Ethical Dilemma in my head...

[bornstein75]

Hi Guys,

I just want to find out if anyone has ever promoted an affiliate product that they discovered wasn't the best product in the world and was a bit misleading.

I have set up a site and I have been heavily promoting a digital affiliate product. Then i decided to purchase the product for myself and do a screen video review of the product.

I discovered that the product wasn't the best, but I still went ahead with the review and made it sound like it was worth the investment...I pointed out the negatives which i learnt from Lynns article on how to write a review, but still I made the product sound good.

I'm kind of in an ethical dilemma in my mind, because I think what i have said is a bit misleading, but then again it seems like the only affiliate product of it's type in the niche I'm in, and so many other sites are also promoting it and saying it's good.

If there were better products out there to promote, I would probably change the product, but there doesn't seem to be anyhting as good or that pays as much commission.

There is a 100% money guranatee on the product, so I don't feel so guilty, but I kind of do.

Also I have referred to this product in most of my posts, so if I changed the product I was promoting, it would be a huge task to go through all my posts and change them all.

I guess my lesson is to review a product before I promote it throughtout my site...but then again, like I said it's one of the only ones out there of it's kind.

I'm not sure what to do.....has anyone had a similar experience?

Cheers.

[encsteph]

Would it be possible for you to create your own product in the same niche? Thereby alleviating all of your ethical concerns and potentially making your more profit since you get it to keep it all.

[yuri21]

Interesting. I'm an affiliate newbie here so just a thought: wouldn't you land into a lot of trouble should any disgruntled consumers band together and start targetting everyone who's promoting said product? In which case, wouldn't your reputation be tarnished, should word go out? In my honest opinions, most ethical dilemmas are created simply because someone let them come into existence. You can either step out of the market before you get into really bad trouble or maybe JV with someone(they create the product, you do all the marketing)?

I'm wondering what the rest will recommend/advise: put up disclaimers, abandon the market, or something else? Hmmm...

[bornstein75]

No, not really....as i don't know much about this niche....

Thanks for the suggestion.

[wade_watson]

Hmmm.... something smells like ClickBank around here. They have many great products, but sometimes it seems like those are the minority.

Is it truly a bad product or is it just your perspective? Can you check the refund rate or "Earned Per Sale" figure to see if it's getting a lot of returns. It could be that it's great for many of the market's demographic, but just doesn't compare well with products you've seen outside the niche. It might be the best of it's kind available (and still not look so hot).

If you're hoping to build any sort of reputation, it's probably not wise to endorse a product that looks bad to you, even if it sells. In the long run, trust will be worth more than the price of a product or two. And in order for you to be a trustworthy person, you've got to be able to speak honestly-- and be honest to yourself.

Wade

[bornstein75]

You've got it in one Wade...it's a Clickbank product.

Looks it's not terrible...The sales page is a bit misleading to what the actual product really is, and also most of the product is gathered documents from all around the web...it's not a product that has been created soley by the seller...so it looks a bit cheap once you are in having a look.

Also if I were to have bought the product becuase I was really wanting information in that niche, I would have been a little dissappointed myself, but still there are good things in the product as well that are of value, just not all of it.

To be honest, I'm not really passionate about the niche, but I still have set up this site to be informative and of value to the niche, which I believe I have achieved. I'm not too worried about building a reputation, as this is a site with a pen name and isn't my main core business.

I got this dilemma in my mind when i found another review on this product, and it was very negative...which made me realise that i sort of felt the same way, even though I went ahead and promoted it.

I wish i wasn't such an honest person...ha,ha...

Anyway, are there better affiliate sites out there to find better products than Clickbank?

Should I change my whole site and get rid of this product?

It's interesting that you said Wade, ' It could be that it's great for many of the market's demographic' - perhaps it is and I should just stick with it?

[constance]

I think you have to listen to the little voice in your head and figure out what to do so you can live with yourself. No one is going to say pull down your site. You have to look deep inside and decide that.

I really think affiliate marketing has the potential to be a slippery slope and there are many ethical decisions you have to make along the way. I'm fairly new at it too and many things about it make me feel uncomfortable. I'm seeking an honest path in this business and it's not always easy. Best of luck to you.

[bornstein75]

I've decicded to keep it up and continue with wat I am doing....my wife says i think and worry too much about things...ha,ha....I think she's right...:-)

[jkgourmet]

Y

I wish i wasn't such an honest person...ha,ha...

And I wish that there were more people who at least considered their personal honesty and integrity the way you do. If there were, IM would be a far better industry. Hell, it would be a far better country.

That said, and since you've asked for opinions, mine would be this: Only you can decide what feels like the right thing to do. Look at it as you would if you were the consumer. If you purchased this through your site, what would you say about the seller? Whatever the answer to that question is will tell you what to do.

Whatever your decision, I personally respect and commend you for thinking about it.

[David Jackson]

I discovered that the product wasn't the best, but I still went ahead with the review and made it sound like it was worth the investment. I'm kind of in an ethical dilemma in my mind, because I think what i have said is a bit misleading.

The solution is simple:

DON"t EVER PROMOTE ANYTHING YOU DON'T BELIEVE In 100%.

David Jackson