Why the FTC Can Kiss My…

courtesy wikepedia

That’s right. I almost kind of in a round about way said A*#.  And for good reason too.

99.9 percent of the reviews I do, I am not monetarily compensated for. We don’t receive gift cards or cash. Instead we receive product. Some might argue that product is compensation no? NO. It’s not. At least not here. The way I look at it here at The Guilty Parent, is that we can’t give our readers an honest review if we don’t have the product in hand to test out.

Many times, I go out and purchase said product myself to try out. Such as the case of my Fisher Price Snack Tray review on New Baby.com. I bought it because I needed something that would solve a problem I had and voila! One inexpensive snack tray and my opinion on it.

See for the most part that is what a review is supposed to be, an opinion. I think waters get muddied when companies start asking us to say something that we may not agree with. I think that’s when bloggers and even online resources like this one, get caught in the legaleaze of what the review is actually SUPPOSED to be.

When I sought out looking for contributors, I told them that we do not blow sunshine up people’s butts.

EVER. Plain and simple. That goes for reviews too. I will give you all sides of the product, the good and the bad and let you, the parent, the consumer… make an informed decision. I don’t EVER expect you to take my word or the word of my contributors as gospel. If you do, we have a serious problem and I can’t help you there (because you’d just do what I told you anyway, and where would that get you?)

In all honesty, I prefer not to take cash or any sort of monetary compensation for reviews. First of all, if I don’t like it and a company paid me to say I did like it or that it was fabulous, I would be in a moral conundrum to mislead or lie to my readers and tell them something I don’t believe. I don’t ever want to do that to my readers. It’s against everything I think a review should be.

I look at it this way, before this became an online resource for parents (which we’re still developing), it was a blog. A place to vent and digress about kids growing up. I saw a larger need and it’s always been my dream to help other parents going through the same things as I am or have gone through. This site NEVER set out to be a vehicle for product promotion, that’s been the byproduct and a very small part of my goal for The Guilty Parent. I feel like if I start telling my readers that something is fabulous or wonderful when it may just be OK, I would be doing a disservice to them and my readers are what matters most to me. Always has been and always will be. If other bloggers and companies don’t respect that (I don’t ask for them to understand), then maybe we aren’t pals after all because before the product reviews and promotions, it was just me.

Sitting here.

Talking to all of you.

About being a parent.

Do I want to tell you about great products and partner with companies who have tools, services, and products we can all use? Hell Yes! But I won’t do it at a sacrafice to being authentic and honest with my readers. You all came and read first and that is where my loyalty has and always will lie.

I’m not conflicted about ethics because I know in my heart that I’m making the best decision I can for my site and my readers. I don’t lose sleep over a review that I post because I know I’ve been honest in it.

If that makes me unpopular with other bloggers or companies looking to form potential partnerhships, that’s a bridge I’ll cross when I get there, however, I believe the readers here to be like friends. I won’t lie or mislead my friends. I might tell you in the nicest possible way that the dress you’re wearing makes your butt look big but it’s because I care about you and I don’t want to hurt your feelings. If you’re a company and I don’t fully agree with the product you want me to promote or it didn’t live up to what I expected, I’ll tell you AND MY READERS, in the nicest possible way.

If my contributors choose to post positive reviews only, then that’s their decision. I would hope that they would be completely honest with readers but it’s still their decision. They signed on knowing what I want and expect so I like to hope they will do the same. If they are conflicted, I want them to come to me. We’ll work it out.

So here is my disclosure to you; THE READERS:

1. I promise to be honest in my reviews.
2. I promise to be fair.
3. I will not mislead you. you are what keeps this site and the community going.

And with that…

A Disclosure to the Companies:

• I want to work with you.
• I will be honest with you & inform you before a review is posted that I have issue with your product or service. I believe that kind of disclosure makes your company and products better. You want a mom to test it, you need to be willing to hear the good and the bad.
• I will not take money in exchange for a favorable review.
• Do not EVER ask to specifically say something. Let us form our own thoughts and opinions; but do provide us with the proper literature to help us form those opinions.

I think my largest beef with the FTC is that they don’t realize that you can’t label our thoughts and opinions. Limiting us in what we say does no one ANY GOOD because whether you decide to sanction me or not, I’m going to keep talking to my friends, neighbors and family about the products I try and what I like and don’t like. I would hope that readers would be smart enough to form their own opinions about products and not only the words of a blogger or a handful of bloggers.

I’ve never let others influence me and the purchasing choices I make; I’m not about to start now, nor am I going to suggest my readers do the same. Instead I’ll keep providing them with honest and fair information so they can do and buy what’s best for their children and families.

Thank you for coming back! Please take a minute to tell me how I can improve your experience here by contacting me. Thank you for being a loyal reader!

Related posts:

1. Do as I say and not as I do…
2. Tell Me About Yourself
3. My Quest for a Type-A Mom Conference Sponsorship Starts Now