This blog post will serve as a cautionary tale for anyone seeking to become an Amazon Associate. All information given in this post is factual to date and is in direct correspondence with an Amazon Associate affiliate service representative. When seeking affiliate marketing legitimacy with this platform do so with caution and at your own risk...
The Amazon Associate program is much like any other affiliate marketing platform except it incorporates strange rules that may seem convoluted and for this particular affiliate marketer, disincentivizes product promotion by deeming what is and what is not commission capable on the Amazon website, a determination in which they do not indicate on their website, Amazon associate dashboard, and Amazon associate agreement. This is also information which they've refused to share with its associates as stated in a corresponding email with an Amazon Associate affiliate service representative: "Typically referred orders can be marked because our system recognized the orders were placed by the Associate, or on their behalf. Due to the proprietary nature of the way we make these determinations, we can't share the full list of criteria by which we detect these ineligible orders." Sent by "Raul" in Amazon associate affiliate representative...
In an attempt to make purchases from Amazon's website for groceries for the elderly, I was made aware that not all Amazon products are eligible for associate commission as well as they are not allowed to share with their associates which products are eligible to earn an associate commission. This could not only result in an aspiring affiliate marketer being discouraged in their current aspirations of perhaps working from home, but could also waste the associate's time and or money if said associate made the decision to promote an Amazon affiliate product through Google ads campaigns. So if there is no indication of what earns an associate commission and that information isn't available to said associates, how is the Amazon affiliate marketing platform a stable environment in which to start one's affiliate marketing company? In this humble blogger's opinion, it's not.
Doing your research and homework concerning affiliate marketing is crucial to the business because as the cliche goes "Time is Money" and every second wasted cluelessly promoting a product you may not earn a commission from is money bleeding its way out of your wallet. I hope this information was helpful, let me know down in the comments below what you think about this article and more so, what you think about the Amazon Associate program and if it is or isn't currently working for you... -Buddieizreal.🖤
Corresponding Emails with an Amazon Associate representative:
Opening Email in which I found out that I wasn't earning a commission for the product bought through my affiliate link:
Corresponding email with Amazon Associate Representative as they clarify that commission is earned after products are shipped and associate providing proof of products purchased, shipped, and delivered.
