Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council

DSA/BBB National Programs, Inc.
Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council

INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION. INCREASED OVERSIGHT. ACTIVE MONITORING.

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WHO

The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC) was launched in 2019 as a third-party, independent self-regulatory program administered by the non-profit organization BBB National Programs. DSSRC is funded by the Direct Selling Association (DSA).

WHY

Direct selling – when done correctly – can benefit salesforce members and consumers. However, the dissemination of unsupported product claims and the over-embellishment of the amount of money that can be earned through a direct selling opportunity is an ongoing concern in the industry. DSSRC is a proactive effort to identify and eliminate product and earnings claims that are eroding the reputation of the direct selling industry. To be successful, effective self-regulation requires ongoing commitment and participation from companies and salesforce members from across the industry.

WHAT

DSSRC monitors the entire U.S. direct selling industry and embodies the following principles:

Clear industry standards on issues such as product and earning representations
Relevant best practices from other self-regulatory models
A process that both monitors and enforces strict business principles; and
Guidance to raise the bar of excellence for DSA members and the entire direct selling channel.

2019-2022 DSSRC Results

15

cases referred to the Federal Trade Commission for non-response/non-compliance with inquiries

59

public case decisions

Approx.
900,000

unique URLs reviewed for potential infractions

342

COVID-tagged posts

227

administratively closed cases

Download the Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council one pager

Download the DSSRC 2022 Year End Activity Report

Leadership

Peter Marinello is vice president of the BBBNP and serves as the executive director of the DSSRC. He brings a wealth of legal and self-regulatory experience from the National Advertising Division and the Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program. Howard Smith, an attorney with 15 years of business litigation experience, serves as senior staff attorney with the DSSRC.