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The law says that reviewers should disclose their connection to a company but not all of them do.  The video encourages people to learn as much as they can. Before buying anything based on a review, search online for information and credible opinions based on trusted sources.  Compare reviews from a variety of websites.

Transcript

[music playing with no voice over]

Text on screen:

An Important message from the Federal Trade Commission

Whether you’re looking for a hotel

or searching for a new pair of shoes

you probably turn to the internet for customer reviews

from “five stars”, “likes”, “thumbs ups”, or “must buys” –

a positive opinion could impact your decision to buy it or try it.

while blogs, websites, and social networks are great resources –

you may not be getting the whole story.

for example,

your Facebook Friend, who gushes about how a new dog food,

may be receiving a free dog food in exchange for her glowing review

or the hotel, with the five star rating

might have paid a blogger to write a stellar review

while the law says that reviewers should disclose their connection to the company

not all of them do.

it can be difficult to tell if the reviewer has a connection to the company 

So, before you buy anything based on a review...

Do an internet search,

Look for credible opinions from trusted sources,

Compare reviews from a variety of websites

In the end, it pays to learn as much as you can.

To learn more... OnguardOnline.gov/shopping

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