Affiliate Disclosure

1. What is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based advertising model where websites (like BritExotics) earn commission by promoting products or services from third-party companies.

Here's how it works:

We include special tracking links (affiliate links) to products or services we recommend
When you click these links and make a purchase, the retailer pays us a small commission
This commission comes from the retailer, not from you - you pay the same price whether you use our link or not
These commissions help fund our free educational content, vet directory, and operational costs

Under UK advertising law (ASA CAP Code), we are required to clearly identify all affiliate marketing content as advertising before you click or engage with it. This page explains where and how we use affiliate links, and how we maintain editorial independence.

2. Our Affiliate Relationships

BritExotics currently participates in (or plans to participate in) the following affiliate marketing programs:

Current and Future Affiliate Programs:

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Amazon Associates (Phase 2) - Pet supplies, exotic animal equipment, books, and habitat accessories
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Specialist Exotic Pet Retailers (Phase 2) - UK-based retailers offering reptile, bird, and exotic mammal supplies
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Veterinary Product Suppliers (Phase 2) - Professional-grade health and nutrition products for exotic animals
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Educational Resources (Future) - Online courses, books, and training materials for exotic pet owners

Note: As of January 2025, we are in the pre-development phase. Affiliate partnerships will be implemented in Phase 2 of the MVP launch. This disclosure page establishes our transparency commitment from the outset.

We may add additional affiliate partnerships in the future. This page will be updated to reflect any new relationships. We will never participate in affiliate programs for products or services that conflict with exotic animal welfare or UK legal requirements.

3. Where Affiliate Links Appear

Affiliate links may appear in the following areas of BritExotics. All affiliate content is clearly labeled with "Ad" or "*" to comply with ASA requirements:

Blog Posts & Articles

Articles that contain affiliate links will be identified with "Ad:" in the title or a prominent notice at the beginning of the article.

Example: "Ad: Best Thermometers for Chameleon Care in the UK" or a notice stating "Ad: This article contains affiliate links."

Product Reviews & Gear Guides

Product recommendation pages will have a header notice stating "Ad - Affiliate Content" if all products featured are affiliate-linked. If only some products have affiliate links, those specific items will be marked with an asterisk (*) or "Ad" label.

Example: "* Affiliate link - we may earn commission" next to the product link.

Species Care Guides

Our species care guides (e.g., Chameleon Care, Bearded Dragon Setup) are primarily educational and NOT affiliate-focused. However, if we include optional product recommendations, those sections will be clearly labeled as advertising.

Example: A "Recommended Equipment" section with a notice: "Ad: The following product links are affiliate links."

Email Newsletters

Email newsletters containing affiliate links will include a clear disclosure at the beginning: "Ad: This email contains affiliate recommendations."

Social Media Posts

Any social media posts (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X) containing affiliate links will start with "#Ad" in the first 2-3 lines of the caption, visible before the "see more" button.

Where affiliate links will NOT appear:

Veterinary Directory - Our "Find a Vet" directory is 100% editorial and contains no affiliate links or paid listings
Legal Hub - UK legal information pages (DWA, CITES, Animal Welfare Act) are purely educational
Emergency 24/7 Resources - Emergency vet contacts and health crisis information are never monetized
Core educational content - Species biology, health signs, welfare requirements remain purely informational

4. Our Editorial Independence

Affiliate commissions do NOT influence our editorial content, recommendations, or educational mission.

Here's our commitment to you:

Editorial Integrity Principles:

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We only recommend products we genuinely trust. All product recommendations are based on research, UK suitability, exotic animal welfare standards, and relevance to our audience.
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Affiliate status does not determine inclusion. We may recommend non-affiliate products if they are superior or more appropriate for UK exotic pet owners.
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No pay-to-play listings. Our veterinary directory, species guides, and legal resources are 100% editorial. Brands cannot pay for inclusion, higher rankings, or favorable reviews.
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Honest reviews. If we review a product (whether affiliate-linked or not), we provide honest, balanced assessments including limitations, drawbacks, and suitability considerations.
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Animal welfare comes first. We will never promote products that compromise exotic animal welfare, violate UK law (DWA, CITES, Animal Welfare Act), or contradict RCVS guidance.
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Transparency over profit. If a product has better alternatives (even non-affiliate), we'll tell you. Our mission is education, not maximizing commissions.

Important: This website does NOT establish a veterinary-client-patient relationship. All product recommendations are general suggestions only. Always consult an RCVS-registered exotic animal veterinarian before making decisions about your animal's health, diet, housing, or care. See our Disclaimer for full legal terms.

5. How Your Support Helps Us

When you purchase products through our affiliate links, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. These commissions help fund BritExotics and support our mission to provide free, high-quality educational content for UK exotic pet owners.

Where your support goes:

Website hosting, maintenance, and technical infrastructure
Research and creation of comprehensive species care guides
Updating and verifying veterinary directory information
Creating educational blog content, emergency resources, and legal guides
Ensuring UK-specific parameters (°C, RCVS, DWA, CITES compliance)
Future features: habitat calculators, interactive guides, mobile app

Thank you for supporting BritExotics. By using our affiliate links when you make purchases, you help us continue providing free, trustworthy information that benefits the UK exotic pet community.

6. Our Commitment to Transparency (ASA Compliance)

BritExotics is committed to full compliance with the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) CAP Code, which governs affiliate marketing in the United Kingdom.

