How to avoid a fraud when buying a website?
Posted By admin on September 2, 2008
Troubles a buyer may run into: You are given the Admin data to log into the affiliate program which also violates the TOS. You log in and make changes in the Payee/Ownership of the account to make it your own. You think that’s it? Not so fast! Unfortunately, it isn’t. The affiliate program puts the account on hold and income drops to zero or you are required to reapply. If you decide to reapply then the next bunch of questions are: Does the site still comply? Is the affiliate program still interested in the type of site you just purchased?
Troubles a seller may run into: You have forgotten to notify your Affiliate program about the sale, therefore you may be deprived of all your income. The deal should include terms and a condition that the seller is obliged to notify all Affiliate programs of the sale and that the buyer will reapply.
Why purchase a site which is cheating? Forums are filled these kind of deals. The buyer must thoroughly examine the website in question and make himself certain that each and every Affiliate Program established on the site or which has ever produced revenue is in compliance with the letter and intent of the Affiliate programs regulations.
When you first see a sale, start with running a Whois search and carefully examine the owner. If the seller is not the same owner as showed in the Whois database leave and do not buy that site. If there is a change in ownership in Whois during the sale, this should be alarming. Audit the sale by sending an email to the address showed in the Whois database and ask for a response from the same email account. If it bounces or you do not receive a response, leave and do not buy this site. You would be amazed by the enormous number of fraudsters attempting to sell websites which they do not own.
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