Testimonials reflect typical results or disclose atypical nature

The FTC's Endorsement Guides (updated 2023) require that when a testimonial describes results a consumer would not generally achieve, the advertiser must either disclose what typical results are or clearly indicate the testimonial is exceptional. A homepage testimonial claiming '$80,000 in the first month' with no context implies that result is achievable for buyers — a material misrepresentation. Review-gating flows that only invite satisfied customers to leave public reviews compound the problem by artificially inflating the average star rating, which the FTC also considers deceptive.

Add atypical-result disclosures adjacent to testimonials with specific outcome claims, and fix any review-gating pattern in the invitation flow.

function Testimonial({ quote, author, result }: TestimonialProps) {
  return (
    <blockquote>
      <p>"{quote}"</p>
      <footer>— {author}</footer>
      {result && (
        <p className="text-xs text-gray-500 mt-1">
          {result}. Individual results vary based on use case and
          experience. This outcome is not typical.
        </p>
      )}
    </blockquote>
  )
}

// Review invitation — send to all qualifying users, not filtered by NPS
async function sendReviewInvitation(userId: string) {
  const user = await db.user.findUnique({ where: { id: userId } })
  // 30-day account age gate only — no satisfaction filter
  if (daysSinceSignup(user.createdAt) >= 30) {
    await email.send({ to: user.email, template: 'review-invite' })
  }
  // WRONG: if (npsScore >= 9) sendReviewInvite(user)  // review gating
}

The 2023 Endorsement Guides are explicit: 'Results not typical' alone is insufficient — disclose what typical results actually are, or clearly frame the testimonial as an individual case.