A new competition site launched on Webgains this week called Xopic. It’s the usual ask users for details, give them a chance to sign up for offers and perhaps win a prize when it closes in 12 months time type prize draw. We added the competition to Loquax with a perhaps somewhat less than flattering description of what’s on offer.

Xopic are giving you the chance to win a Sony 52in HDTV! All you have to do is sign up your name, details, life story and then suffer pages of offers from other sites that would like your marketing data in return for free stuff, phone calls and newsletters

On reflection it’s a bit harsh and perhaps as an affiliate I should have been singing the praises of the site instead – but this was the first impression formed when looking at the site, entering my email (which they immediately sent an automated reply out too), and seeing what’s on offer. We’ve already seen the likes of Primeq, who used to offer long closing date competitions, disappear having collected loads of data – so these kind of sites don’t rate highly.

Why list them though?

Well our users still come across competitions we don’t list – like the 2 minute draw – and they want to enter them and they want to tell others about them. It’s therefore easier for us to just list stuff and add our own opinion as a guide.

The description didn’t effect clickthroughs though, although conversion was around 6%!

Anyway around about 2am this morning we had a phone call. Now I don’t know about other people, but late night calls create a bit of a panic. Fortunately for the caller they’d left a message and rung off before I could reach the phone. The caller was Kalim from Xopic, not too happy about the description.

In fact so annoyed was Kalim that he emailed me at 1.37am asking to discuss the listing, followed by a second email at 2.02am asking for it to be removed.

Now had we received just the first email, the listing would have been changed as yes I’m happy to admit it wasn’t the most flattering description.

However, I’m not sure what Kalim expects from his affiliates but affiliate things don’t happen instantly and not in the early hours of a Saturday morning. Most certainly phoning an affiliate at that time is bloody annoying to the extreme.

So goodbye Xopic, I’m out! And not only will my users know what I think of your website, other affiliates will now be aware of you too.

So the listing has gone and I’ve left the program. On reflection the description could have been less harsh, but just because a site is paying for leads doesn’t mean my opinion or impression I offer my users should be any different. These kind of competitions aren’t there to give stuff away, they’re there to collect data and promote lead gen stuff – which results in freebies, phone calls and newsletters.

Phoning me at 2am in the morning, however, is not the way to change my opinion.

Update: This matter has now been resolved!

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