Is this immoral??

18 years ago

Using fake testimonials is illegal. The FCC says you must have a hard copy of the testimonial filed if you use it.

edit: That is for the U.S.

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Johnny Slater

18 years ago

Originally Posted by saq3m

When you create your own product, do you ever fake testimonials?

Is it illegal?
Immoral?
Cheating?

What are your thoughts, as I've been asked to write a copy and "create my own testimonials"

Should I do it?

It is wrong on many levels, not least of which is that it is illegal. Fake testimonials can get you into serious legal trouble.

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jacktackett

18 years ago

OK, on the oft chance this is not a troll and you are a person seeking help...

1) In the US faking testimonials is illegal and can get you into a lot of trouble with the federal gov't and most state gov't. Not worth the risks.

2) Immoral? To me, yes. But morality is not a black and white area. In some parts of the world what I call a bribe is just part of doing business. To some eating beef is a mortal sin - to others its just a meal. So having said that - yes, I think its immoral.

3) Cheating - yep, gonna have to go with its cheating.

Just don't do it. As I said, in the US it is illegal. And if your customers find out - your reputation is trashed and your street cred is gone.

respectfully,
--Jack

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Marie Pugh

18 years ago

As far as I know, it is illegal to fake testimonials on a site. And, the truth is - it IS wrong. If the product isn't good enough to have people give real testimonials, then it shouldn't be sold to the public - simple as that.

If you are being asked to do that, tell them you can do the copy, but that you won't make up testimonials. Tell them to get friends or anyone they can to review the product for them for free. Those people can then give honest reviews - and testimonials if they are deserved. If not, then the feedback can help to make the product better.

But - I would never get involved with someone faking testimonials - it is cheating, immoral - pretty much anything else along that line that you can think of. And - illegal.

Marie

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kswr123 18 years ago

thanks guys youve been a real help. ill do the copy without the testi.
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- Steven Carl Kelly 18 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by saq3m
  
  thanks guys youve been a real help. ill do the copy without the testi.
  
  But why do that? Just get some REAL testimonials. Testimonials are very strong selling tools.
  
  Thanks
  
  2 replies
  
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  Justin Jordan 18 years ago
  
  One second immorality test - if you have to ask the question, then it almost certainly is.
  
  This more an ethics question to my mind, but that's semantics.
  
  Thanks
  
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  Steven Wagenheim 18 years ago
  
  I know all the copywriters here are going to tar and feather me, but I don't
  even bother getting testimonials anymore. My last few products, all of
  which are not even up at Clickbank, have no testimonials and STILL sell.
  
  Why?
  
  Well, I have a reputation now and can show some solid income proof. Not
  these faked screen shots, but videos.
  
  If somebody likes my product and after buying it sends me a kind word, I'll
  ask if I can use it as a testimonial. If not, no big deal.
  
  Yeah, I guess if you're just starting out, going out and getting testimonials
  will help you a lot, but truthfully, in the IM niche, people are pretty jaded
  about testimonials, looking at them as "payoffs" for getting the product
  for nothing. And let's face it, you know very well that when you come
  to this forum and make a post, "I need testimonials for my new book"
  you're going to get a lot of people who just want the book for free and
  will say anything to get it.
  
  Personally, testimonials mean very little to me anymore unless it's somebody
  I know very well.
  
  Jaded? Maybe. But I assure you, I'm not the only one.
  
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Steven Carl Kelly

18 years ago

Real testimonials are so very easy to acquire, faking them doesn't seem necessary to me.

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Kay King 18 years ago

Illegal - and stupid.

Is it ever done? Of course it is - and the minute someone discovers it, the seller's reputation (if they had any to begin with) is gone.

Should you do it? Guess it depends on your own honesty and morals. I wouldn't work with someone who would suggest faking testimonials.

kay
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Eric Engel 18 years ago

Even if you're not working with other marketers, you want to create a trust-worthy relationship with them. Using fake testimonials is a good way to tell the rest of the industry "You can't trust me...don't do business with me."

But I commend you for sticking your neck out and asking. It took some hehe.

For any noob just coming into the industry, it would SEEM like a lot of the testimonials are made up. So noobs often just assume that they are (especially after seeing so many of them in the viagra spam people always get).

But really, if the marketer is a pro, and it's a legitimate company, those testes are real.
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Stephen Saha

18 years ago

Its surely immoral. It can only gain you short term. In the long run your reputation is at stake.
Try keep the testimonial emails printed or safely stored to avoid any legal hassle.

