It is important for affiliate marketers to be informed of the affiliate FTC guidelines. The Federal Trade Commission Act permits the FTC to act in the interest of all consumers to avoid deceptive as well as unfair acts or practices. The Commission has identified that a representation, omission or practice is deceptive if it is likely to mislead consumers and affect consumers' performance or decisions concerning the product or service.
Protecting Consumers' Privacy, Under the revised affiliate FTC guidelines, the FTC calls for every website to have a clear statement that data is being collected. It says consumers should be allowed to choose whether to have information collected, and when data collection occurs outside the traditional website context, companies should develop alternative methods of disclosure. Disclosure must be present only in case of material communication - material communication is present, if reviewer received any kind of consideration (cash, merchandise) in exchange for review.
This simply means that if you have any benefits from the sale of product you are presenting on your websites, you must have a disclosure on your website which talks about your connection with the producer or seller of the product.
Free Products,A product that's advertised as free if another is purchased - "buy one, get one" - indicates that the consumer will pay nothing for the one item and no more than the regular price for the other. Ads such as these should describe all the terms and conditions of the free offer clearly and prominent.
The "Results Not Typical" Disclaimer,Prior to the latest Guides, websites can post "success story" testimonials which were not what most consumers would normally expect to accomplish if they also given an obvious "results not typical" disclaimer. The results not typical" disclaimer was viewed a "safe harbor" shielding advertisers from responsibility for deceptive advertising. The affiliate FTC guidelines put severe limitations on the use of the "results not typical" website legal forms disclaimers with "success story" testimonials, and failure to comply could result in significant legal accountability.
Compliance to these new affiliate FTC guidelines is not a difficult task. The government constructed these guidelines to protect consumers from dishonest business practice on the internet.
Protecting Consumers' Privacy, Under the revised affiliate FTC guidelines, the FTC calls for every website to have a clear statement that data is being collected. It says consumers should be allowed to choose whether to have information collected, and when data collection occurs outside the traditional website context, companies should develop alternative methods of disclosure. Disclosure must be present only in case of material communication - material communication is present, if reviewer received any kind of consideration (cash, merchandise) in exchange for review.
This simply means that if you have any benefits from the sale of product you are presenting on your websites, you must have a disclosure on your website which talks about your connection with the producer or seller of the product.
Free Products,A product that's advertised as free if another is purchased - "buy one, get one" - indicates that the consumer will pay nothing for the one item and no more than the regular price for the other. Ads such as these should describe all the terms and conditions of the free offer clearly and prominent.
The "Results Not Typical" Disclaimer,Prior to the latest Guides, websites can post "success story" testimonials which were not what most consumers would normally expect to accomplish if they also given an obvious "results not typical" disclaimer. The results not typical" disclaimer was viewed a "safe harbor" shielding advertisers from responsibility for deceptive advertising. The affiliate FTC guidelines put severe limitations on the use of the "results not typical" website legal forms disclaimers with "success story" testimonials, and failure to comply could result in significant legal accountability.
Compliance to these new affiliate FTC guidelines is not a difficult task. The government constructed these guidelines to protect consumers from dishonest business practice on the internet.
By Marty Don, About the Author:
Know more of Affiliate FTC Guidelines by dropping by www.affiliatemarketingforthetechnicallychallenged.com and explore more about Affiliate FTC Guidelines.
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