Stamped customers can feel confident knowing that our review practices meet the latest FTC guidelines outlined in the final rule, which comes into effect on October 15, 2024.
We care about authenticity at Stamped, and we think it’s essential for brands to collect real and honest feedback from their customers.
We also want to ensure your brand is compliant with current reviews policy, which is why we’re highlighting the new final rule the Federal Trade Commission’s FTC final rule which bans fake reviews and testimonials.
In this Guide
- Breaking down the new final rule
- Collecting compliant reviews
- Moderating and displaying authentic reviews
-
How Stamped helps brands stay compliant
- Conclusion
Breaking down the new final rule
The Federal Trade Commission has announced a final rule, effective October 15, 2024, aimed at combating fake reviews and testimonials. The rule prohibits the sale or purchase of such reviews and allows the agency to seek civil penalties against those who knowingly violate it.
“Fake reviews not only waste people’s time and money, but also pollute the marketplace and divert business away from honest competitors. By strengthening the FTC’s toolkit to fight deceptive advertising, the final rule will protect Americans from getting cheated, put businesses that unlawfully game the system on notice, and promote markets that are fair, honest, and competitive.” FTC Chair Lina M. Khan.
To enforce the banning of fake reviews and testimonials, the final rule prohibits:
- Fake or false consumer reviews, consumer testimonials, and celebrity testimonials
- Buying positive or negative reviews
- Insider reviews and consumer testimonials
- Company-controlled review websites
- Review suppression
- Misuse of fake social media indicators
Please familiarize yourself with the full details of the new final rule on the FTC’s website here before they come into effect on October 15, 2024.
Collecting compliant reviews
The general guidance for collecting reviews in a compliant manner includes:
- Do not create fake reviews or attribute them to nonexistent people.
- Do not ask for reviews from people who haven't used your product.
- Do not collect or showcase reviews from staff, family, or friends.
- Do not misrepresent reviews as independent if they promote your products or services.
- Do not use threats, intimidation, or false claims to remove negative reviews. Also, do not misrepresent the reviews on your site to hide negative feedback.
- When offering incentives for reviews, ensure there are no conditions attached. Disclose if a reviewer has a connection to the product or receives compensation.
- Avoid asking only customers you expect to leave positive feedback for reviews.
- Do not sell or buy fake social media indicators, like followers or views created by bots.
Moderating and displaying authentic reviews
The FTC also mandates transparent moderation and display practices for reviews:
- Publish all reviews, both positive and negative.
- Do not falsely present reviews as independent.
- Ensure a fair display of reviews; positive reviews should not overshadow negative ones.
- Identify and remove fake or misleading reviews immediately.
- Do not alter customer reviews, even to correct typos or remove details
How Stamped helps brands stay compliant
Stamped provides merchants with tools to comply with the FTC's new final rule banning and actively prevents fake reviews and testimonials. These tools actively encourage compliance.
Auto-Publish
We require all brands using auto-publish to auto-publish reviews regardless of star rating or sentiment. We believe you should publish all reviews, both positive and negative, as long as they are relevant and not offensive since this provides customers with an authentic view of sentiment about your products, and Stamped’s auto-publishing rules are compliant with FTC guidelines and Shopify’s Governance & Compliance.
Learn more about Auto-Publish in our help document.
Review Verification
Stamped verifies reviews that come from actual buyers through our Verified Buyer feature. This functionality checks that the review email matches the order email, the product reviewed aligns with the purchased item and filters out potential spam. It applies to reviews submitted via email, the main widget, or a self-hosted review page. This process enhances review authenticity and supports unbiased auto-publishing.
Learn more about Review Verification in our help document.
Conclusion
Stamped customers can feel confident knowing that our review practices meet the latest FTC guidelines outlined in the final rule, which comes into effect on October 15, 2024. Our review collection, moderation, and display processes give you the tools you need to collect and leverage authentic and honest customer feedback.