Whoa doggy!!

> You're on click bank right now. But what is in
> the address bar?

Oh my! I KNEW THAT!! It was one of the **SELLING POINTS** of the program!

You know, I thought maybe I was just so stupid that I didn't notice a warning in the instructions, but I think not. Here is a direct quote from the book that came with it:

"If I was promoting the Free Advertising System through a Clickbank "hoplink" then I would enter the following link ino the SHIELDED URL section...

"http://hop.clickbank.net/?thevault/etc."

I'm sorry, but I don't think that's an accident. I don't see how someone can be smart enough to figure all this out and dumb enough to forget to warn people that the link won't work everywhere. I mean, I know some people who ONLY do affiliate programs that run through Clickbank!

> I haven't played with too many of them. I just use .htacces for myself.

Then that's what I'll do.

Am I understanding this?

The ONLY thing that happens is they click and are sent to a page on your own site (which they never see) which then redirects them to your PROPER affiliate link, so it IS meeting the requirement of opening a "top level window" or however they put it -- in other words, it opens a brand new, fresh clean window just like your affiliate link plus target="_blank" would do, OR it opens your PROPER affiliate link in the same window if you don't use "target" --

but in either case, the result is EXACTLY the same as if you just typed in your affiliate link and let it show, right?

> I think the sale probably went to the owner of the program you promoted.
> After all... you were in the wrong with an illegal link.

That's okay.

What I didn't want -- and the fear that's been eating away at me almost since I started using the program -- was for the person who created the program to be stealing my sales. I'm not implying that was happening or even that such a thing is possible -- just that it was a concern I've had since day one because I don't understand how these things work.

> Yes, I just added his name to a private list I keep.

Being the tactful person I am, I won't ask if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

I will say, however, that this felt sleazy to me from the git-go (but did I listen to myself? No-o-o-o-o-o-o...

The program comes with an ebook.

The first few pages are instructions for the program (which comes with automatic resale rights) -- then of course you click on the "here's how you can make more money" link and you get a big pitch about why you should have this book customized with all your affiliate links (bzillions of them) so you can start raking in the bucks with this great book as the pitch for all those products.

The catch is, you have to pay $67 for the privilege -- and I said to myself, "Self, if I do this, the ONLY person benefitting over the long haul will be Jimmy himself, because you would have to be a total idiot to think anyone who gets this book is going to buy any of the products from you when they can pay a one-time $67 and buy from themselves."

True, you get the commission for when the person who bought the program pays their $67, but it seems to me the buck stops there.

I could be wrong about this whole thing -- in fact, that's a distinct possibility, because there are TONS of people who bit; I can't believe the sites that are offering this piece of crapola -- but it makes no sense to me. I'm not saying it's shady -- only that it sure isn't going to be the great money-maker he implies unless I'm missing something really obvious.

> Well, you know... I don't claim to be the brightest crayon in the package,
> but unless someone would care to enlighten me... I would say, "If it
> walks like a duck..."

it sh*** like duck.

Well damn!!

He covers his hind end well (not that I would take any action anyway because I have no clue how much I might have lost -- off the top of my head, I would guess at least five Corey sales by this time of the month, likely a few more).

Once a sucker always a sucker I guess. I thought all the legal disclaimers seemed a little odd...

Thanks again for saving my skin!!

Luv,