mesmerized by the thought of that plastic key chain MPI is offering.

I have the links to the Amazon.com pages for the DVDs on my Dark Shadows Alumni Movies site:

http://members.aol.com/mscriseyde/news.htm

I know that there are several other Dark Shadows webmasters, such as Stuart Manning, who are members of both affiliates programs. If you are purchasing DVDs via links on any Dark Shadows site in order to support that site, please be aware that webmasters receive absolutely no credit for Dark Shadows DVD sales from MPI Home Video.  The fine folks at MPI confirmed this for me via e-mail this morning.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I earn absolutely nothing for generating sales for MPI when this happens. This is a hell of a note considering the barrage of press releases MPI has sent me over the past few weeks. The phrase bait and switch comes to mind.  

!@#$ing MPI! But why doesn't this surprise me?

I can definitely understand why you must be royally pissed at MPI. And I guess I know which sites and what links I'll be ordering my DS DVDs through now.

[Stuart]

That is very disappointing, thanks for sharing it.  I, for instance, can only afford to run my site because of the support of visitors using its affiliate links, and increasingly that's the route fan website owners have to make to provide a free service of any quality.  

But yes, very underhand and unnecessary... sigh

[Midnite]

Therefore, I would strongly encourage anyone who aims to support their favorite web site and/or webmaster via online purchases to buy the DS DVDs through that site's Amazon.com Associates link so that the referring webmaster can earn a referral fee.

Thanks for the FYI.  Sheesh.  This is what I'll do for all the DS DVDs I buy.

[MsCriseyde]

Well, this story is about to have a happy ending. This is what I get for raising hell.  

MPI Home Video sent yet another e-mail explaining that the DVDs will eventually be incorporated into an expanded and upgraded affiliates program. However, since they are not part of that program now, MPI suggests that I use another vendor's program for the time being to earn referral fees. This is completely in line with what I stated previosuly recommending that people use Amazon.com links. Of course, they also asked that I not stop promoting MPI products through my existing referral link.

And to show their appreciation, they sent me a $25 gift certificate.

I wanted to make sure that people are aware that MPI has made an effort here to make good.