Affiliate Disclosure

Our Affiliate Programmes

Octane Alpha participates in several affiliate programmes. When you click a qualifying link and make a purchase, we receive a small referral fee from the relevant retailer or network. This fee is paid by them — it is not added to the price you pay.

The programmes we currently participate in include:

• Amazon Associates UK — linking to products on Amazon.co.uk
• AWIN — an affiliate network covering UK retailers including Halfords, Demon Tweeks, and others relevant to our niches
• Direct brand programmes — some brands (such as specialist coffee roasters and trading gear companies) run their own affiliate schemes independent of larger networks

Where we link directly to a brand's own website rather than Amazon, it is often because the product is not available on Amazon, the brand offers better value direct, or we believe it is simply the right place to buy it. The affiliate relationship is disclosed the same way regardless of which programme the link belongs to.

How We Choose Where to Link

Our policy is to link to wherever is genuinely best for the reader — not wherever pays the highest commission. In practice this means:

• Amazon UK is our first choice when the product is available there at a competitive price — the convenience, returns policy, and delivery are hard to beat
• We link direct to a brand or specialist retailer when they stock something Amazon doesn't carry, or when their price, service, or range is meaningfully better
• We will sometimes show multiple "where to buy" options so you can choose

How Affiliate Links Are Identified

All affiliate links on Octane Alpha are clearly disclosed. You will see:

• A disclosure bar at the top of every page on the site
• A note beneath every product button confirming it is an affiliate link
• A reminder within articles where affiliate links appear
• This disclosure page, linked from the footer of every page

What This Means for Our Recommendations

Affiliate income enables this site to exist — but it does not determine what gets recommended. Octane Alpha operates under the following principles:

• Every product recommended on this site has been personally purchased and used by the author
• Products are not selected because of their commission rate — some top picks carry lower commissions than the alternatives we didn't recommend
• Products that underperformed or were returned are excluded regardless of their affiliate value
• No paid placements, sponsorships, or gifted products are accepted

The goal is a site the author would be comfortable recommending to a friend asking for honest advice — affiliate link or not.

FTC and UK CAP Code Compliance

This disclosure is made in compliance with the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) guidelines on endorsements and testimonials, the ASA/CAP Code, and the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines on endorsements. Affiliate relationships are material connections that consumers have a right to know about, and Octane Alpha discloses them prominently across the site.

Retailer Trademarks

AMAZON, AMAZON.CO.UK, AMAZON ASSOCIATES and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All other retailer and brand names referenced on this site are the property of their respective owners. Octane Alpha is an independent site and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with any retailer mentioned.

Questions

If you have any questions about how affiliate links work on this site, or about any specific recommendation, you can reach the author via the About page.

Last updated: May 2025