Someone changed my referral codes

Hi all,

I have noticed my referral codes (e.g. Amex, Hey you, cashrewards, groupon, etc…) that I have entered to Ozbargain referral wiki routinely changed to something else. That's why I have never received any referral bonuses.

Some of the sites have random referral scheme and I have got quite a few clicks on them. But, the bonuses for those clicks have all gone to the people who have changed my codes to those of themselves.

I once sent a message to a moderator and raised a complaint but nothing happened.

Have you received any referral bonus through ozbargain? Have you checkedyour codes and they are still correct?


Mod: No links are changed on OzBargain. No one else has access to your referral codes. See explanation

closed Comments

  • +2

    I don't think anyone will remember there referral codes. Not bothered to check if my changed. Someone else check?

    Mods probably have something better to do than this.

    • Agreed.. hard to check. I only randomly checked twice in 6 months and my codes were wrong both times!

      • +1

        Btw, you might want to change the title.

  • -4

    booohooo

    • +16

      who me ?
      what you taking about ? tuzil

      • +6

        youre boo hoo not booohooo

  • yeah "It allows me to seriously aggravate a situation without actually changing the course of history." quote (Men at Work 1990 movie)

  • Maybe the sugar fairy changed your codes :)

  • +2

    If this is actually happening and not some glitch, it's quite bad.

    • -1

      sharks patrol these waters

    • Not a glitch. User is confused with the American Express URL structure. See below.

  • My kogan one has been used a few times…..

    Noticed my cashrewards one didn't match up. Wonder if cashrewards changed it?

    • Yeah my cashrewards was changed to something like euLY4..

    • Yes, Cashrewards have changed all of their referral codes.

      • +1

        Thanks mod… Would be handy if they told us users that!

        • I also suspect there are stores who actively block referrals from OzBargain. ING certainly do and go as far as mention OzBargain by name in their referral emails. This is why ING referrals are done by PM.

      • Is there a way to make an announcement (or invalidate all the old codes) so that people know to go in and update theirs?

        P.s. Booking.com's seem to have changed too

  • +2

    Your referral codes are in user settings. How can someone change it unless they know your login details.

  • +3

    Why are you accusing the mods?

  • +3

    You're in luck, there's some hats on special at Coles

    • +2

      So now I can make my own hat? Isn't science wonderful?

  • Ozbargain referral wiki

    For clarity, the wiki was retired a couple of years ago and replaced with an automated referral system. This can be found in My Account - Edit - Referrals. The ONLY people with access to the referral links are moderators and the account holder. No one else has access. And no, moderators are not acting fraudulently and changing links.

    I once sent a message to a moderator and raised a complaint but nothing happened.

    You contacted us via the contact link with the following message on October 5, 6:45 PM :

    Hi

    Someone with authoritative access to referral systems for Amex essential card has changed my referral ID to 100199915. I changed it back, but this is disgusting. Before I make it public, would you please investigate?

    Regards,
    Superready

    We responded to please use the Talk with a Moderator forum as that is the appropriate place. You never did so.

    To explain,

    American Express Links look like this (ignore the space)

    http:// amex.com.au/refer/name

    Sometimes they look like this http:// amex.com.au/refer/name?CPID=100291815

    The important part is the name and is what Amex uses for the referral. If I go to My American Express Account, my referral link is just the name so CPID is not needed. CPID is not the referral, it's the name parameter. The CPID, whereever you are getting it from keeps changing. The one currently in your account is CPID=100291815 last updated in October. As you can see it is different again.

    Additionally referral links change from time to time. For example, Booking.com changed their links.

    We just noticed that Cashrewards changed their referral codes as the one in my OzBargain account is different from the one on CR's site. Everyone should check this one.

    • +4

      Wow. Seems that supeready was ready to go on the offensive to name and shame. Guess he/she is probably feeling a wee bit silly now. Lesson learnt!

    • +4

      I love you.

    • -6

      Wow, you publicly posted a private message to the moderators. Just wow.

      • wow

      • +1

        In response to a smear ("Ozbargain moderators (or persons of high level access) routinely change my referral codes") and because it contained no private information, I don't have a problem with them setting the record straight.

      • Long standing UseNet protocol - and the Web you are using is a very large tail on the UseNet dog. Emails and private messages can be quoted to rectify any misinterpretation or misrepresentation on the part of the original sender. The sender holds copyright [regardless of Alphabet/FaceBook/Microsoft's ambit claims] but the recipient has the right to fair use.

