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[C989]Consumer Protection From Unfair

by Bill Rice, Bil

If you are marketing online, consumer protection needs to be top of mind. Most marketers understand this fact and diligently comply with appropriate best practices and regulations. However, don't forget to use the same level of due diligence in reviewing their Internet lead providers.

Caution, you can be held accountable for their practices.

Here are important points of review to consider in vetting a new lead provider:

1. Ask if they use third-party affiliates or lead generation services? If so, what is their compliance and due diligence process?

Most lead providers and brokers will purchase some quantity of traffic or leads from third-party sources. If it was your marketing department you would be expected to perform consumer protection due diligence against your vendor network--make sure your lead provider is doing the same against their vendors.

2. Ask to review an example of their standard affiliate, buyer, and vendor agreements (as applicable)?

This is the quickest way for you or your legal team to evaluate any legal exposure to your lead providers providers vendor practices. It is also a great way for you, as their lead generation partner, to strengthen the relationship with collaboration.

3. Do they have a compliance education program for their marketing department and/or third-party lead generation sources?

This is really a simple effort. Their effort can be as easy as a blog or regular newsletter, but they need to be advising their lead sources and lead providers of consumer protection expectations. This deepens partnerships and strengthens the network's overall compliance.

4. Do they have a quality control process? Does it evaluate the validity and integrity of generated leads and marketing sources?

This is a big differentiator. Some lead providers have a proprietary process for quality reviewing leads. Some don't have the technical capability to do this quality review. In which case they should be using a service like TargusInfo or eBureau.

5. Ask to review sample landing pages, ad creative, telemarketing scripts, and privacy policies used during the lead generation process?

This will be a bit of a touchy request. Most lead providers or marketing agencies view these items as trade secrets. Assure them you do not need to see placement or the entire portfolio--just indicative samples. After all, you are outsourcing your marketing department to them--exert your rights of review.

Invariably you will be carrying some risk for their lead generation practices. So, unless they are going to contractually indemnify you against these risks--do some review of these items.

6. What is their policy for dealing with relationships and marketing sources that are found to be out of compliance with relevant consumer protection laws?

Of course, all of this is lip service unless they enforce their policies. You need to take the extra step and ask them what they do in the case of compliance breach.

Get Educated on Consumer Protection

If you have not already education yourself on consumer protection laws and regulations, it is time to do so. Learn not only what the laws are, but what consumers expect from their online inquiries. Here are some smart places to look for more information:

* FTC: Consumer Protection Information

* FTC: Online Marketing Guidelines

* IAB: Consumer Privacy Standards

Clickfirst—A Breakthrough In Real Consumer Protection

As 2007 draws to a finish, a review of some of the most recent consumer fraud shows that unethical businesses and outright scammers have had a active as well as a lucrative year. Targeting the most vulnerable citizens and using increasingly sophisticated tools, most have been able to easily avoid both civil and criminal enforcement efforts as they pick their victims' pockets, sometimes even robbing them of their life savings.

Americans are cheated out of an estimated $40 billion a year in telemarketing fraud alone, and additional $4 billion in mail scams. The victims in many cases are senior consumers who are constantly approached with fraud, con jobs, scams and ripoffs on a consistent basis. One can find unethical behavior when buying a car, purchasing insurance, using your credit card, shopping at the mall, making purchases online, or taking out a loan.

Some scams are easy to identify and avoid yet others are harder to spot. You need to be able to identify all of them before it's too late. Failing to detect a single scam can cost you thousands of dollars. For example, telephone-number "spoofing" technology, available through certain providers on the Internet, bypasses one popular consumer safeguard, caller ID, to make you believe a scammer is actually your bank or a government agency. How does one protect themselves from even the most sophisticated of business or consumer cons?

Jim Merrick, who was himself the victim of a complex financial scam, founded Clickfirst () a breakthrough in consumer protection which provides detailed background information on businesses who participate. Companies who have nothing to hide, that are seeking to provide the best possible service, and supply flawless customer support are streaming to the Clickfirst and registering as members of the consumer advocate network. “I know that knowledge is the key to real consumer safety”, states Merrick at his Florida headquarters. “I wish I had this type of site to go to before a suffered a devastating financial blow when trying to fund another company”.

The use of background checks in human resources offices is now a common practice, saving companies hundreds or even thousands hours of grief from avoiding bad hires. Clickfirst is now the first place any consumer should go to properly check the background of companies one is planning a purchasing products or services from. “All of the companies who participate in Clickfirst are businesses who are taking that extra step to provide consumer confidence and trust”, Says Merrick. “This is at the core of Clickfirst. We want you to know your dealing with “stand up” businesses”.

Consumer fraud has many faces. One of the more devious types of fraud involves a caller with insider investment advice who has mistakenly dialed a "wrong number"--yours. They spill their guts about something that is confidential that they let slip accidentally. The scammer ultimately hopes that their calling mistake triggers future buying by the unsuspecting victim.

Con artists even buy mail listings of names and contact information of people whom market-research companies have determined are gullible or desperate to get rich quick because of illness. There's even a scam for cheating people who have already been victimized: So-called recovery-room operators buy lists of people who lost money in worthless investment schemes, then call to "help" recover their losses--for up-front fees.

With more people using internet research as their first line of consumer knowledge and defense Clickfirst is growing in popularity. Companies who are registering at Clickfirst will see large spikes in their sales because of their presence on the site. As more companies find out about and then become members of the Consumer Advocate Network, consumers will increasingly rely on the site as the first place to go to before making a buying decision. They will click first before they purchase or invest. That is one way to foil the attempts of unethical companies and scammers looking to make a clean get away with consumer payments.

Bob Cefail

Editor In Chief

Press Direct International

Article Source : Pg. 38

About Author

Both Bill Rice & Bob Cefail are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Bill Rice has sinced written about articles on various topics from Asset Management, Internet Marketing and Multi Level Marketing. Kaleidico provides industry leading sales and software. Our thought leadership position in online lead generation and. Bill Rice's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.

Bob Cefail has sinced written about articles on various topics from Internet Marketing, Boating and Computers and The Internet. Bob Cefail is one of the founders of In Touch Marketing and Editor In Cheif for Press Direct International.. Bob Cefail's top article generates over 2400 views. to your Favourites.