Why does Chess.com use a fake testimonial???

I was considering getting a premium membership on Chess.com then I noticed that the picture of the "Peter" is a fake...

The person's real name is Jeremy Sumpter, an American actor, and probably not one to use a fake name or even know about his photo being used.

Image Search Results

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/jeremy-sumpter/images/7553908/title/jeremy-photo

So are you, or are you not a green frog puppet?

That's hilarious. Don't ya just love marketing?

Depending on your answer I may not be able to trust your testimony.

Suppose I changed my display picture to Gerard Butler as King Leonidas from the movie 300 - should everyone assume that's me? Is it not a common practice of internet denizens to use display pictures of people or things other than themselves? "What madness is this?" (...and cue the next line...)

Yeah, and I'm really a Yorp. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to type without arms...

Judging from the OP's alias, he must be a marriage-breaker...

I really am an orange bird.

Misleading sure, like many people's avatars.

Could it just be 'Peter's' avatar?

I really am a floating goat. as i type with these cloven hooves of mine, i'm still trying to figure out how to guid this thing back to shore, and how am i getting internet connection in the middle of this lake?

It could be. It's pointless discussing this, though why some members pretend to be other people (imposter) is far more hilarious.

the point that every sarcastic post on this thread is trying to make is, YES! that picture is just "peter's" avatar. Peter is probably a fan of whoever you said that actor was.

mystery solved.

The difference is if you're using a picture with a testimonial you're to assume that the picture actually represents someone, otherwise you'd just see something like this everywhere.

I've never seen a marketing campaign where the testimonial is actually a picture of someone else unless they were blatantly dishonest and fabricating the testimonial itself.

"After using MuscleBuildingSecrets.com for three months I've seen massive gains and know life will never be the same."
- Craig 

There is at least one huge difference. even if chess.com fabricated the testimonial, does the picture of "peter" really make any statement about his chess ability?

the pic you put with your example would obviously be false advertising if it was fabricated, but the picture of "peter" doesn't show him checkmating a grandmaster, or doing anything else chess related. the picture doesn't make him look like a better chess player.

this is why i'm pretty sure it's just some guy's avatar.

So just ask a premium member for a picture w/ a real testimonial or don't use one at all... So would my testimonial be more credible if it was still a fake picture, but still not well known?

I think not. 

This exact same thing has been brought up a few times in the years I've been on this site, with a different person pointing this out.

That is Jeremy Sumpter though.  The whole thing is pretty funny if you ask me.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838911/?ref_=nv_sr_1

maybe they asked him to send in a real pic with his testamonial and he sent that as a joke? this is the internet, and i think that the best policy is to a) assume everyone is a troll and let them prove you wrong later, and b) to assume everything you read is in some way fake until you find proof that it isn't.

follow those two tips and you will be much less troubled by these kinds of things.

So you think the whole thing is a plant?  There is no "Peter" from Germany, and he never said that?  You think the whole thing was fabricated from whole cloth?