Is buying video testimonials on fiverr.com legal?

22 replies
Hello,

Is buying video testimonials on fiverr.com for one's product, website etc. legal?
If clients get behind the faked testimonial, trust, which is so important in the web, can completely be destroyed.

What do you think?

Best regards
Frank
#buying #fiverrcom #legal #testimonials #video
  • Profile picture of the author Alex Blades
    It is legal to buy, but illegal to use, could cause problems with the FTC. I think you have to post "paid actor" in the video, but not sure. Call a lawyer to get the right answer.
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    • Profile picture of the author Lori Winsor
      Just note that in the IM niche you can see the same people doing testimonials on different products. Doesn't look so authentic to me when I see it...
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      • Profile picture of the author mrgoe
        Originally Posted by Lori Winsor View Post

        Just note that in the IM niche you can see the same people doing testimonials on different products. Doesn't look so authentic to me when I see it...
        It really doesn`t, but don`t forget that IM product buyers are buying multiple products.. and there are only so many nice ones that will make a review about it.. and a video one even less...
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  • Profile picture of the author mrgoe
    Although you can`t prove that he is a paid actor.. Even paid actors can have opinions, so this could as well be a real review, in the eyes of the FTC.
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    • Profile picture of the author Meharis
      Originally Posted by mrgoe View Post

      Although you can`t prove that he is a paid actor.. Even paid actors can have opinions, so this could as well be a real review, in the eyes of the FTC.

      I suggest you read TheRealDudeman post # 7

      Also, you've to mention you're using Paid Endorsements.

      According to your signature, you're offering services to
      protect people from Dishonest and Unethical Marketers..?


      Meharis
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  • Profile picture of the author tolaskool
    You can always ask the fiverr seller to give their honest and unbiased reviews
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  • Profile picture of the author Devin X
    Banned
    It IS Illegal to buy/use fake testimonials, especially for income opportunities. Fiverr and other job boards would do well to remove those gigs. Go talk to a lawyer about buying testimonials, especially for biz opp/income opps, and see what they tell you. It IS ILLEGAL, and highly UNETHICAL.

    What is UNETHICAL but not ILLEGAL is paid endorsements from other people. BUT! This is for products OUTSIDE of income opportunities. AND YOU HAVE TO DISCLOSE THAT YOU ARE USING PAID ENDORSEMENTS. Like the fine print on insurance commercials on TV or supplement ads at GNC.

    YOU shouldn't use fake testimonials or paid endorsements at all.
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    • Profile picture of the author MissTerraK
      Originally Posted by TheRealDudeman View Post

      It IS Illegal to buy/use fake testimonials, especially for income opportunities. Fiverr and other job boards would do well to remove those gigs. Go talk to a lawyer about buying testimonials, especially for biz opp/income opps, and see what they tell you. It IS ILLEGAL, and highly UNETHICAL.

      What is UNETHICAL but not ILLEGAL is paid endorsements from other people. BUT! This is for products OUTSIDE of income opportunities. AND YOU HAVE TO DISCLOSE THAT YOU ARE USING PAID ENDORSEMENTS. Like the fine print on insurance commercials on TV or supplement ads at GNC.

      YOU shouldn't use fake testimonials or paid endorsements at all.
      <applause>

      Well said, RealDudeman!

      And it would do the OP a world of good for him to heed your words. I honestly hope he isn't the type that thinks it's not illegal unless you get caught.

      Terra
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve Fleming
    It's a much better idea to solicit genuine testimonials by giving out
    review copies. Then you're covered both legally and ethically and
    you'll also get the added benefit of 'word of mouth' endorsements too.

    PLUS you'll be able to sleep better at night... which is always a good
    barometer of whether YOU should or shouldn't do something.

    Couple that with the 'can i look at myself in the mirror?' test and you're good
    to go!

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author internetmarketer1
    Genuine copies is a good idea. While the above answers are correct about it being illegal, it also depends on how the review is done.

    *If you buy the review to make them say something that isn't true, then it is illegal. That is just not right.

    *But if you have received an EMAIL REVIEW OR A REAL GENUINE WRITTEN REVIEW, it is completely legal to have a paid actor from Fiverr just to say that was written.

    That is how I see it
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    • Profile picture of the author Jared Hale
      Your better to work towards getting real reviews as fake ones are usually easy to spot including most offerings on Fiverr.

      I have a local competitor for my painting company who just got 4 Google reviews in a week but you can tell the language was not native North American, plus when I clicked on the users profile they had a lot of reviews written that were all over the place.

      Honestly though, the FCC isn't going to bother with some testimonials that are on the Internet but that doesn't mean that fake reviews will not affect you.

      Sites like Google, Yelp, Homestars etc., have anti cheating policies that can get your banned or flagged as a cheater.

      If you want real reviews then consider review copies of your product or service or a discount.
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  • Profile picture of the author SocialMediaOwls
    As an owner of a top micro job site, I can attest to the fact that Amazon employees email me every week asking me to take down gigs posted on my site that offer paid testimonies or reviews for Amazon...
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  • Profile picture of the author wrcato2
    I wouldn't pay for testimonials. Get real one's instead. You could get into a Lots of legal hot water.
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  • Profile picture of the author Lance K
    Regardless of legality, the universe has a knack for putting dishonest and unethical people in their place eventually.
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  • Profile picture of the author Teddy T
    You can get a REAL review and hire a fiverr vendor to narrate out the review in a video, but you need to specify in your fine print that you're doing this though...
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  • Profile picture of the author JasonBennet
    It seems to be dishonest to use a fake testimonial on the website. I personally believe in Karma and people will soon know it. Even if most people do not know, the god from above knows it clearly. I think it is still better to give real values and get real testimonials.
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  • Profile picture of the author Josh Anderson
    Not only would you be violating FTC guidelines if you use them so would the "actors" who provided you the testimonials.

    In fact the FTC has in recent years sued BOTH the product owner and the person providing the false and misleading testimonial fining the person giving the testimonial tens of thousands of dollars.

    It probably would have been better for you to ask your parents if it is ok to lie than to post a question like this here. But it is better for you to ask than to actually do the stupid thing you are considering.

    Additionally these types of questions, like piles of dung, attract flies and make for some pretty interesting illustrations regarding the credibility and ethics of some of the respondents.
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  • Profile picture of the author troy23
    I would not go buying fake reviews.
    If you want reviews then get people you know to actually use the product and then provide a review. I've seen the same actors on Fiverr pop up on several different videos so your credibility can get shot through the roof if people discover you've done that. Nothing wrong with getting an actor on Fiverr to advertise the product - as long as they don't make false claims and big it up you'll be fine.
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  • FTC is illegal (real law is the constitution).
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  • Profile picture of the author Rod Cortez
    If you have a great product or service and have excellent customer service as part of your best practices, then obtaining real testimonials from real people will come easily.

    I've never understood people taking the short cut of paying for phony video or even written testimonials. Even those won't protect the marketer if their product or service sucks.

    Social media and the internet have completely changed the feedback game. It makes much better business to have people try your product or service and then ask for genuine feedback.

    RoD
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    What is interesting is, while "paid for tesimonials" are likely illegal and unethical, there's a fine line between a paid testimonial and a paid commercial, which are generally legal.

    I guess the "trick" is to make a commercial and not a testimonial, although I find the line between the two can be blurred. I'll guess part of the difference is people can usually tell that a commercial is something other than the regular content, whereas a testimonial appears to be part of, and directly related to, the regular content.
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