eBay Affiliate Program – Nobody Can Tear it Up Like eBay

Yesterday, eBay announced the creation of the eBay Partnership Network. If you want to read the official press release, you can use this link.

After April 1st, 2008, eBay is no longer partnering with Commission Junction. eBay is going to manage the affiliate program in house. Starting on April 1st, advertisers can start signing up for the eBay affiliate program directly from the eBay Partnership Network site. For the month of April, the new eBay affiliate program will run in parallel with the CJ program, meaning you will still be paid for clicks you are sending through CJ. After May 1st 2008, the CJ links will be invalid and you must have all your links migrated to the new program.

What does this mean for advertisers? eBay says there will be no change in the revenue structure. I'm not so sure. This is eBay we are talking about! How many times has eBay attempted to disguise a fee increase to sellers as a decrease? They have a terrible track record of managing anything. I don't trust them.

As a long term seller on the site, I paid in over $70,000 in fees for 2007 alone. Small sellers that think high volume sellers like myself get "special treatment" are dead wrong. I get treated like crap just like everyone else. After all the rule changes, I don't even qualify for a dedicated account rep anymore. Even when I did, the guy was useless. Like everyone else, I live with the constant fear that some stupid rule they create will put me out of business.

Now, they are on to managing the affiliate program. Yippeee! Currently, I make less than $2,000 a month from the eBay affiliate program. With eBay running the show, I'm not sure if I'll even bother signing up for the new program. There isn't another company on Earth that can tear it up like eBay can.

Anyone trust eBay to count the money and split it with you? Not me.

Posted by: Brent Crouch on 18 Mar, 20082 Comments »