They asked if they have an affiliate program, or were willing to set one up. That's the standard business arrangement for almost any review site. It's how they

They asked if they have an affiliate program, or were willing to set one up. That's the standard business arrangement for almost any review site. It's how they pay their reviewers. When nextdesk said no, they still kept it as their recommended desk for a year, and then, when they switched it, they switched to one that also didn't have an affiliate program, and still kept nextdesk as the "upgrade" pick. It's really hard to see any evidence that the money affected their editorial decisions.