        • interesting thanks

    • +4

      waiting for OP to come back with a reply or an apology.

      • +5

        OP should be placed in penalty bin

    • +6

      God it’s sexy when mods call people out on their BS. We need to be able to upvote this.

  • -8

    What the hell is going on in here?

    I am not apologising for anything. I haven't accused anyone. It is a systen that is wrong. As you can see from neil comment (thanks neil) I had this problem 6 months ago and I had it now too.

    Good thing for you bystanders to benefit from my post and go and check/change your cashrewards code (thank me later). What utterly stupid comments from some folks.

    So, out of my 5-6 codes, one was changed by CR (?), one was hidden at the request, one was confusing, and 3 changes are still unexplained. That is why I posted this as a question, only for morons to take joy in blaming me.

    • +2

      I once sent a message to a moderator and raised a complaint but nothing happened.

      Which you were called out on:

      You contacted us via the contact link with the following message on 10/5/17, 6:45 PM
      We responded to please use the Talk with a Moderator forum as that is the appropriate place. You never did so.

      • -2

        I cannot trace that communication from mods that's why I thought nothing happened. Neil didn't provide evidence of their message.

        • But did for the message from my part.

        • Especially because this referral code changes seem to be a "known issue" one would expect they would quickly refer me to one of the links in neil message above. Hence this post was totally reasonable from my side. Nothing extraordinary or dramatic or bs.

        • Neil didn't provide evidence of their message.

          email

          My response was sent by email on October 6 at 4:39PM. They should come from OzBargain Support <[email protected]>. I'll send another message at the end of the thread, that should pull up the threaded email (dependent on your email provider). Let me know if you receive it.

          EDIT: Dates are written backwards.

        • +2

          @superready: You're digging a deeper hole mate.

        • @Ryanek: Are you a judge? :P

        • +1

          @Ryanek: I asked for evidence and neil kindly sent it to me so what is this comment for?

        • +4

          @superready:

          Someone with authoritative access to referral systems for Amex essential card has changed my referral ID. Before I make it public, would you please investigate

          Accusations and threats. A friendly and courteous message to the mods would have been a better approach I think.

        • @Ryanek:

          OP is too emotionally violated by this ENORMOUS BLUNDER to be acting with such tact

    • +6

      OP quoted

      I am not apologising for anything. I haven't accused anyone.

      Op put

      Title: Ozbargain moderators (or persons of high level access) routinely change my referral codes

    • "If you run into an (profanity) in the morning, you ran into an (profanity). If you run into assholes all day, you're the (profanity)." -Raylan Givens, Justified

      • How many are you?

  • I should also add the Groupon referral links change EVERY TIME you click on Get Link. Try it out. Get link, copy link, go back, click get link. Link is different.

    So to sum up, AMEX CPID changes often but has no affect your referrals, Groupon changes every time, Cashrewards has changed in the past few months.

    • My cash rewards link is the same?

      • We're still investigating with Cashrewards. Seems some time between April and November the links were changed.

        • I meant it's still the same on the CR site. So maybe not all have been changed or mine hasn't been changed yet.

  • Saucy.

  • Have you received any referral bonus through ozbargain? Have you checkedyour codes and they are still correct?

    No :(

    Yes :)

  • -1

    I am now questioning why a mod would reveal my message to public.. Very unprofessional! I will be sending emails hopefully other mods will pick up and investigate internally.

    • -1

      There was no need for posting my message for shams like Ryanek or phocus start judging me.

    • +3

      Very unprofessional!

      Not even remotely unprofessional. You made it public after avoiding a TWAM.

      Before I make it public, would you please investigate?

    • +1

      Thats not gonna happen buddy, let it go and try not to worry too much about the pressure, you brought up a valid point, it has not been fully resolved, but the mob is gonna get ya, so logout and chill a while.

    • Maybe they logged in as you and started this forum topic so they could eventually share it so everyone could see that you didn't use TWAM as instructed?

  • -1

    Hopefully neil's next step isn't revealing my identity.

    • Are you Donald Trump?

      • +1

        Not but may be Ivanka?

  • OK, as the issue (or non-issue) has been resolved. Thread closed. Please continue any issues you have with referrals (especially changes to links) in the referral discussion thread.

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