Mountain Rose Herbs Online Affiliate Advertiser Contract

Mountain Rose Herbs Online Affiliate Advertiser Contract

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This agreement is between you, once accepted, and Mountain Rose Herbs. It contains the complete terms and conditions for your participation in our Online Affiliate Advertising Program(“the Program”).

Please Note: "we," "us," and "our" refer to Mountain Rose Herbs; "you," "yours," and "your" refer to the affiliate advertiser.

GENERAL RULES AND RESTRICTIONS

  • In order to join and remain in the Program, you must have and maintain an established and consistent online presence as determined by us in our sole discretion.  
  • We reserve the right to accept or reject any application we review within our sole discretion.
  • You must be at least 18 years of age and a legal resident of the United States or Canada.
  • You may not transfer this agreement to anyone else. You may not collaborate with anyone else, including others working on your behalf, without our prior written approval.
  • You must own and control the website and social media accounts supplied in your affiliate application.
  • The website and social media accounts supplied in your affiliate application are the only ones permitted to host your affiliate link.
  • Your affiliate link is non-transferable to other accounts or businesses, even if you maintain ownership or management of them.
  • You are responsible for letting us know if you change your website or social media accounts.
  • We expect you to regularly create original content and/or provide rich informational resources related to herbs, herbalism, sustainable living, aromatherapy, natural body care, environmentalism, tea culture, culinary recipes, etc. on your website and the social media accounts where you use your affiliate link.
  • You are prohibited from using artificial intelligence (AI) in any way to generate additional traffic to your links or otherwise increase your potential for revenue using your affiliate link.
  • You are prohibited from using any combination of the three words “Mountain,” “Rose,” and/or “Herbs” in the url/web address or title of your website.
  • You may not purchase or register any search terms, keywords, or other identifiers that include the phrase "Mountain Rose Herbs" (including similar variations, such as "Mountain Rose," "Rose Mountain Herbs," "Mountain Rose products," "Mountain Rose coupon") for use in any search engine, directory, portal, sponsored advertising service, or other search service.
  • You are prohibited from taking out any paid ads to generate traffic to your affiliate link.
  • You shall ensure that your activities on your website and social media accounts, including your use of your affiliate link, are in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

MINIMUMS

All affiliate partners must generate at least 12 sales and 120 clicks per year to maintain their active status. If your minimum is not met, we will send you an email giving you 30 days to reach these minimums. If not achieved by the end of the 30 day period, your link will be deactivated. You may reapply after 6 months of deactivation.

TERMINATION OR CANCELLATION

If at any time we determine, in our sole discretion, that you are in violation of any rule or requirement hereunder, we reserve the right to terminate this agreement immediately and without any advance notice to you.  By way of example and not limitation, we may terminate this agreement if you engage in defamation, or misrepresentation; use spam email to promote yourself; take out paid ads to drive traffic to your associate link, manipulate data and/or traffic in a manner that makes your site appear more favorable or interrupts search engines’ quality site tracking and ranking; if you link to us from a site that would bring us into disrepute; if you fail to provide the tax forms described below when requested to do so; or if you engage in prohibited solicitation activities or make unsubstantiated health claims as described below.

In addition, we or you may cancel this agreement at any time for any reason or for no reason. Any such cancellation notice must be communicated to the other party in writing in a timely manner.   Commissions earned prior to the effective date of termination or cancellation are eligible for payout per our payment terms set out below.

PAYMENT INFORMATION and IRS DISCLOSURE RESPONSIBILITIES

  • You will be paid a 10% commission for the referral of each and every non-wholesale customer that makes a purchase within 30 days of coming to us via an approved use of your affiliate link. For each customer, only the first order that is received per click will be eligible for commission. Purchases arising from clicks that arrive to us in a manner that is not compliant with the Program rules are not eligible for commission.  For example, any purchases arising out of paid ads are not eligible.  Commission is calculated on the product total, less any discounts, and excludes calculated shipping and tax charges.
  • Commissions are calculated at the end of each month.  Payment is processed monthly and will only be remitted if you have reached $50.00 or more in commissions at the time of payout.  Unpaid commissions will roll over.  No payment will be made unless and until you reach $50.00  If at the time your agreement is terminated or cancelled the current commission amount is less than $50.00, you will not receive a final payout.
  • No commission will be paid on orders placed by wholesale customers. Wholesale customers are a pre-approved group of people that are enrolled in an exclusive discount program and as such, are ineligible from also receiving or contributing to another's affiliate sales.
  • By entering into this agreement, you agree not to disclose the dollar amount of commissions you receive from us or any other specifics about the financial arrangement between you and Mountain Rose Herbs to any outside parties.
  • Payments will be made by way of the AspireIQ platform. It is your responsibility to maintain current payment and contact information on the platform. If there is any payment dispute between you and AspireIQ, the dispute must be resolved between you and AspireIQ.
  • We reserve the right to withhold payment if we believe any customer purchase eligible for commission results from activities prohibited within these Terms and Conditions.