Stephen

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seasoned

18 years ago

It IS illegal!
It IS immoral!
It IS "cheating"! I hesitate to say cheating because that is like saying that peeling a persons skin off, rubbing alcohol on them, rubbing salt on them, and then starving them to death is mistreatment! YEP, it IS cheating, just as the other is mistreatment, but it is too gentle a term to be said with a straight face.

Steve

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kswr123 18 years ago

thanks im definately not gonna make them up. Its stupid and dangerous
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Clark

18 years ago

Create a WSO for your product.

Refund purchases of the number of high quality testimonials that you receive (with their permission to publish) as a secret bonus and/or give them something (a gift) for their efforts.

Easy as pie, will make you money and also legal with the potential of receiving JV requests as well.

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peteinoz

18 years ago

I think its a legitimate question.

What do new people know till they ask? For all they know. every testimonial is fake? till they ask.

New people come along and see so many Sales Pages with obviously fake testimonials.

How many clickbank products do you see with fake testimonials? A. = LOTS

So good question raised and some very good answers supplied..

pete

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Michael Shook 18 years ago

I have also had some conversations with a fairly high level copywriter who makes it a pint to write the testimonials as part of the complete package. Then they let the client do with them as they please.

I felt a little greasy after that conversation.

I do not think that is the right thing or the legal thing to do, especially when pretty much all you have to do is ask.
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- Alexa Smith Banned 18 years ago
  
  [DELETED]
  
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  Terry Kyle 18 years ago
  
  Hey SAQ3M,
  
  To second Steven's suggestion, strengthen the offer with bonuses and the product title rather than worry about testimonials in the first place.
  
  The irony here is that a lot of the general public probably don't believe (real) testimonials anyway now.
  
  If you do want testimonials, the best example I have seen is David DeAngelo's (i.e. Eben Pagan) use of post-seminar video testimonials for his Double Your Dating program.
  
  Really powerful stuff.
  
  Best of luck.
  
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Kate Anderson

18 years ago

I've been asked to include testimonials on the web packages or copywriting work that I do, and I refuse. I won't even write in samples (that they are supposed to modify and replace with real ones later one), because the one time I did do that, they used them 'as is'.

It's illegal, unethical and plain amateur. Those testimonials rarely mean anything without an active website attached to the name (so people can check out who is giving it a thumbs up) and with fake ones, you'll find it a bit difficult to do that.

Oh and did I mention, it's illegal?

Hardly worth risking your reputation on something so silly.. If your product is good, even decent, you should be able to hand out some review copies and get enough reviews to feature on your site.

Then again, free review copies in exchange for a review is another matter up for debate I suppose..

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Michael Shook 18 years ago

@ Alexa, a pint, huh, where's my spell checker.

Actually, i was dumbfounded that he told me he did this. My respect for him went through the floor, in tiny little droplets of icky goo.

He still is working too.
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- Michael Shook 18 years ago
  
  @ Content Girl. Good for you. I never have done this either, I have been asked, like you said, for "sample testimonials", but I have not done them. For a while I hae pretty much confined my writing to my own products' sales letters.
  
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Mentorjoe

18 years ago

Hello Friend,

My suggestion to you is to be honest, live truthfully, and you will be blessed for that.

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Dana_W

18 years ago

Why not ask Warriors to review it - offer free copies to the first five or ten people that will review it for you?

Honestly you should do that anyway because if it is a brand new product you should get feedback from people, who will likely spot minor flaws that you wouldn't have noticed yourself.

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zerofill

18 years ago

Originally Posted by Dana_W

Why not ask Warriors to review it - offer free copies to the first five or ten people that will review it for you?

Honestly you should do that anyway because if it is a brand new product you should get feedback from people, who will likely spot minor flaws that you wouldn't have noticed yourself.

Dangit Dana you were saying that the same time I was lol

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zerofill

18 years ago

Just offer some copies of whatever you are doing to some people and get real testimonials...It isn't hard to get real ones...If your product is good. People will say good things about it...

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Zachary R. Skinner

18 years ago

Yes, it's very illegal and very immoral.

Is that really surprising?

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Bruce Wedding

18 years ago

Here's a rule of thumb for you in the future.

If you have to ask if something is immoral, it probably is.

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RenaissanceMan

18 years ago

just get REAL testimonials... it's easy!!

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Chris Lockwood

18 years ago

I think we need a few more people to weigh in on this, since there doesn't seem to be a consensus.

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Bob Monie

18 years ago

Im surprised you would even have to ask if its immoral or not.

just ask yourself how you would feel if you bought a product because the testimonials talked you into it, then you found out they where fake.

Id think you would be pretty pissed off. Its a con.

Who ever told you to do that needs to be dobbed in.

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Is this immoral??

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