GVS Affiliate Partner Scheme Code of Conduct

At Gutter Vacuum Systems Ltd (GVS), our reputation has been built on supplying professional equipment, providing knowledgeable support and maintaining high standards within the exterior cleaning industry.

Anyone representing or recommending GVS through our Affiliate Partner Scheme has a responsibility to uphold those standards.

This Code of Conduct sets out what we expect from every GVS Affiliate, Pro Partner and Ambassador. It applies to all promotional activity relating to GVS, whether through social media, websites, video platforms, blogs, email, face-to-face recommendations or any other channel.

Participation in the GVS Affiliate Partner Scheme is conditional upon complying with this Code alongside our Affiliate Partner Scheme Terms & Conditions.

1. Represent GVS professionally

We want our Partners to have their own personalities, opinions and styles. We don't expect scripted reviews or manufactured praise.

We do, however, expect Partners to behave professionally.

When promoting GVS, Partners must:

  • Be honest and respectful when dealing with customers, GVS staff, other businesses and members of the public.
  • Give genuine opinions and recommendations.
  • Never knowingly provide false or misleading information.
  • Never create or encourage fake reviews, testimonials or endorsements.
  • Avoid offensive, discriminatory, threatening or otherwise inappropriate content when representing or promoting GVS.
  • Never pretend to be an independent customer when acting as part of a commercial promotion.
  • Never post their affiliate link or code directly on to a GVS post on any social media channel.

Being a GVS Partner does not mean surrendering your own opinion. Genuine feedback, including constructive criticism, is welcome.

2. Keep product information accurate

GVS sells professional equipment, and accurate information matters.

Partners must take reasonable care when discussing specifications, performance, compatibility, safety information or the intended use of GVS products.

Claims should be based on official GVS information or genuine first-hand experience.

Partners must not:

  • Invent or exaggerate product specifications.
  • Make unsupported performance claims.
  • Alter test results or demonstrations to create a misleading impression.
  • Deliberately omit important information that would make a claim misleading.
  • Make safety, electrical or technical claims that contradict information supplied by GVS.
  • Present personal assumptions as official GVS technical advice.

If you're unsure about a specification or technical claim, ask us before publishing it.

3. Be clear when content is commercial

Transparency is important.

Where a Partner receives commission, free or loaned equipment, payment, discounts or another commercial benefit from GVS, this relationship must be disclosed clearly where required.

For UK audiences, advertising and affiliate content must comply with applicable ASA and CAP requirements.

Disclosures should be prominent and easy for the audience to understand. Appropriate wording may include:

  • Ad
  • Advert
  • Affiliate
  • Paid Partnership with GVS

Hiding a disclosure amongst hashtags, placing it where viewers are unlikely to see it or otherwise attempting to disguise the commercial relationship is not acceptable.

Partners are responsible for ensuring their own advertising disclosures comply with the rules applicable to the content and platform they use.

4. Follow the law and platform rules

All GVS Partners are responsible for ensuring their promotional activity complies with applicable laws, advertising regulations and platform policies.

For UK activity, this may include requirements relating to:

  • Advertising and consumer protection.
  • ASA and CAP advertising rules.
  • UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
  • Privacy and electronic marketing requirements.
  • Online selling and promotional activity.

Partners must also comply with the applicable rules of platforms including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and any other service they use to promote GVS.

5. Use the GVS brand correctly

Approved GVS logos, photographs, graphics, videos and other marketing materials may be provided to Partners.

These materials remain the property of GVS or their respective rights holders.

Partners must not:

  • Alter GVS branding in a way that misrepresents the company.
  • Create websites, social accounts or profiles designed to appear to be an official GVS account.
  • Imply that GVS has endorsed a statement, business or service where it has not.
  • Present themselves as an employee, agent or authorised representative of GVS unless expressly agreed in writing.
  • Use GVS branding in a misleading, defamatory or inappropriate way.

A GVS Affiliate, Pro Partner or Ambassador remains an independent Partner, not an employee or agent of Gutter Vacuum Systems Ltd.

6. Respect other people's content

Partners must respect the intellectual property rights of GVS and third parties.

Do not simply take photographs, videos, music, graphics, written content or other materials belonging to another person or business without the appropriate permission or licence.

Partners are responsible for ensuring they have the necessary rights to anything they publish.

7. No spam, manipulation or artificial sales

We want genuine recommendations generating genuine customers.

Partners must not use techniques intended to artificially generate traffic, clicks, leads or commission.