ASA CAP Code Requirements (Rules 2.1 & 2.3):

Rule 2.1: "Marketing communications must be obviously identifiable as such."
Rule 2.3: "Marketing communications must make clear their commercial intent, if that is not apparent from the context."

How We Meet ASA Standards:

1.
Clear Labels: We use "Ad" or "#Ad" (not ambiguous terms like "Aff" or "affiliate link" alone) to identify advertising content, as required by ASA guidance.
2.
Upfront Disclosure: Affiliate disclosures appear BEFORE you click or engage with affiliate content (in titles, opening paragraphs, or prominent notices).
3.
No Hidden Disclosures: We do NOT rely solely on footer notices, "About Us" pages, or Terms & Conditions for disclosure. Disclosures are on the same page as affiliate content.
4.
Visible & Conspicuous: Disclosures are clearly visible without scrolling past multiple screens, clicking dropdowns, or viewing comments.
5.
Complete Explanation: We explain the commercial relationship (commission on purchases) so consumers understand the financial incentive.

We regularly review ASA rulings and guidance to ensure ongoing compliance. If you believe any content on BritExotics does not meet ASA standards, please contact us immediately so we can address the issue.

7. Which Products and Services Have Affiliate Links

To maximize transparency, here are the categories of products and services that may include affiliate links on BritExotics:

Products & Services That May Be Affiliate-Linked:

Habitat Equipment & Supplies:

Terrariums, vivariums, aquariums, heating lamps, UVB lighting, thermometers, hygrometers, thermostats, hides, substrates, decor, and habitat accessories.

Food & Nutrition:

Frozen/live feeders, commercial diets, supplements (calcium, vitamins), feeding tools, and gut-loading supplies.

Health & Wellness Products:

Non-prescription supplements, reptile-safe cleaners, mite treatments, wound care products, and veterinary-recommended OTC items.

Books & Educational Resources:

Care manuals, species-specific books, online courses, and training materials for exotic pet owners.

Services:

Pet insurance (exotic coverage), online veterinary consultations (where applicable), and related professional services.

Important Limitations:

•No prescription medicines: We never recommend or link to prescription-only veterinary medicines (POM-V). These can only be prescribed by an RCVS-registered veterinarian.
•No illegal products: We do not promote products for species prohibited under UK law (DWA without license, IAS, CITES violations).
•No welfare-compromising products: We will not affiliate with products that contradict RSPCA, RCVS, or scientific exotic animal welfare standards.

8. What Affiliate Relationships Do NOT Influence

The following content areas are 100% editorial and never influenced by affiliate commissions or commercial relationships:

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Veterinary Directory: No vet clinics pay for listings, rankings, or "verified" status. All listings are compiled from public RCVS data.
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Species Care Parameters: Temperature (°C), humidity (%), UVB requirements, enclosure sizes, and diet recommendations are based on veterinary and scientific sources, not commercial interests.
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UK Legal Guidance: Information about DWA, CITES, Animal Welfare Act, IAS regulations is purely educational and sourced from official UK Government and DEFRA resources.
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Emergency Resources: 24/7 emergency vet contacts, health crisis checklists, and urgent care information are never monetized.
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Core Educational Content: Species biology, behavior, health signs, welfare requirements, and husbandry best practices remain purely informational.

Our editorial mission is education, not sales. Affiliate relationships exist to sustain the website financially, but they do not dictate what we teach or recommend.

9. Your Choices and Alternatives

You are never required to use our affiliate links. Here are your options:

Use affiliate links to support us: If you find our content helpful and want to support BritExotics, using our affiliate links when you shop is greatly appreciated.
Navigate directly to retailers: You can search for products independently by typing the retailer's website directly into your browser.
Compare prices: We encourage you to compare prices across multiple retailers to ensure you get the best value.
Consult your vet first: Always confirm product suitability with your RCVS-registered exotic animal veterinarian before purchasing.

Regardless of which option you choose, our educational content remains free and accessible to all UK exotic pet owners.

10. Questions, Concerns, or Feedback

We are committed to transparency and welcome your questions or concerns about our affiliate relationships.

If you have questions about:

Which products have affiliate links
How affiliate commissions work
Our editorial independence policies
ASA compliance or disclosure practices
Reporting content that you believe is not properly disclosed

Please contact us using the information below. We will respond promptly and address any concerns.

BritExotics

Email: hello@britexotics.co.uk

Website: britexotics.co.uk

We aim to respond to all inquiries within 48 hours.

11. Updates to This Affiliate Disclosure

We may update this affiliate disclosure from time to time to reflect:

New affiliate partnerships or programs
Changes in ASA guidance or UK advertising regulations
Updates to our disclosure practices
Feedback from users or regulatory bodies

The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when this disclosure was last revised. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about our affiliate relationships and transparency commitment.

Material changes to this disclosure will be prominently communicated on our website and, where applicable, via email newsletter to subscribed users.

Summary: Key Transparency Commitments

•All affiliate content is clearly labeled with "Ad" or "*" BEFORE you click
•We only recommend products we genuinely trust and believe benefit UK exotic pet owners
•Affiliate commissions do NOT influence our vet directory, care guides, or emergency resources
•Animal welfare and UK legal compliance always come before commercial interests
•We are fully committed to ASA CAP Code compliance and transparent advertising
•Your support through affiliate links helps us provide free educational content - thank you!

In Plain English