    ACCOUNT SUSPENSIONS

    We reserve the right to suspend your account while we investigate any potential irregularities in purchases from your affiliate link or otherwise associated with commissions.  You agree to cooperate with us during any investigation, including providing us with requested information and documentation. For example, you may be asked to provide examples of blogs or posts from your affiliate links. In any investigation, you will be given a maximum of 7 days to furnish requested information and documents.  

    This right is in addition to, and not in lieu of, our right to terminate this agreement without notice in the event of your breach of this agreement.

    USE OF GRAPHICS AND LINKS, LIMITATIONS OF USE

    • If as part of your advertising platform a viewer clicks on your link to us and places an order with Mountain Rose Herbs, the viewer becomes our customer. You will not have access to the customer’s account or contact information in our hands, and you will not be allowed to communicate with the customer about the customer’s orders placed with us. We are responsible for all customer service, fulfillment, processing, shipping, and after-order inquiries made with the customer.
    • This agreement does not constitute a joint venture, partnership, franchise, or other representative business relationship between us. You will be paid as an advertiser of our products. Our acceptance of your application to be an affiliate does not constitute, and must not be characterized as, a representation relationship between us, or as our endorsement of you.
    • We may at any time refuse any link, text, or referring graphic used to forward a viewer to the Mountain Rose Herbs website.
    • Linking to us through the use of junk mail, email server programs, spam, hit distribution networks, pay-per-click programs, through mass distribution in chat rooms, or on our own social networking sites, is strictly prohibited. We may determine in our sole discretion what is an inappropriate use of our name, trademarks, website, and social networking sites..
    • We are not responsible for traffic lost through high security settings, firewall parameters, or any other settings or equipment which prevents the necessary cookies from being installed.
    • You are solely responsible for the development, operation, maintenance, and technical operation of your sites, including all materials that appear on your sites and related equipment.

    INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR

    You are an independent contractor, and not an employee, of Mountain Rose Herbs. You are responsible for performing the services described in the agreement, and for providing your own tools, equipment, and supplies. You shall not represent yourself as an agent of ours and you have no authority to bind us. You are responsible for obtaining all applicable licenses, permits, and insurance required for the performance of this Agreement. You represent and warrant that you have all such required licenses and permits. All activities and work performed under this Agreement will be at your own risk and liability. You represent and warrant that you meet the definition of independent contractor under Oregon and federal laws and that you are customarily engaged in an independently established business. You acknowledge that neither you nor any of your employees, if any, have any rights in or under any health, liability or disability or other insurance policies maintained by Mountain Rose Herbs, nor to any overtime, vacation, holiday, sick leave, or other benefits. You further acknowledge that neither you nor your employees, if any, have any right to claim unemployment compensation, workers’ compensation or disability compensation pursuant to this Agreement, or as a result of your relationship with us. You shall be responsible for all self-employment, Social Security and other taxes, fines, penalties or other liability to the State of Oregon or to the Internal Revenue Service of the United States or to any other entity with taxing jurisdiction relating to the payments hereunder, and you will indemnify and hold Mountain Rose Herbs harmless form any claim, loss, liability or expenses (including reasonable attorney fees) arising out of your tax obligations, including any claim against Mountain Rose Herbs by any taxing authority, or any claim by your employees claiming any wages or benefits from Mountain Rose Herbs. You agree to supply us with a valid Form W-9 upon request, and any payment may be conditioned upon the prior receipt of such W-9. Mountain Rose Herbs will not reimburse you for any expenses, fees, charges or other costs. You will keep any expense documentation for your own tax reporting purposes.

    GRANT OF LICENSE AND RESTRICTED USE

    • Once you are accepted into the Program, for the duration of your participation we grant you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable right to use our banners, advertisements, links, trademarks, photography, branded materials, and logos solely for the purpose of advertising our website.
    • We have the option to exercise sole editorial discretion on how links to our website are worded or described on the affiliate's site, but we are not responsible for the creation or the content of the links on your site. You also agree to fully cooperate to work with us to maintain and manage links to our website.
    • Because of the constantly changing nature of our website, it is your responsibility to update and manage your links to our website. We are not responsible for alerting you as to when or how we anticipate changing the links or directions to content on our website.

    CHANGES TO THIS AGREEMENT

    We may change the wording and structure of these terms at any time. When a change to these terms and agreements occurs, we will notify you within 30 days, and you will thereafter be bound by such changes unless you terminate this agreement before the changes take effect.

    PRIVACY

    Maintaining your privacy is a major concern for us. We will not sell, disperse, trade or otherwise disseminate your contact information to any organization without your permission.

    LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY

    WE WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU WITH RESPECT TO ANY SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS AGREEMENT UNDER ANY CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHER LEGAL OR EQUITABLE THEORY FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOSS OF REVENUE OR GOODWILL OR ANTICIPATED PROFITS OR LOST BUSINESS), EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. FURTHER, NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY CONTAINED IN THIS AGREEMENT, EXCEPT FOR YOUR COMMISSION PAYMENT, IN NO EVENT SHALL MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS BECOME LIABLE TO YOU ARISING OUT OF ANY ACT OR OMISSION RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT, WHETHER BASED IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, TORT OR OTHER LEGAL OR EQUITABLE THEORY, IN AN AGGREGATE AMOUNT EXCEEDING THE TOTAL ADVERTISING FEES PAID TO YOU UNDER THIS AGREEMENT IN THE 12-MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM(S).

