Self Regulation
About ERSP
The Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program (ERSP) was established in 2004. ERSP's mission is to enhance consumer confidence in electronic retailing by providing a quick and effective mechanism for resolving inquiries regarding the truthfulness and accuracy of claims in direct response advertising. ERSP is managed as a separate self-regulatory program administered for the National Advertising Review Council (NARC) by the Council of Better Business Bureaus. ERSP continues to play an important role in preventing deceptive claims from remaining on the air. To date, companies working with ERSP have modified or discontinued nearly two hundred advertisements. ERSP is an example of how industry self-regulation can improve industry standards and the consumer experience.
ERSP Frequently Asked Questions
NARC Self-Regulation Program (ERSP) Policies
Report a Problem
ERSP uses feedback from both competitors and consumers. If you had a bad experience with a product you bought, please visit Savvy Shopper to report it. If you believe a competitor is making unsubstantiated claims, please contact Bob Hilleman at bhilleman@narc.bbb.org to file a competitor challenge.
ERSP Statistics
(August 2004-October 2009)
| 4550 | |
| Individual Products Tracked | 3015 |
| 250 | |
|
Approximately 4000
|
|
|
Approximately 2700
|
|
|
166
|
|
|
6
|
|
237
|
||
|
Average Case Length (Calendar Days)
|
65 days
|
|
|
Cases from Monitoring
|
135
|
|
|
Cases from Consumer Challenges*
|
73 | |
|
Cases from Competitor Challenges*
|
75 | |
|
Compliance Cases
|
24
|
|
|
*some cases duplicate competitor/consumer challenge
|
||
|
226
|
||
|
Advertising Modified or Discontinued
|
208 | |
|
FTC Nonparticipation Referrals
|
15
|
|
|
Compliance Referral to FTC
|
3
|
|
|
13
|
||
|
117
|
||