Ethics In The Adult Industry? Do They Exist?

[realtoughbear]

Most people care about the bottom line. Period.

When you talk about ethics, you need to talk about ethics to both other webmasters and customers. Some do one better than the other.

Just look at Jasun's post earlier where he mentioned most people take the $5 more non recurring option and join again. Is this ethically right to the affiliate who sent the member? You mentioned shaving. This is worse than shaving, yet the company is probably not even aware to many it is ethically wrong. Now my ethics maybe different than others as you stated.

[Lee]

Most people care about the bottom line. Period.

When you talk about ethics, you need to talk about ethics to both other webmasters and customers. Some do one better than the other.

Just look at Jasun's post earlier where he mentioned most people take the $5 more non recurring option and join again. Is this ethically right to the affiliate who sent the member? You mentioned shaving. This is worse than shaving, yet the company is probably not even aware to many it is ethically wrong. Now my ethics maybe different than others as you stated.

Would you rather no option with no rebilling and lose a sale?

Its catch 22 really, you either make a sale from one of those surfers who dont like rebills or, you dont, id rather take the money from 1 join and no rebills than no money at all and waste a paying surfer.

If you dont like the join options, dont send traffic, thats your choice to make.

Regards,

Lee

[realtoughbear]

I would rather have it be my choice. It is my traffic. And I have run enough paysites to know the game. I also know that once you hit 20+ as the starting point for a membership, it makes little difference.

In my example I gave, the affilaite gets 12.50, the website $88.

So would I rather lose a sale here and there to get a recurring member. You bet your ass I would....

[Lee]

I would rather have it be my choice. It is my traffic. And I have run enough paysites to know the game. I also know that once you hit 20+ as the starting point for a membership, it makes little difference.

In my example I gave, the affilaite gets 12.50, the website $88.

So would I rather lose a sale here and there to get a recurring member. You bet your ass I would....

You have a choice though...

Send traffic. Dont send traffic.

Your choice doesnt really get any more complicated than that $0.02

Regards,

Lee

[realtoughbear]

[QUOTE=Lee;159685]

If you dont like the join options, dont send traffic, thats your choice to make.
/QUOTE]

I agree. I wont. I think it's ethically wrong.

[Jasun]

I don't see how it's ethically wrong...

we're not lying to them, and in fact, we'd rather they buy the cheaper, recurring membership.. they're more likely to stay.

We'd rather they didn't buy the non-recurring membership, but we offer it to them anyway. The customer is completely aware that they're paying an extra five dollars for the comvienience of not having to bother canceling the membership at the end of the month... some are nervous that even if they DO choose to cancel their membership, it will continue to rebill.

We have never lied to our customers or even tried to sway them one way or the other..

I'm completely confused as to why you think it's unethical to offer customers more choices for billing. We also offer a membership that's $60 for three months that will rebill at a lower rate than the one month recurring.

You have a problem with THAT too?

:catfight:






HOWEVER.. What I DO find unethical are companies that lie to their models about what kind of work they'll be expected to do.. who they're modelling for.. what the clientele of the site is..

[gaybucks_chip]

I don't see how it's ethically wrong...

I think realtoughbear's viewpoint is a minority view. Affiliates can vote with their traffic, and if they don't like sites offering nonrecurring memberships, they don't have to send traffic there. But I think most sites do offer them now... this may be another byproduct of higher VOD usage, where customers are starting to think in a pay-as-you-go mode rather than a membership mode. I haven't heard any other affiliates complain about this, and like Fratmen, we also offer high-dollar signups with cheap recurring memberships, as well as high-dollar *nonrecurring* memberships... and our affiliates seem to like them, because a lot of our members seem to join at the $40 and up membership levels.

HOWEVER.. What I DO find unethical are companies that lie to their models about what kind of work they'll be expected to do.. who they're modelling for.. what the clientele of the site is..

Totally agree, and sadly, it's all too common.

[realtoughbear]

I don't see how it's ethically wrong...

we're not lying to them, and in fact, we'd rather they buy the cheaper, recurring membership.. they're more likely to stay.

We'd rather they didn't buy the non-recurring membership, but we offer it to them anyway. The customer is completely aware that they're paying an extra five dollars for the comvienience of not having to bother canceling the membership at the end of the month... some are nervous that even if they DO choose to cancel their membership, it will continue to rebill.

We have never lied to our customers or even tried to sway them one way or the other..

I'm completely confused as to why you think it's unethical to offer customers more choices for billing. We also offer a membership that's $60 for three months that will rebill at a lower rate than the one month recurring.

You have a problem with THAT too?

:catfight:






HOWEVER.. What I DO find unethical are companies that lie to their models about what kind of work they'll be expected to do.. who they're modelling for.. what the clientele of the site is..

No. I only have a problem with a company that offers say a $5 increase in price to get them to signup to a non recurring option. Then comes on the board and brags about how many surfers take it, then rejoin again. Why not make is $10 difference? Or set the cookie for a longer period of time so the affiliate gets credit for it?

[Jasun]

No. I only have a problem with a company that offers say a $5 increase in price to get them to signup to a non recurring option. Then comes on the board and brags about how many surfers take it, then rejoin again. Why not make is $10 difference? Or set the cookie for a longer period of time so the affiliate gets credit for it?

I have to say that I DO like the cookie being set longer, and maybe that's something we'll look at. :baa:

[Squirt]

No. I only have a problem with a company that offers say a $5 increase in price to get them to signup to a non recurring option. Then comes on the board and brags about how many surfers take it, then rejoin again. Why not make is $10 difference? Or set the cookie for a longer period of time so the affiliate gets credit for it?

I've worked side by side with John Marsh at Fratmen.com and have known him for over 6 years now. People here can count on one hand the people I've recommended working with in this industry and John Marsh is at the top of my list.

If it's going to make affiliates happy and not severly cut into his bottom line, John will do it. John is in no way out to screw people over. Johns out to make a top notch product and do good business and he's doing a damn good job at both.