    Indemnification. You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless, as well as our employees, representatives, officers, agents and other affiliates, against any and all claims, suits, actions, or other proceedings brought against any of the foregoing based on or arising from any claim:

    1. That our use of any material provided by you infringes on any copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret or any other intellectual property right of any third party, or
    2. Resulting from your breach of this Agreement or resulting from your breach of any third party intellectual property right or misappropriation of any material, or resulting from any of your defamatory, libelous act or resulting from your violation of any third party right of publicity or privacy. You will pay any and all costs, damages, and expenses, including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys' fees and costs awarded against or otherwise incurred by any indemnified party in connection with or arising from any such claim, suit, action, or proceeding.

    MISCELLANEOUS

    • This agreement, along with your affiliate advertiser program application which is hereby incorporated by reference, constitutes the entire agreement between you and us with respect to the Program.  This agreement may only be modified as described in the “Changes to this Agreement” section above.
    • In any proceeding to enforce or interpret this agreement, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover from the losing party its reasonable attorney fees, costs, and expenses before and at any trial, arbitration, bankruptcy or any other proceeding and in any appeal or review.
    • This agreement will be governed by and construed according to Oregon law, without regard to its conflict of laws principles.
    • Except as prohibited by law, all disputes or claims arising out of, related to, or in connection with this agreement will be resolved exclusively by binding arbitration in Eugene, Oregon, whether arising prior to or after the date of this agreement.  Any arbitration proceeding hereunder will be governed by the provisions of ORS 36.600, et. seq, as amended from time to time.  The arbitrator will be one mutually selected by the parties or, if they cannot agree within ten (10) days after the service of a notice of arbitration by the aggrieved party upon the other, an arbitrator will be selected by the Circuit Court in Lane County as provided in ORS 36.645 (Appointment of Arbitrator). 
    • The parties waive any right they may have to a jury trial, and further waive any right to initiate any action in state or federal court prior to appointment of an arbitrator and the arbitrator’s authorization to act except for the limited purpose of: (a) compelling arbitration after a party has refused to accept a request to arbitrate; (b) compelling selection of an arbitrator as provided in ORS 36.645; and (c) obtaining provisional relief as provided in ORS 36.630 (Provisional Remedies).  The exclusive jurisdiction and venue for any such court proceeding will be Lane County Circuit Court, Eugene, Oregon. 

    USE OF USER GENERATED CONTENT

    By posting about and tagging Mountain Rose Herbs on any digital media channel (hereinafter referred to as “Content”), you hereby confirm that the submission of your Content is governed by these Submission Terms:

    • You represent that you own the Content that you submit.
    • You are giving Mountain Rose Herbs a license to use the Content.
    • In connection with our marketing, advertising and promotional activities as they appear in any form, media, or technology, you hereby grant us a perpetual, nonrevocable, worldwide, royalty free, non-exclusive right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute and display any Content, including your name and other identifying information, any social media identifier, handle, profile picture, image, likeness, posts, statements or other information provided by you as Content. We will use our best efforts to credit the photographer whose work is displayed in all uses we make of your Content. We may authorize our public relations and advertising agents and subcontractors to use your Content on our behalf, and not otherwise.

    PROHIBITED SOLICITATION

    Though you may have other services you provide to your clients, we are specifically paying you for advertising on an online platform only. We are not paying you for any activities in your state that are directed toward any followers you happen to have in your state. Please do not perform any activities on our behalf on the ground in your state. We are choosing to have you advertise for us online based on your online following and presence. Though it is not our responsibility to monitor your activities, if the advertising you perform for us is found to be outside the desired parameters above you will be contacted and if the activities continue your contract will be cancelled.

    HEALTH CLAIMS

    Participants in the Program are required to comply with FDA guidance for structure/function and disease claims in association with the promotion of herbal dietary supplements. If you are found to be making disease claims or unsubstantiated structure/function claims while promoting our products, your account will be cancelled or suspended until the claims are removed or brought into compliance. For additional information, please review the following links:

    In addition to this, you are only to recommend using products in accordance with their intended use and in ways that are within their safety recommendations. Products that are listed for external use only should not be recommended for internal use. If you are in doubt about the suggested use of any product, please review each ingredient's product profile on www.mountainroseherbs.com, or contact Mountain Rose Herbs.

    FTC REQUIRED DISCLOSURES

    You, as a participant in the Program, are required to disclose your relationship with Mountain Rose Herbs and generally comply with all applicable Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requirements for ad disclosures, as well as any state laws related to truth in advertising or unfair trade practices. By entering into this agreement, you are representing that you are familiar with these rules and how to comply with the rules and that you will strictly comply with these rules, as well as all other legal requirements. Regulations are subject to change, and it is your sole responsibility to stay current on these requirements. If you fail to comply with this Policy, Mountain Rose Herbs may take remedial action, require the post be edited or removed, or, in the case of refusal to edit/delete or for repeated noncompliance, terminate its relationship with you.

    You can find more information at the following links: