There has been a furore in the affiliate marketing industry over the past few days as it was discovered that VivaStay, a travel company, had been charging differing prices to customers depending on how they reached their site.

The issue was picked up when an affiliate firm noticed that customers who went directly to the VivaStay site were getting cheaper prices than those who arrived at the site via an affiliate.

This finding was posted on the Affiliates4u forum where it was picked up by various other affiliate companies who slammed the company for their policy.

Lawrence Target, the chief executive of CheapBeach, explained: “It is an afront to the very fabric of Affiliate Marketing and I suspect that other affiliates will also be dropping them like a stone, how can you work with a merchant you just can’t trust, it only works if both parties are in synergy, a proper partnership, that is what achieves the best returns.”

VivaStay has since apologised for the practice, claiming that it was never advised against the procedure. Danny Gallo, from VivaStay, explained that the company was new to affiliate marketing and said: "This was truly an oversight on our behalf as to how damaging or against affiliate ethics this is and we feel we have learned from this chapter."

VivaStay has now corrected the pricing issue.