Our core commitment
The Product Report is 100% funded by our members. We do not accept payments, free products, sponsorships, or advertising revenue from the brands or manufacturers whose products we test and review.
1. What we consider "brand influence"
The following activities are prohibited under this policy:
- Accepting payment from brands to test, review, or feature their products.
- Receiving free products from manufacturers for review purposes.
- Display advertising or sponsored content from product brands.
- Brand sponsorships of our content, events, or operations.
- Paid placements or "featured" listings for products we review.
- Revenue-sharing arrangements tied to product ratings or verdicts.
2. What is permitted
The following activities are permitted and do not compromise our independence:
- Affiliate links to retailers (Amazon, Walmart, etc.) — we may earn a commission on purchases, but this never affects our ratings.
- Member subscriptions — our primary funding source.
- Merchandise sales (t-shirts, mugs, etc.).
- Speaking fees or educational partnerships unrelated to product reviews.
- Grants from foundations or non-profits focused on consumer protection.
2.1 Affiliate link disclosure
When you click a "Where to Buy" link, we may receive a small commission from the retailer at no additional cost to you. This revenue helps fund our testing. Importantly:
- Affiliate revenue never influences our testing methodology or verdicts.
- We link to the same retailers regardless of screening results.
- Our editorial and testing teams do not have visibility into affiliate earnings.
3. Product acquisition policy
To ensure unbiased testing, we follow strict product acquisition protocols:
- Anonymous purchase: All products are purchased anonymously from retail channels (Amazon, Walmart, Target, direct websites, grocery stores).
- No free samples: We do not accept products sent by manufacturers, even if unsolicited.
- Random selection: Products are selected based on popularity, member requests, and category coverage — not brand preferences.
- Blind testing: Laboratory partners do not know the retail source or our expected outcomes.
4. Manufacturer response process
We believe in fairness. Before publishing critical findings, we offer manufacturers the opportunity to respond:
- Manufacturers may submit updated lab certificates or reformulation evidence.
- All manufacturer responses are reviewed and, when relevant, published alongside our findings.
- We maintain a Manufacturer Dispute Portal for formal responses.
- Responses do not influence our ratings unless supported by verifiable evidence.
5. Our independence guarantee
Refund guarantee
If The Product Report ever violates this Independence Policy by accepting brand sponsorships or advertising revenue from companies whose products we review, we will refund your most recent subscription payment upon request.
This guarantee applies to payments made within 12 months of the violation. To request a refund, email legal@theproductreport.org with evidence of the alleged violation.
6. Transparency measures
We maintain transparency through:
- Public disclosure of our funding sources on this page.
- Clear labelling of affiliate links throughout our site.
- Published methodology explaining how products are tested and rated.
- Annual transparency reports (coming 2026).
7. Reporting violations
If you believe we have violated this Independence Policy, contact us immediately:
- Email: legal@theproductreport.org
- Subject line: "Independence Policy Concern"
All reports are reviewed by our leadership team within 5 business days.