This includes:

  • Cookie stuffing.
  • Hidden or misleading affiliate links.
  • Malicious redirects.
  • Artificial clicks or transactions.
  • Fake accounts.
  • False reviews.
  • Misleading SEO techniques.
  • Unauthorised voucher or discount websites.
  • Unsolicited bulk messaging or spam.
  • False scarcity or manufactured urgency.
  • Any attempt to manipulate GVS affiliate tracking.

Partners must not purchase through their own affiliate arrangements simply for the purpose of generating commission unless specifically authorised by GVS.

Transactions that GVS reasonably considers fraudulent, artificial or manipulated may be excluded from commission.

8. Competitors and conflicts of interest

GVS understands that people within the exterior cleaning industry may work with, review or purchase from several different manufacturers and suppliers.

However, any material commercial connection with another manufacturer, distributor or supplier of competing exterior-cleaning equipment must be disclosed to GVS when applying to the Scheme and if circumstances subsequently change.

This includes employment, consultancy, agency arrangements, affiliate relationships, paid partnerships or other material commercial interests.

Partners must not use the GVS Affiliate Partner Scheme for the purpose of obtaining confidential commercial information, monitoring GVS activity on behalf of another business or otherwise acting primarily for the benefit of a competitor.

Failure to disclose a relevant commercial relationship, or deliberately providing misleading information during the application process, may result in immediate removal from the Scheme.

9. Keep Partner information confidential

From time to time, Partners may receive information that has not yet been made public.

This might include:

  • New or forthcoming products.
  • Product launches.
  • Promotional campaigns.
  • Partner-specific commission arrangements.
  • Discount structures.
  • Product testing.
  • Commercial information.
  • Embargoed photographs, videos or specifications.

Where information is identified as confidential or is clearly not intended for public release, Partners must not share it without permission from GVS.

Individual commission arrangements and commercially negotiated Partner terms should also be treated as confidential unless GVS confirms otherwise.

10. Competitor comparisons

Partners may express genuine opinions and make legitimate comparisons based on their own experience.

However, comparisons must be fair, accurate and capable of being substantiated.

Partners must not make false or defamatory statements about competitors or deliberately manipulate demonstrations to make another manufacturer's product perform poorly.

We would rather our equipment prove itself on its own merits.

Where a Partner intends to publish a significant technical, performance or price comparison involving GVS equipment, GVS may request supporting information to verify any claims relating specifically to our products.

11. Customer data and privacy

Partners must handle personal information responsibly and comply with applicable privacy and data protection legislation.

Partners must not collect, access, store or process customer information on behalf of GVS unless specifically authorised to do so.

Any cookies, tracking technologies, email marketing or similar activity operated independently by a Partner remains that Partner's responsibility and must comply with applicable legislation.

12. Work with us if something needs correcting

Mistakes can happen.

If GVS identifies incorrect specifications, misleading claims, outdated information or other content that could cause confusion, we may contact the Partner and request that it is corrected or removed.

Partners are expected to cooperate reasonably and promptly.

Likewise, if you're unsure about something before publishing it, speak to us first.

13. Breaching this Code

We want the GVS Affiliate Partner Scheme to reward genuine people who genuinely support and recommend our products.

Where we believe this Code or our Scheme Terms have been breached, GVS may take appropriate action depending upon the circumstances.

This may include:

  • Requesting that content is corrected or removed.
  • Temporarily suspending an Affiliate account or promotional code.
  • Withholding commission associated with fraudulent, manipulated or non-compliant transactions.
  • Moving a Partner to another Scheme level.
  • Terminating participation in the GVS Affiliate Partner Scheme.

Serious misconduct, fraud, deliberate deception or activity that places GVS, our customers or our reputation at risk may result in immediate termination.

14. Your content remains your responsibility

GVS Partners operate independently and remain responsible for the content they create and publish.

The opinions expressed by a Partner are their own and should not be presented as the official views of Gutter Vacuum Systems Ltd unless the content has specifically been issued or approved by GVS.

Accepting the GVS Partner Code

By joining and remaining within the GVS Affiliate Partner Scheme, you agree to follow this Code of Conduct together with the applicable Scheme Terms & Conditions.

GVS may update this Code from time to time as the Scheme develops or where changes are required to reflect legislation, advertising standards, platform requirements or the needs of the Scheme.

Be genuine. Be accurate. Be professional.

That's how we expect GVS to operate, and it's what we expect from the people who choose to partner with us.