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Schroder
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Joined: 26 Oct 2007
Posts: 6716 | TRs | Pics
Location: on the beach |
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Schroder
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 Thu Jan 19, 2023 8:45 am |
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IanB
Vegetable Belayer
Joined: 21 Jul 2010
Posts: 1061 | TRs | Pics
Location: gone whuljin' |
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IanB
Vegetable Belayer
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Thu Jan 19, 2023 9:37 am |
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They did almost nothing to make shoppers aware of smile, and then if you wanted to use it you had to always check that you hadn't accidentally redirected back to the regular site. And then they decide it hasn't caught on the way they had hoped. 
"Forget gaining a little knowledge about a lot and strive to learn a lot about a little." - Harvey Manning
"Forget gaining a little knowledge about a lot and strive to learn a lot about a little." - Harvey Manning
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Cyclopath
Faster than light
Joined: 20 Mar 2012
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Location: Seattle |
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Cyclopath
Faster than light
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Thu Jan 19, 2023 2:59 pm |
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I have read that the purpose of Amazon Smile was to get customers to go directly to Amazon instead of googling it and clicking the ad. It was a cost saving measure.
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Anne Elk
BrontosaurusTheorist
Joined: 07 Sep 2018
Posts: 2419 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle |
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Anne Elk
BrontosaurusTheorist
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Thu Jan 19, 2023 3:37 pm |
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| Schroder wrote: | | No more donations through purchases to NWHikers or your favorite small charity |
Actually I don't think that's accurate. NWHikers is an "associate"; the "Smile" program targeted charitable organizations ie, 501(c)3 's.
I thought Amazon's reasoning was pretty lame. The charity I was supporting by logging into smile.amazon area (Best Friends Animal Society) was getting quite a bit of loot thru that program. So what if there were lots of other charities that got small amounts. Why is "Impact" the point? I thought the point was that Amazon shoppers could make the choice, and feel good about directing a % of their purchase wherever they wanted. I think Amazon just didn't want to run the program any longer because of administrative costs. I fired off a note to Jeff @ amazon dot com and said so, FWIW.
"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
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Tom
Admin
Joined: 15 Dec 2001
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Tom
Admin
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Thu Jan 19, 2023 3:49 pm |
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Correct, I don't think this impacts us (yet). I'm disqualified from using our links so had been using smile to support Seattle Mountain Rescue. Quite honestly it's better to use affiliate links to support your favorite program as I believe smile is only a fraction of affiliate payout rates.
 Josh Journey
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Anne Elk
BrontosaurusTheorist
Joined: 07 Sep 2018
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Location: Seattle |
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Anne Elk
BrontosaurusTheorist
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Thu Jan 19, 2023 4:06 pm |
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^^^^ Well there ya go. If the rates had been the same, there would have been more "impact". It wouldn't surprise if the affiliate program is the next thing they axe. 
"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
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Tom
Admin
Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 17851 | TRs | Pics
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Tom
Admin
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Thu Jan 19, 2023 6:44 pm |
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The affiliate program is very generous. I haven't looked in a while but I think it averages around 4% per purchase. It's really just there to pay the bills. MCaver and I have always felt it important to keep this site free of ads or influence having no desire to profit from it, and I try my best to avoid posting amazon links in posts unless I otherwise would have (the site automatically adds our affiliate ID to any amazon links posted, and if you click on the shop link at the top of the screen the site will benefit from any eligible purchase you make at amazon).
I don't know why Amazon pays out such high affiliate rates given they have a monopoly on online sales. I don't shop anywhere else online unless it's not offered on Amazon or the price is significantly better elsewhere. It's hard to beat the free / fast delivery if you have prime. A few years ago a friend added me to their prime account so get the free shipping / streaming prime benefits for free: See here:
https://www.androidpolice.com/share-amazon-prime-account-household-friends-family/
Anne Elk
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Kim Brown
Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2009
Posts: 6899 | TRs | Pics
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| IanB wrote: | | They did almost nothing to make shoppers aware of smile, and then if you wanted to use it you had to always check that you hadn't accidentally redirected back to the regular site. |
The charitable organizations are the ones supposed to promote their Smile Links. The one I use got a nice bit of dough from it. But yeah, you'd have to check on it occasionally; it may be that with each security patch you got knocked off the link and had to be sure to redirect it. NOt sure, I'm just making stuff up.
"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area."
Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area."
Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
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Anne Elk
BrontosaurusTheorist
Joined: 07 Sep 2018
Posts: 2419 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle |
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Anne Elk
BrontosaurusTheorist
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Fri Jan 20, 2023 10:53 am |
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^^^All you had to do at the outset was type in the URL address line: smile.amazon.com.
"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
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IanB
Vegetable Belayer
Joined: 21 Jul 2010
Posts: 1061 | TRs | Pics
Location: gone whuljin' |
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IanB
Vegetable Belayer
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Fri Jan 20, 2023 12:06 pm |
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It's moot because smile is almost over, but I always had a tab for it open in my browser and periodically (for no clear reason) it would find it's way back to being regular Amazon.
"Forget gaining a little knowledge about a lot and strive to learn a lot about a little." - Harvey Manning
"Forget gaining a little knowledge about a lot and strive to learn a lot about a little." - Harvey Manning
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