| Summary: The Jerusalem Post's
jpost.com web site displayed a modified Amazon.com ad, The ad was presumably
modified by someone at the Jerusalem Post. Some people became upset at
Amazon.com prompting a boycott call against Amazon.com for taking sides in
Israeli politics. Amazon.com, however, did not authorize the ad modification.
The boycott call is therefore unwarranted. Additionally, the ad problem has
since been resolved. |
| |
| Boycott Watch therefore is calling this a false
boycott. |
| |
| ----- Background ------ |
| |
| Ads that appear on web sites are
often part of affiliate programs that return commissions to the ad hosts if you
click on the ad and then buy something. Affiliate programs are a nice and easy
way to obtain income from your web site. Boycott Watch displays affiliate ads
on our web site as well, as this is how we cover our expenses. |
| |
| By joining an affiliate program, one
agrees to the terms of the program agreement. The guidelines generally include
provisions that require the advertiser to use the ads as presented as is
without modification. |
| |
| ----- Conclusion ------ |
| |
| The Jerusalem Post modified an
Amazon.com affiliate program ad and posted it on their web site in violation of
the program rules. Amazon.com requested the Jerusalem Post to remove the
modified ad, but that did not happen. As a result, Amazon.com closed the
account per the program rules. |
| |
| Boycott Watch emailed the Jerusalem
Post regarding this but did not receive a reply. |
| |
| Boycott Watch spoke to an Amazon.com
representative. We were told that the Jerusalem Post did in fact modify an
Amazon.com ad without permission and posted it on their website, www.jpost.com.
We did not, however, see the ad ourselves. Amazon.com has had other problems
within their affiliate program, but this is not a surprise considering the
program has more than 800,000 members. Amazon.com declined to mention any
statistics or number of problems. |
| |
| ----- Amazon.com's Comments: ------ |
| |
| Thanks for writing to the Amazon.com
Associates Program. |
| |
| The web site, www.jpost.com, was just
one of over 800,000 members of the Amazon.com Associates Program. Associates
post links to Amazon.com on their sites in exchange for a small percentage of
the sales that result when their visitors follow these special links to place
an order with us. |
| |
| Amazon.com does not endorse the point
of view of any of our Associates. Nor would we consider ourselves their
sponsors. Our Associates include web sites representing all sides of nearly
every important political and social issue. |
| |
| However, we did find that the
Jerusalem Post was describing our relationship in a way that could cause
confusion. As a result, we requested that they update their messaging to more
accurately reflect the nature of their membership in the Associates Program.
Unfortunately, they have chosen not to comply with these terms and we had no
choice but to close down their account. |
| |
| Thanks again for contacting us
regarding this site. We appreciate your interest in Amazon.com |
| |
| ----- End Of Amazon.com's Comments: ------ |
| |
| ----- Boycott Watch Closing Comments:
------ |
| |
| Boycott Watch believes this was blown
out of proportion. This problem was resolved between the two parties in a short
time period. The boycott call was reactionary since the Amazon.com position was
well known to the boycotters and the Amazon.com reply was rational, yet the
boycott call was aimed at Amazon.com for some undeterminable reason. |
| |
| Boycott Watch therefore is calling
this a false boycott. |
| |
| |
| (below is an example of
an affiliate program ad. As stated above, we display affiliate ads
too) |
