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So Much For Regulation

by Steven Wagenheim
7 replies
Hey folks, you know all those new regulations handed down by the FTC that
are supposed to clean up all these overhyped sales pages with insane income
claims and proof that can't be verified?

Do yourself a favor. Go to Clickbank and take a look at some of the top selling
products.

Apparently, Clickbank has no real desire to clean up the trash. As I suspected,
the regulations are as toothless as the FTC itself.

But there is a bigger point to this thread so you all better listen up because I
don't post here much anymore so when I do you KNOW it's gotta be important.

Buyers - Beware. Thinking that things have been cleaned up and that what you
now read MUST be true, forget it. You have to be just as careful with your
buying decisions as ever, maybe more so.

Merchants - Just because it seems people are getting away with this, don't
think that you can't get slammed if somebody complains and the feds start
to investigate. The more money you make, the more likely it is to happen.

Personally, I'm appalled at what I'm seeing. I expected this crap during the
wild west days, but NOW?

More proof that most regulations don't really do anything to the people who
are intent on breaking the rules anyway. The people who are honest and
actually create products and sales copy that doesn't load itself up with
promises and income proof that can't be verified didn't need the regulations
in the first place.

But this is pretty much an old story isn't it?

Be careful as a buyer and be smart as a merchant.
#regulation
  • Profile picture of the author imfusa
    At first when i started reading i was very happy to hear know that from now on everything that you see on a sales page of a product will be having real info.
    After,
    Buyers - Beware. Thinking that things have been cleaned up and that what you
    now read MUST be true, forget it. You have to be just as careful with your
    buying decisions as ever, maybe more so.
    Oh
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  • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
    Add $ give it a stir and people will pimp their grandma. Or better still one mans trash is another mans treasure.
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    | > Choosing to go off the grid for a while to focus on family, work and life in general. Have a great 2020 < |
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

    Apparently, Clickbank has no real desire to clean up the trash.
    It's strange, what's happened, there. They've certainly changed their rules (and the enforcement of them) for new products currently being listed. But there are many previously accepted products with sales pages still making illegal income claims. My guess (and I've seen a couple of lawyers saying this, too) is that the FTC just aren't terribly interested in ClickBank because of the reliability of their no-questions-asked 60-day money-back guarantee on all products sold, which does - it must be acknowledged - rather mitigate the potential damage.

    Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

    As I suspected, the regulations are as toothless as the FTC itself.
    Well, they do say there are huge numbers of lawsuits pending, and being processed. I think large numbers of marketers who use income claims may be in for some truly unpleasant surprises over the next year or so. Meanwhile, wouldn't it be cool if this forum set an example and prohibited income claims in sig-files and in WSO's?

    Thanks for your timely and appropriate post, Steve. This stuff leaves such a bad taste in my mouth. :p
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    • Profile picture of the author Bruce NewMedia
      Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

      My guess (and I've seen a couple of lawyers saying this, too) is that the FTC just aren't terribly interested in ClickBank because of the reliability of their no-questions-asked 60-day money-back guarantee on all products sold, which does - it must be acknowledged - rather mitigate the potential damage.....
      Good point. So often, it takes lots of consumers who can't get their money back to trigger a 'look-see' by FTC and other agencies (Fed and State).
      More marketers could have avoided lots of pain by just refunding and not ignoring complaints in general.
      _____
      Bruce
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  • Profile picture of the author bob ross
    I just launched on clickbank for the first time and they had no problem with my sales page and it's pretty hypey.

    They must not check the sales pages very well because at the bottom I put a very clear disclaimer that I was using a pen name and they still came back and asked me "WHO IS BOB?"

    The only issue they had was they wanted to make sure I was complying with FTC regulations on using testimonials on the thread.
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  • Profile picture of the author PassiveIncomeTeacher
    You should always be truthful and offer a money back guarantee.
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    • Profile picture of the author bretski
      I really don't work in the MMO or IM niche and there are very few IM products that I would recommend. I do know that I had one author in the relationship niche contact me about changing a review that I did of his product. He had modified his sales page and removed all the testimonials figuring that it was better to be safe than sorry.

      I think that there will come a time when the FTC decides to make an example of someone. They've done it before. Just ask Frank Kern about what happens once the FTC has you in their crosshairs.
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