Affiliates signing up using cash checking services

[IntenseCash.com]

I ran into this problem where all these checks were going out to Dean Arrow & Assoc, LLC. I found out this is a check cashing service in Colorado. I have a bunch of affiliates using this service but it just seems fishy. The check cashing service has all their info on our site they cash the check and then send the funds to the webmasters overseas. The cash checking service even has their tax id in there. It is making it very hard to track the affiliates since all these checks are going to one company and they are distributing it from there. Anyone else sending checks to Dean Arrow? Is this legal?

Thanks,
Mark

[JustMe]

Greetings:

Be VERY VERY careful. I ran this by my finance guy, and he's telling me that this is one of several VERY common ways for people/companies to launder money.

I obviously can't say for sure that's what's going on here, and it may very well be legit, but I'd be sure your TOS and other legal docs are up to par.

[Lee]

Id have to agree with JustMe this sounds like a laundering method that could end you up in a heap of trouble.

Id make sure you didnt send checks out like that. Better safe than sorry

Regards,

Lee

[zentz]

sounds like someone is avoiding taxes ))

[crescentx]

sounds like someone is avoiding taxes ))

This is why as an affiliate prog it is imp to have something like:

5. Relationship of Parties. You and COMPANY are independent contractors, and nothing in this Agreement will create any partnership, joint venture, agency, franchise, sales representative, or employment relationship between the parties. You have no authority to make or accept any offers or representations on our behalf. You will not make any statement, whether on your site(s) or otherwise, that reasonably would contradict anything in this Section. You are not an agent of the COMPANY and COMPANY expressly disclaims responsibility for any conduct by you in violation of the terms of this Agreement.

IMO, opinion check cashing services are like any other tool. They can be used for legitimate reasons - i.e., wife doesn't know husband has lost his job and he doesn't want her seeing checks from porn companies in his account - or bad ones. If you have suspicions, it is easy enough to watch specific affiliates who have "stellar" sales suddenly and disable them.

-doug