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Crazy question - Do you need an earnings disclaimer on your WSO to be compliant?

by Texas_Guns
10 replies
I was just updating an old forgotten blog with a little
earnings disclaimer to stay above board with the
FTC.

It got me thinking...

On a WSO, should we have an earnings disclaimer?

I don't see any WSO's that have the famous link about
what "typical" results are.

Now I know the FTC deal has been beat to death here
and everywhere else.

However, if the WSO's are good to go and because
the FTC rules apply to blogs, what about the blogs we
have here on the Warrior Forum?

Just wondering...
#compliant #crazy #disclaimer #earnings #question #wso
  • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
    If you make representations about specific results, you'd better be compliant. Living in another country probably doesn't exempt you from that, either.

    I've said this before: There are a whole lot of people here who'd better hope the FTC never takes an interest in the WSO section. Personally, I'm in favor of prohibiting any specific results claims in WSO copy.


    Paul
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    Paul is correct. It doesn't matter where you make specific claims, it's if you are compliant when you do.
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    Just when you think you've got it all figured out, someone changes the rules.

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  • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
    This is a great question - I hope the answer is yes.

    There'd be about 90% less WSOs
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    • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
      Andy,
      This is a great question - I hope the answer is yes.

      There'd be about 90% less WSOs
      Nah. That's not the result we'd see.

      Just about every WSO for which I've found suspicious discrepancies or evidence of outright fraud have been ones that made large income claims. One, which promised 5 figures a month, actually used outsourced (read: faked) screenshots as proof of income.

      Why should we not expect someone who would do that to also use bogus disclaimers, or lie about "typical" results?

      We don't know that they will, but such irregularities make you question them, at the very least.


      Paul
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      • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
        True.

        For some reason I was thinking that if people knew they had to be honest and FTC compliant -they would be.

        You spotted the flaw in my thinking.

        Andy
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        • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
          Andy,
          For some reason I was thinking that if people knew they had to be honest and FTC compliant -they would be.

          You spotted the flaw in my thinking.
          This is a common, and very understandable, mistake. It's caused by a radically different understanding of the world. Specifically, the belief on the part of many people that they will always beat the odds, and that consequences are the misfortune of others, and aren't 'real' for them.

          Here's another one: "Questionable advertising methods are proof of product deficiencies."

          Not true. I've seen crappy products advertised in 100% legitimate ways, and great products advertised using sneaky, sometimes even illegal, methods. While it's reasonable to think that people whose ethics are not up to snuff in their advertising are more likely to demonstrate that same lack in other areas, it is not anything like conclusive.

          We need to be very careful about the conclusions we draw from available data.


          Paul
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          • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
            Good point.

            That also goes for thinking along the lines of "well they're a warrior so I'm protected and they wouldn't want to ruin their reputation".

            This is just a forum and there are a LOT of really good people here who you'll never know - even more come here to try and abuse the members and in particular the WSO section.

            It's just become part of the advice some people give about making money and due to this forums popularity it's always a target for abuse.

            It still amazes me how quickly the crap gets scraped away before most people see it - truly awesome.

            Andy
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            • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
              Andy,
              That also goes for thinking along the lines of "well they're a warrior so I'm protected and they wouldn't want to ruin their reputation".

              This is just a forum and there are a LOT of really good people here who you'll never know - even more come here to try and abuse the members and in particular the WSO section.
              Man, that is SUCH a big point. The single most dangerous myth about this place.

              As you say, it's a forum, and it's open to world+dog. The creeps thrive on the reputation the legit members have built for it, and use that to exploit the less experienced members.

              Post count proves nothing. Membership here proves nothing. War Room membership proves only that someone had, at one point, $39 available in their Paypal account or on a credit/debit card.

              Want to see the impact of reputation? Forbid claims of specific results, and watch which WSOs get attention. The creeps use Big Numbers and faked proof of income to sell tons of offers to people who are looking for a way to make money online. These bastiches are screwing with their prospects' dreams and livelihoods, and need to be cut off at the knees.

              That doesn't mean that every claim of income is a lie, of course. Just that the liars almost always lie in big ways.


              Paul
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              • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
                Originally Posted by Paul Myers View Post

                These bastiches are screwing with their prospects' dreams and livelihoods


                Paul
                Bastiches - I like that word. Thanks
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