A few weeks ago “Jimmy” sent me an email about his website — JimmysDeals.com.au, which is another bargains website that collects deals, coupons and special promotions. From its about page:

When you sign up to Jimmy’s Deals, I will pop by and visit you weekly in your inbox, armed with the top deals and coupons that can be found on the web.

I know how important it is for you and your family to get the most value for your money. My goal is to make your life easier by being your free resource for valuable coupons, discounts and special offers handpicked from your favorite brands and stores.

Hey, that is exactly what I am trying to do here. Oh wait, it is not true. At OzBargain, you (the bargain hunters from all over Australia) do the work, and I just sit back and enjoy all the savings. Moreover, we rarely have any exclusive deals.

Indeed, I think what sets Jimmy’s Deals apart is his collection of exclusive deals. The structure of his website is pretty simple and straight forward. You have Deals Category on the left hand side of the pages, and when you click into a category, you are presented with a list of shops in alphabetical order. There are usually coupons and promotions listed under each shop. Just click on the name of the promotion, coupon code and associated expiry date will be revealed.

So I clicked into the “Computers & Electronics” category, and saw Are-Jays have some exclusive coupons listed. Take this for example:

Pretty good deal, isn’t it?! Too bad that is has already expired, but there are heaps of exclusive coupons on that website, many are still valid. Many are giving you special discount which you won’t find elsewhere.

Now, what is the catch? As I have posted here previously, one thing to ask when you spot a bargains/deals site is — why are they running it?

Well, it did not take long to find out because “Jimmy” has been honest and explained clearly in his How It Works page:

So whats in it for Jimmy?

JimmysDeals.com.au is an affiliate marketing web site. In a nutshell, this means that when I refer a customer to one of the sites I list and they make a purchase, I am compensated with a small commission from that sale.

Basically when you click on a link to actually go to the merchant to use the exclusive coupon code provided, you will head over to affiliation networks like clixGalore and CommissionMonster first, and have your transactions tracked so “Jimmy” can get a commission on anything you buy from that shop.

Is there anything wrong with it? Hmmm personally I think it is one legitimate reason for making a website. After all he is doing the hard work negociating exclusive coupons with retailers, and surely he deserves his wages. However, as a shopper I will just grab the code, and head over to MoneyBackCo so I can get the discount as well as my commission back :)

Getting a kick back is not the whole story though. If you are a retailer, does not want to join an affiliation network, but would like to be featured on Jimmy’s Deals — you can!! “Jimmy” is happy to feature your coupons, deals or offers at $250/month or $2,500/year. Hey, I wish I am “Jimmy” as I am making bugger all on this website.

Now, how is this “Jimmy” guy anyway? From his MySpace page (yes, he has a MySpace page!!), we know that he is a 24 year old Magna-driving male living in New South Wales and likes to wear green T-shirt. However, WHOIS look up on both JimmysDeals.com and JimmysDeals.com.au reveal the same person, but his name is not “Jimmy”. Or maybe it is James?