Comments on: Who’s afraid of the FTC’s new guidelines? http://virtualimpax.com/2009/12/02/ftc_guidelines/ Social Media Marketing: Old school sales strategies don't work here. Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:42:23 +0000 hourly 1 By: Cath Lawson http://virtualimpax.com/2009/12/02/ftc_guidelines/comment-page-1/#comment-32563 Cath Lawson Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:46:59 +0000 http://virtualimpax.com/?p=1565#comment-32563 Hi Kathy - I guess the new rules will protect from those scammy internet marketers who get their friends to write glowing testimonials for $4000 products. I haven't been about much this year so I haven't taken a lot of notice of the new rules. I guess I should check them out. Hi Kathy – I guess the new rules will protect from those scammy internet marketers who get their friends to write glowing testimonials for $4000 products.

I haven’t been about much this year so I haven’t taken a lot of notice of the new rules. I guess I should check them out.

]]> By: Jodith http://virtualimpax.com/2009/12/02/ftc_guidelines/comment-page-1/#comment-31735 Jodith Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:48:18 +0000 http://virtualimpax.com/?p=1565#comment-31735 This is pretty much what I thought about the issue. If you're honest from the start, then these rules don't affect you much. All I did was put into words on my policies page the practices I already used. .-= Jodith´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AdministrativeArts/~3/iUBPimd8D3M/" rel="nofollow">Weekly Links Roundup 12-04-2009</a> =-. This is pretty much what I thought about the issue. If you’re honest from the start, then these rules don’t affect you much. All I did was put into words on my policies page the practices I already used.
.-= Jodith´s last blog ..Weekly Links Roundup 12-04-2009 =-.

]]> By: Kathy http://virtualimpax.com/2009/12/02/ftc_guidelines/comment-page-1/#comment-31719 Kathy Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:55:11 +0000 http://virtualimpax.com/?p=1565#comment-31719 Amelia, US Consumers can submit a complaint to the FTC here: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ The FTC won't respond to a single complaint - but rather they use these complaints to "detect patterns of wrong-doing, and lead to investigations and prosecutions. " In other words, you can't report someone to the FTC and expect them to make it right - but if your report is one of many - it can cause prosecutors to take a good hard look at how you run your business. I think you're right though when it comes to people's perception of what is happening. I do think there are people who think they can report someone to the FTC and the US government is going to criminally prosecute a business for having misleading testimonials on their site. You also bring up a good point - this ONLY applies to US business owners. Business owners in the UK don't have to worry - yet. :) Amelia,

US Consumers can submit a complaint to the FTC here:
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

The FTC won’t respond to a single complaint – but rather they use these complaints to “detect patterns of wrong-doing, and lead to investigations and prosecutions. ”

In other words, you can’t report someone to the FTC and expect them to make it right – but if your report is one of many – it can cause prosecutors to take a good hard look at how you run your business.

I think you’re right though when it comes to people’s perception of what is happening. I do think there are people who think they can report someone to the FTC and the US government is going to criminally prosecute a business for having misleading testimonials on their site.

You also bring up a good point – this ONLY applies to US business owners. Business owners in the UK don’t have to worry – yet. :)

]]> By: Amelia Vargo http://virtualimpax.com/2009/12/02/ftc_guidelines/comment-page-1/#comment-31617 Amelia Vargo Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:47:31 +0000 http://virtualimpax.com/?p=1565#comment-31617 This is great, I wish the UK government would do something similar... However, I wonder how these rules will be enforced? I can't help thinking it's just a publicity stunt designed to make people believe that something is being done, when in fact nothing will really change that much. .-= Amelia Vargo´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/crearesearchengineoptimisationblog/~3/-6TzEAxmrJ0/local-seo-hcard-microformatting.html" rel="nofollow">Local SEO and hCard Microformatting</a> =-. This is great, I wish the UK government would do something similar… However, I wonder how these rules will be enforced? I can’t help thinking it’s just a publicity stunt designed to make people believe that something is being done, when in fact nothing will really change that much.
.-= Amelia Vargo´s last blog ..Local SEO and hCard Microformatting =-.

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