Our Commitment to Transparency
At Gear Room, we believe in complete transparency with our readers. This page explains how we make money, how we choose products to recommend, and how affiliate links work on our site.
Your trust matters more to us than any commission. We will never recommend a product we don't believe in, regardless of potential earnings.
What Are Affiliate Links?
Many of the product links on Gear Room are "affiliate links". This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission from the retailer at no additional cost to you.
These commissions help us cover the costs of running this site, researching products, and creating helpful content for families preserving their stories.
Important: The price you pay is exactly the same whether you use our affiliate link or go directly to the retailer. You are never charged extra for using our links.
Our Affiliate Partners
We participate in affiliate programmes with the following retailers:
- Amazon Associates - Australia, United States, United Kingdom
- B&H Photo - Camera, audio, and video equipment
- JB Hi-Fi - Australian electronics retailer
We may add or remove affiliate partners over time. This list will be updated accordingly.
How We Choose Products to Recommend
Our recommendations are based on extensive research, real-world testing where possible, and feedback from professional storytellers, videographers, and family historians. We consider:
- Quality and reliability - Does the product perform well and last?
- Value for money - Is it worth the price at each budget tier?
- Suitability for family storytelling - Does it serve our specific use case?
- User reviews and reputation - What do other users say?
- Professional opinion - What do experts in the field recommend?
Editorial independence: We never accept payment to feature or positively review a product. Our recommendations are made independently of any affiliate relationships.
Identifying Affiliate Links
We clearly mark affiliate content on our site in the following ways:
- A disclosure banner appears at the top of every page containing affiliate links
- Individual product links are labelled "Affiliate link" next to them
- All affiliate links use the
rel="sponsored"attribute
Supporting Our Work
If you find our recommendations helpful, using our affiliate links is the best way to support our work at no cost to you. It helps us:
- Keep the site running and ad-free
- Research and test new products
- Create new guides and content
- Update recommendations as products evolve
Of course, you're welcome to purchase products wherever you prefer - our recommendations are valuable whether you use our links or not.
Contact Us
If you have questions about our affiliate relationships or recommendations, we're happy to discuss. Transparency is a core value, and we welcome the opportunity to explain our approach.
Contact us through the Dive Deep Dialogues contact page.
Regulatory Compliance
This disclosure is provided in compliance with:
- United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines on endorsements and testimonials
- Australian Consumer Law requirements for disclosure of commercial relationships
- UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) guidelines on affiliate marketing
- Amazon Associates Programme Operating Agreement
Last updated: January 2026