Affinion Adopts Consumer Protection Policies

The Affinion Group is well-known as a leader for implementing high standards in its marketing practices by thinking about the consumer. These policies were developed in conjunction with the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee who voiced concerns regarding post-transaction online marketing.

How Will Affinion Group Protect Consumers

The Senate Commerce Committee began investigating the practices concerning post-transaction online marketing and was influenced by the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) overhaul of telemarketing practices established several years ago. Affinion Group developed consumer protection policies that borrowed the FTC’s regulations concerning telemarketers and applied these regulations to online marketing companies.

Affinion Group wants consumers to experience billing language that is simple and clear so that consumers are more likely to make an informed choice when purchasing online. This means that Affinion wants consumers to openly declare they understand and consent to the online purchase in an effort to ensure their buying safety.

Affinion wants to make sure their up-sell marketing ads don’t take advantage of consumers, but allow consumers to make educated decisions about whether or not they want to accept what Affinion is selling. Affinion will do this by continuing to evaluate their offer language and marketing tactics to make the consumer a number-one priority.

Specific Guidelines Will Protect Consumers

Now, online marketers must give consumers full disclosure that is easy to understand. It must explain each and every term associated with the particular offer and provide this information in more than one place while reading the offer. Also, the consumer cannot be billed unless the online marketer receives informed consent from the purchaser that details the consumer’s agreement to both be charged a specific amount and to have that amount charged to a specified account.

Consumers must also be required to provide the last four numbers of their credit card or account number, which is the minimum requirement. Online marketers can also request the entire number when consumers make multiple online purchases that use pre-acquired account information, as well as a free to pay conversion. Online marketers must also specify in every ad or offer what company is providing the product or service.

Online marketers must voluntarily meet these guidelines, and Affinion wants to apply additional guidelines designed to give consumers access to more product information or access to canceling a particular service should they wish.

For instance, a customer service number that is toll-free (1-800) must be provided and be easy to find in order for consumers to cancel any service and will be found on both the enrollment and confirmation pages. Welcome emails sent to new customers must also include this number.

Affinion will also specify on their enrollment page that consumers are being offered membership in a program or club that is separate from whatever offer they were viewing on another website hosted by a partner. Affinion will also make it clear to consumers that the offer has terms and conditions that differ from the other websites.

Affinion wants to ensure that consumers are confident that when choosing an Affinion product or service that they won’t get tricked into purchasing anything due to lack of disclosure.