Is Using Fake Testimonials Illegal?

[CDarklock]

Originally Posted by Kevin AKA Hubcap

What's the difference between a commercial (using actors) that advertises a product and a fake testimonial?

In the commercial, the testimonial is real - they've just hired an actor to say it. If a customer says "I love your product, it saved my life," you can hire an actor to say "I love your product, it saved my life" because it is still a real testimonial given by a real customer.

[Daniel_Pereira]

you better believe that junk is illegal! And to tell you the truth, I am a bit afraid to promote almost any acai product out there right now because I do not want to associate myself with the garbage going on with that niche. Extremely scary! Just focus on doing things right and the money will eventually come. Don't try and get quick cash today by involving yourself in unethical and illegal practices.

Daniel Pereira

[Neil Kieren]

Faking is an easy way to solve a problem. But it has its own bad side in the end so its up to your conscience really.

[frankm]

Here'a an example of the Acai scams that are going on:

Rachael Ray Blog I lost 47 lbs with my hectic life and these (FREE) products

The photos are completely ludicrous and at the bottom of the page it says in dark writing:

"Testimonials of individuals shown may be of fictitious persons or paid models and are not necessarily users of these products."

Shame

[jaykay21089]

It's something that's being stamped on by the FTC. And ask yourself... is it something you'd condone anyway? Something you could live with on your conscience? Is making money online more important than the health of people?

[seasoned]

Originally Posted by jedijames

Hello Everyone,

I was wondering is using fake testimonials is illegal. I am just asking because I see them on almost every health websites.

It ALWAYS has been in the US, and the FTC recently made that VERY clear, and demanded better disclaimers.

Steve

[guide4everything]

I think it is illegal

[900sal]

Totally illegal. And why would you bother putting fake testimonial? That's cheating...

[seasoned]

Originally Posted by frankm

Here'a an example of the Acai scams that are going on:

Rachael Ray Blog I lost 47 lbs with my hectic life and these (FREE) products

The photos are completely ludicrous and at the bottom of the page it says in dark writing:

"Testimonials of individuals shown may be of fictitious persons or paid models and are not necessarily users of these products."

Shame

WOW, I kind of like rachael ray. I hope she SUES! Maybe she DID, because it now says:

I lost 47 lbs with my hectic life and these (FREE) products

Several agencies HAVE made it tantamount to ILLEGAL to offer disclaimers in certain cases. The disclaimers on that site are a GOOD example! Unless you can see color REAL well, etc... you would NEVER see those disclaimers! But I have seen cases, like the LA county clerk that says DBAs must be at least a certain size in a certain section with a certain distribution for a certain amount of time.

You just wait, if enough IDIOTS do what that site did, the FTC will soon codify something similar, if they haven't already. IMAGINE, it would basically become a statement admitting GUILT!

Steve

[seasoned]

I have to tell you guys. I used to be a LITTLE too naive with some things. I actually bought some things based on people I KNEW to exist that I heard before, etc.... I did that EVEN though I have even heard FRIENDS praise something more than I thought it deserved.

I for one no longer recognize such things. I AM appalled at how many here say giving false testimonials is the way things should be, and have to be, done, and encourage it.

I hope all that do that get what is due them for it.

Steve

[Kate C]

It is not only unethical to use fake testimonials but it is also bad business practice. Building a good ,solid and profitable business is is based on trust. Your customers need to trust you and your product. You cannot have fake testimonials just to make a quick buck. A business needs repeat customers to grow and this can only happen if they are satisfied enough to come back for more and also recommend your product to others. They should be the ones to give you real testimonials. Word of mouth is very powerful.

[Dave Hardin]

Let me answer your original question with a question.

Does anyone really believe what is written in most testimonials?
Recent studies indicate that “testimonial blindness” is fast catching up with “banner blindness” as marketing techniques that don’t work as well as they once did.
Don’t take it from me; GOOGLE those terms and read the results for yourself.

I read product reviews, but I never read testimonials, especially those that do not have a signature, or contact information.
I will sometimes watch video testimonials which prove that I am Joe Average when compared to the recent studies.
I would be embarrassed to tell you how many times I have been asked to write testimonials for marketers. No, I don’t do that.

Have you ever noticed how articulate most testimonial writers seem to be?
Have you ever noticed how they all have the same “tone”? Wouldn’t you expect to see some variation in composition?
If I saw a testimonial that said, “Yestiday I wasn’t no riter, but today I are one,” I would tend to believe it was authentic – maybe not valuable, but authentic.

How many times have you seen this testimonial? “I just bought this wonderful product and I know that it is going to make me $5317.43 by tomorrow!” Roughly interpreted, that testimonial says, “I haven’t tried it yet”.

The flip side of that testimonial is the one that says, “This product has earned me $5317.43 in the past 24 hours. I love this marketer and intend to name my first born child after him.” Now that is a real testimonial and is absolutely true. Of course it was written by the marketer’s pregnant wife, but at least it is true.

I apologize for the rant. I guess my response to the question of using fake testimonials is – don’t do it. Your time would be better spent split testing your ads, or tweaking your sales page. Unless you are just doing hit and run marketing your lies will catch up with you.

[kenny5]

I hate it when people do this. There product isn't good enough for actual people to put in a good word, so they have to make it up. People suck sometimes.