[Kellie aka Ms. B]

I only found a one or two posts from way back in archives regarding the association of TopMoxie and MyPoints and there seems to be very little being said about this program out on the Net, so I thought I'd make a new post.

TopMoxie powers MyPoints Shopping Alert, a "reminder" to MyPoints members if they go to a site to make a purchase so they can get their reward points. From MyPoints website:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> If you are shopping at a MyPoints Shopping!® store, but forget to go through the MyPoints website, Point Alert! will pop up and remind you that you can earn Points for your shopping at that store — and then offers to take you directly to that store to ensure that you get your Points for your purchases.
Also, if you visit an online store that does not award you Points, Point Alert! will suggest similar online stores where you can get Points — and then redirect you to that store. You decide what to do. And you can turn Point Alert! off and on.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

As you can see, not only may your visitors be directed away from the click you just sent to your merchant you also lists in MyPoints shopping directory, they may also steal the traffic and send them to a competitor's site. Either way, you've lost your affiliate sale.

There are now over 200+ merchants in the MyPoints Shopping portal according to the MyPoints website. Here is a list of merchants:

1BookStreet
1800Contacts*
A&E
AKA Gourmet
Alibris
AllInk
Almond Plaza
Art Gazebo
Ashford
AutoAccessory
Avon
123 Posters
1-800-Flowers
AAA Fruitbaskets
Alfy.com*
All Books 4 Less
All Wine Baskets
AOL*
Art Inside
Audio Book ClubI
Autoparts Giant
Baby Age
Baby Oultel
Baby Songs
Baby Universe
Babystyle
Back Be Nimble
Bare Necessities
Bargain.com*
Barnes and Noble
Bass Pro Shops
Bath and Body
Bayberry Gifts
Beadroom
Big Dogs
Blair
Blinds Galore
Blue Nile
BMG Music Service*
Bluefly
Bodega Chocolates
Book Closeouts
Bose.com
Brylane Home
Buy.com
Buy and Hold
Cambridge Soundworks
Case Logic Direct
CCB Paris
Chadwick's
Checks in the Mail*
Chef's Catalog
Chiasso
Childcraft
Chocolate Source
Classic Closeouts
CloudWalkers
Collectibles Today
Colorado Pen Direct
Colorful Images
Columbia House*
Cooking.com
Crayola
Crossing Pointe
Customatix
Cutter and Buck
Dan's Chocolates
David's Cookies
DayTimer
Dell Small Business
Dell for Home
DERMAdoctor@
Dick's Sproting Goods
Discovery Online
Disney Store
DogToys
Domestications
Drugstore*
Duncraft
Dunham's Sport
DVD Planet
eBags
eBooks
Eddie Bauer
Eddie Bauer Outlet
Elisabeth
eToys
ExOffico
Eziba
Famous Footwear
Fannie May
Flaxart
Florist.com
Flowers USA
FogDog
FootSmart
Fossil
Twenieth Century
FragranceNet
Fox*
Frame Place
Franklin Covey*
FTD*
FreeBizMag*
FrontGate
GM Card*
Gallery Collection
GameStop
GAP
Gardener's Supply
Gardens Alive
GartSports
Gevalia
Gift Certificates
Gift Wrap
Giftbaskets
GigaGolf
Global Gallery
Goldenmine
Good Guys
Got Fruit
Gourment Giftmail
Great Buy USA
Greenfeet
Greenmarketplace
H&R Block
Hallmark
Hallmark Flowers*
Hammacher Schlemmer
Harry and David
HearthSong
Hickory Farms
Hilo Hattie
Home Marketplace
Homevisions
Hotwire*
IBM
Ice*
Illuminations
Iomega
JC Penney
JCPenney Pet Club*
JCrew
J.C.Whitney
Jackson and Perkins
Jewelry Web
Jessica London
Jiill
Joann.com
Johnston and Murphy
Joseph A. Bank
Journeys
KB Toys
Kenneth Cole
Kitchen Etc
La Parfumerie
LandscapeUSA
Leisure Plus*
LetsTalk.com*
Lillian Vernon
Limoges Jewelry
L.L.Bean
Linens 'n Things
Loralie
Magazine Mall*
Magellan's
Mars Music
Martha Stewart
MC Sports
Max Studio
Merlite Jewelry
Mikasa
Mission Orchards
Mothernature
Motorbooks
Motor Plus*
Mrs. Field's Cookies
MyPoints Free Biz Mag*
MyPoints Newsstand*
MypOint Software Outlet*
National Geographic
Netflix*
New Bargains
Newport News
Nirvana Chocolates
Nordstrom
Northern Tool
Office Depot
Office Depot*
Office Furniture
Old Navy
Omaha steaks*
One Step Ahead
Oriental Trading Company
Oshkosh B'Gosh
Oshman's
Outdoor Decor
Overton's
Pacific Sunwear
Palm
Palm Beach REsort
Partymart
Paul Fredrick
Payless ShoeSource
Performance Bike
Performance Products
Personal Creations
PetCo
PETsMART
Pfaelzer Brothers
PlanPlus*
Photo Alley
Post It
Poster Now
Print Pal
Publishers Pipeline
Quadratec
Rand McNally
Reading Glasses
RedEnvelope
Red Wagons
Reflect*
REI
Road Runner Sports
Ross Simons
Safety Zone
Samsonite
San Francisco Music Box Co
SeaBear Smokehouse
Sensational Beginnings
Sephora*
Service Master*
Sharper Image
Shoes.com
Shop Intel
Shat at Home TV
Silhouettes
Small Flower
SmartBargains*
Smarthome
Snapfish*
Snoopy Store
Sony Music Direct
Spawish
Spencer Gifts
Spiegel
SportMart
Sports Chalet
Stacks and Stacks
Stonewall Kitchen
StressLess
Sunglass Hut
Teacher Created Materials
Teamstore
Textbookx
The Company Store
The Container Store
The Golf Warehouse
The Popcorn Factory
The Sports Authority
The Sportsman's Guide
The Viatmin Shoppe
Things Remembered
Timberland
Tiny Monkey
Tom's of Maine
Totally Fun Toys
Tower Records
Travel Center*
Tupperware
Ulta
Uncommon Goods
Vans
Vermont Country Store
Visaprint*
VitaCost
Walmart
Watler Drake
Wick's End
Warrantybynet*
Windsor Vineyards
Wire-A-Cake
Woolrich
XOXO
YakPak
Yves Rocher
Zappos
Zirh
Zones
ZooBooks*

