Nonprofit Management LLC

Certifications with no test behind them

Between February 2009 and April 2010, Tested Green sold environmental certifications through its website and mass emails, describing itself as “the nation’s leading certification program with over 45,000 certifications in the United States.”

According to the FTC’s complaint, Tested Green never tested any of the companies it certified. It would certify anyone willing to pay, at $189.95 for a “Rapid” certification or $549.95 for a “Pro” certification. Buyers received a logo and a link to a “certification verification page” they could use to advertise their certified status.

The FTC charged that by supplying those logos and pages, the respondents provided the means to deceive consumers further down the line.

The endorsements it owned

Tested Green cited endorsements from the National Green Business Association and the National Association of Government Contractors, presented as independent organizations. Both were owned and operated by Tested Green’s own owner, Jeremy Ryan Claeys.

Why this one matters beyond its size

Seals and certifications exist because most buyers cannot evaluate an environmental claim themselves. As the FTC’s Bureau Director put it, legitimate seals are “a useful tool that can help consumers choose where to place their trust.” A certification sold without testing does not just mislead its buyer, it degrades the value of every genuine seal alongside it.

The order

The respondents may not misrepresent that an outside party has evaluated something on environmental grounds, that they or a third party have expertise to make such an evaluation, the number of certifications issued, or that anything is endorsed by any person or organization. They must disclose any connection to an endorser. The order runs 20 years.

What is not established

A consent order is for settlement purposes only and is not an admission that the law was violated. The supplied document states no monetary relief.