Dear Affiliate,
We've made an important addition to the BlueHost.com Affiliate Agreement (
http://www.bluehost.com/affiliate_terms.html) that may impact the way you manage your online promotions.
The change expressly requires you to disclose that there is a "material connection" between you and BlueHost.com anytime you offer an endorsement or testimonial on our services. This disclosure is necessary in order to be deemed in compliance with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising:
http://ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005endorsementguidesfnnotice.pdf
View the FTC Endorsement Requirement in the Affiliate Agreement at:
https://www.bluehost.com/cgi/info/affiliate_terms.html
WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU
If you provide reviews, rankings, endorsements or testimonials about a service for which you receive commissions from us, you must clearly disclose the fact that you receive such compensation in a clear and prominent place--that is close to your endorsement. The FTC takes the Endorsement guidelines seriously and has started to enforce them for both content providers like yourself and advertisers like BlueHost.com.
As an advertiser, BlueHost.com will monitor affiliate sites to be sure our services are represented appropriately. Under the updated Affiliate Agreement, failure to comply with the endorsement guidelines could result in removal from our affiliate program and the cancellation of commissions.
TIPS FOR MAKING SURE YOUR SITE IS COMPLIANT
To make it easier for you, we've pulled together information, based on a recent FTC enforcement case, to illustrate ways you can disclose a material connection between you and your advertisers. Take a few minutes to review this summary at: BlueHost.com Affiliate Disclosure Requirements and Examples can be seen at:
https://www.bluehost.com/cgi/info/ftc.html
The FTC also offers a variety of resources to help make it easier for you to comply with the guidelines, including:
- Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising:
http://ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005endorsementguidesfnnotice.pdf
- The FTC's Revised Endorsement Guides: What People are Asking:
http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus71-ftcs-revised-endorsement-guideswhat-people-are-asking
- Dot Com Disclosures: Information About Online Advertising:
http://business.ftc.gov/sites/defau...ures-information-about-online-advertising.pdf
Please note: These links are intended to provide guidance only. If you provide endorsements of some type, you should obtain legal advice on how the FTC rules apply to you.
Please take steps immediately to make sure your site is in compliance with these guidelines. Several of our leading affiliates have already posted their disclosures, and they continue to enjoy great success.