* These merchants offer special, higher
Point earning opportunities that
are not based on per-dollar-spending
and are not affiliated with other MyPoints
shopping! promotions.

I am not certain if the merchants with the * would show up on the Shopping Alert software. I would invite all merchants who are on this list to respond to this thread with an explanation as to their association with a program which is stealing earnings from their other affiliates. I all wonder about merchants paying to be in the MyPoints directory when at least some of the traffic being directed to them by MyPoints was obtained from an outside source (an affiliates website). This seems counterproductive to me. All responses from merchants are welcomed.

I am also compiling a list of other websites who use TopMoxie to power the same type of alert program for their rewards programs, and I will be posting those in the near future with the merchants who participate.

[MichaelColey]

I can't find the software on their site. Can someone point me in the right direction?

Michael Coley
Amazing-Bargains.com

[Kellie aka Ms. B]

Michael,

I can't give you a direct URL because you have to be logged in at My Points to get there. But log in, go to Earn Points --> Try It Out --> Next Page. It's on the second page of the Try it out section. It's called Points Alert.

Keep Your Hands Off My Cookies

[BareNecessities]

Hi everyone,

Bare Necessities began working with MyPoints, and EBates long before any of these new software applications began to proliferate.

In general, we do not have a problem with a site using an incentive based strategy to encourage repeat shoppers.

We do not want to see any of our partners using software that will directly or indirectly cause a consumer to make a purchase from them, as opposed to the partner that actually sent the consumer to our site.

At a minimum, we expect our partners to implement the changes that have been detailed in the Linkshare proposal.

We were told point blank that the TopMoxie product would not re-direct affiliate traffic, or write-over the affiliate code. We are evaluating whether or not the TopMoxie software application meets that minimum standard of compliance.

I DO UNDERSTAND that there are other issues to be considered, specifically whether or not these applications also flash/wave/beep and then cause the consumer to click through to the owner of the distributed product.

Please know that I am working to make the playing field fair and even for all our affiliates.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Michael

Michael
973-621-6211 x 5040
michael(at)barenecessities.com

[ecomcity]

Michael you can bet from the NY Times articles and others that TopMoxie has various version of their software in play. Seems like their programmer slipped and stated they are hijacking traffic to meet payroll and put money into user accounts. ( Nice spin on that line leeding readers to assume their CEO and investors aren't making the majority of the pilfered money).

If your a member of Shop.org please tell other merchants there about the issues and meeting and get them to post here. Incidently your well aware TopMoxie monitizes all URL links to your site from SE listings to e-mails. Is the extra commission rate you pay to Ebates, Mypoints and Iwon, when added to the fact they push your loss leaders, really worth it to your ROI? What happens if they impload and do not pay out rewards and incentives to their user base? Remember CyberRebates -Flooz and about 100 other incent and surf to earn sites who left angry consumers in their wake when closing down.

To see the effect of being totally parasite fee all we have to do is look at the TigerDirect stats. Conversion ratio 1 sale per 35 clicks in a very competitive category. OverStock, sitting on the fence, has creapt back up to 1 sale per 235 clicks on my traffic as all Dupers and parasites have a field day with their products..

WebMaster Mike

[This message was edited by EcomCity.com on October 10, 2002 at 12:02 PM.]

[BareNecessities]

Hi Mike,

Not only are we concerned about these types of applications affecting our affiliate partners, we are also VERY concerned about the use of these applications to monetize our other sales channel revenue.

If someone does not add value to the sales process, it is very difficult to understand why it would make sense to pay them a commission/toll on any sale.

At this point though, our number one concern is to make sure that any partner of ours adheres to the minimum standard proposed by Linkshare.

We'll look at the other issues once this first step is accomplished.

Thanks,
Michael

Michael
973-621-6211 x 5040
michael(at)barenecessities.com

[ecomcity]

Well Michael I'm still giving you the underwear exclusive on my sites and hope this Holiday sales season pushes nighties for some Christmas cheers.

WebMaster Mike

[BareNecessities]

Great Mike!

Don't forget to sign up for our 365 day cookie promotion. Details are in our forum under the appropriate thread.

Thanks,
Michael

Michael
973-621-6211 x 5040
michael(at)barenecessities.com