Affiliate disclosure

Last updated

Short answer

A "Check price" button on TailSpecs leads to the brand's own store. TailSpecs plans to apply to the brands' affiliate programs and is not paid by any of them yet; once a program accepts us, that link becomes a tracked link and TailSpecs may earn a commission if you buy. Every "Check price" button carries the words "Affiliate link" from day one so nothing changes for you when a program goes live, and a commission never changes a model's score.

An affiliate link is a link to a store that tells the store a reader came from TailSpecs. If you buy something after following it, the brand or its affiliate network may pay TailSpecs a commission. The links go through an address on our site that starts with /go/ so they are easy to spot.

What a commission changes

  • Which models get a button. Only models whose brand runs an affiliate program get a "Check price" button. Models without one are still reviewed and scored; next to them we name the closest model that has a store link.
  • Picks. "Our top pick" and similar recommendations go only to models with a store link, chosen by score among them.
  • Order. In lists, models with a store link come before models without one; recalled and discontinued models come last.

What a commission doesn't change

  • Scores. The five-point score uses the same rules for every model, with or without a program (How we research).
  • Facts. Prices, plan costs, complaints and recall checks are shown the same way for every brand.
  • Your price. The store sets the price at checkout; TailSpecs adds nothing to it.

Brands cannot pay for a place in a ranking or for a review. We follow the FTC's Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (16 CFR Part 255).

Which programs

TailSpecs plans to apply to the affiliate programs of the brands that run one (for example Whisker, PETKIT, PetSafe, Fi, Halo, Petcube). Until a program accepts us, its "Check price" button is a plain link to the brand's store and earns nothing. The list of active programs will appear on this page as they go live.