Shop42a or Amazonsmile?

[BillnotBob]

I was reading in a recent thread about Shop42a supporting the CalGuns legal team, and was wondering if it is better than using Amazonsmile? (I have it set to support the CRPA), or maybe do both?

[justjeff]

Shop42a has greater returns than smile

[BillnotBob]

Thank you for the reply and help.

[bentbiker]

I was just advised by a couple of confused cust svc personnel at Amazon that it appears my purchases using shop42a are not resulting in any contribution to Calguns Fdn and I should use the Smile portal. Lots of money may be being wasted/lost.

[mnichols]

Make sure you use shop42a.com every time, even when adding products to you cart to return to purchase later.

[noylj]

What are you folks talking about?
shop42a simply takes me to Amazon.
Amazon smile I see makes charitable donations, but I wonder how politically correct they need to be?

[stilly]

Yeah, Shop42a.com does take you to amazon, but if you look at the links/addresses, there is a CGF or something calguns related in there so it should be making the connection.

I shopped 42a today and hopefully it DID go there.

[Garv]

PM CGer wildhawker for more info, but shop42a is the way to go.

Edit: http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=505057

[Toolbox X]

Shop42a.com donates up to 15%, while Smile only donates 1 or 2%, I believe. Use shop42a whenever possible.

[pacrat]

I Use "Shop42A"

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=108030

[Odd_Ball]

I was just advised by a couple of confused cust svc personnel at Amazon that it appears my purchases using shop42a are not resulting in any contribution to Calguns Fdn and I should use the Smile portal. Lots of money may be being wasted/lost.

Yeah, Shop42a.com does take you to amazon, but if you look at the links/addresses, there is a CGF or something calguns related in there so it should be making the connection.

I shopped 42a today and hopefully it DID go there.

Bentbiker, how did you confirm with cust service? I would like to know also.

Every time I use 42A, I always wonder whether it really works.

The first page has a "calguns" reference in the url, but then as you complete your purchase there are no more url or any other 42A/calguns references anywhere else. At least none that I've noticed.

There should be some kind of 42A indication on the final confirmation page or somewhere just to know that it worked.

[bentbiker]

Bentbiker, how did you confirm with cust service? I would like to know also.

Every time I use 42A, I always wonder whether it really works.

The first page has a "calguns" reference in the url, but then as you complete your purchase there are no more url or any other 42A/calguns references anywhere else. At least none that I've noticed.

There should be some kind of 42A indication on the final confirmation page or somewhere just to know that it worked.

I went to the "Contact" page of Amazon Local and asked about contributions for both Amazon Local and Amazon.com . Within a few minutes, I received an email saying Local does not currently make contributions and she'd forward my question to the appropriate dept at Amazon.com. Almost immediately, I got a response from Amazon.com and it seemed to contradict itself about whether it was necessary after choosing CGF to continue entering the site via the shop42a portal. When asked to answer a 5-question questionnaire as to whether I was satisfied with the response to my inquiry, and saying no, I was offered a callback. I clicked OK for the callback and the phone rang within 2 seconds. I don't think the person had ever heard of shop42a and began telling me I had to order through the Smile portal to get the .5% charitable contribution. I didn't remember anything about a Smile portal, but eventually found the info on the Amazon site and noted that I was signed up there for NRA contributions. Now I was totally confused and went through another questionnaire and phone call. This time I asked the rep whether he was able to see whether my orders were indeed generating contributions for CGF. He said that not only could he see when contributions were made for an order, but I should also be able to see them at checkout. However, again, he was talking about Smile and admitted that he wasn't 100% sure what the deal was for shop42a. He said he saw no evidence on my orders that there had been any kind of contribution to CGF. When again prompted for a questionnaire, I just commented that this was all quite confusing and unnecessarily complicated . . . once I picked a "charity", all orders, regardless of entry via a special portal, should receive the contribution.

[stilly]

Bentbiker, how did you confirm with cust service? I would like to know also.

Every time I use 42A, I always wonder whether it really works.

The first page has a "calguns" reference in the url, but then as you complete your purchase there are no more url or any other 42A/calguns references anywhere else. At least none that I've noticed.

There should be some kind of 42A indication on the final confirmation page or somewhere just to know that it worked.

THAT is what I have always seen. It makes it kind of hard to determine whether or not it is working, but I figured it was going on behind the scene, but I never knew that I should be seeing contributions.

Maybe some democrap got ahold of things and is having all of the CGF cuts get portaled over to the mylittlebrony portal instead... That would irritate me greatly to think that I spent money at Shop42A over Fleabay just to help out CGF and in reality it did nothing. We should look into this.

Oh wait. I mean, CG should look into this... I am not a part of any teams here, just a user. An expert user who knows everything and charges for services and advice.

[ke6guj]

shop42a.com is an affilate link.

https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/

you can see the calgunfounda portion in the URL. http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF...reative=390957

perhaps the amazon rep was confused about if you are talking about contributions as part of the charity smile program. shop42a has nothing to do with charity on Amazon's part.

I would be upset that if I had registered with Smile, that it might overrule any affiliate links that I might use.

[Odd_Ball]

got affiliate program 800 number

bentbiker, wow ... I tried the Contact Us approach as well and spoke with a CS agent who also started to talk about Smile and was unfamiliar with shop42a. He also was unfamiliar with the the Affiliate Program.

He was a nice enough guy though and, after some back and forth with me complaining about the lack of any shop42a confirmation as the transaction is completed, he gave me an 800 number for the affiliate/associate program to follow up with during business hours ....

Not expecting much, but we'll see ...