Cookie-Stuffing Targeting spafinder.com
Cookie-Stuffing Targeting Major Affiliate
Merchants - Ben Edelman
This page reports cookie-stuffing by ultimatecoupons.com and webbuyingguide.com, targeting spafinder.com.
As of November 6, the http://www.ultimatecoupons.com/coupons/spa_finder_coupons.htm page was #9 in Google results for "spafinder coupon" (without quotes). After redirecting me to http://www.webbuyingguide.com/coupons/spa_finder_coupons.htm , the latter URL included the following lengthy JavaScript code, which opened a LinkShare tracking link in a new window:
<script>
<!-- Begin
//Pop-under window - javascriptkit.com
var popunderSpaFinder="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=OEu024dtHXs&offerid=47053.10000304&type=3&subid=0"
var winfeatures="width=780,height=580,scrollbars=1,resizable=1,toolbar=1,location=1,menubar=1,status=1,directories=0"
var once_per_session=1
function get_cookie(Name) {
var search = Name + "="
var returnvalue = "";
if (document.cookie.length > 0) {
offset = document.cookie.indexOf(search)
if (offset != -1) { // if cookie exists
offset += search.length
// set index of beginning of value
end = document.cookie.indexOf(";", offset);
// set index of end of cookie value
if (end == -1)
end = document.cookie.length;
returnvalue=unescape(document.cookie.substring(offset, end))
}
}
return returnvalue;
}
function loadornot(){
if (get_cookie('popunderSpaFinder')==''){
loadpopunderSpaFinder()
document.cookie="popunderSpaFinder=yes"
}
}
function loadpopunderSpaFinder(){
win2=window.open(popunderSpaFinder,"",winfeatures)
win2.blur()
window.focus()
}
if (once_per_session==0)
loadpopunderSpaFinder()
else
loadornot()
// End -->
</script>
I captured the resulting on-screen display in a video (WindowsMedia format, view in Full Screen mode). I also preserved a full packet log of these findings.
In my testing, this is but one of many affiilate web sites targeting this and other merchants. For example, the current number two Google result for "spafinder coupon" is www.consumernow.com/SpaFinder_coupon , which uses cookie stuffing precisely along the lines of that shown as to consumernow's targeting of Toshiba, Netzero, JCWhitney, and DentalPlans.