Marketplace Rules

[marquis]

The Marketplace forum is provided as a service to qualified Dublin Ranch Lifestyle forum members, allowing them to buy, sell or trade items they own with other members. The rules, which have been fine-tuned over time, are designed to make the Marketplace serve its purpose efficiently and to minimize problems.

All threads offering items for sale or trade, asking to buy items, or asking for pricing advice on items to be sold must be posted in the Marketplace forum and are subject to these rules. Members not eligible for the Marketplace forum may not start threads for such purposes elsewhere in the forums.

The Marketplace is for individual-to-individual sales of personally owned items and is not to be used by or for any commercial business, to sell items purchased for resale purposes, or to promote fundraising efforts. If you represent a business looking to advertise on this site, contact Dublin Ranch Lifestyle directly.

There are other websites more specifically devoted to buying, selling, and trading, and to track buyer/seller reputations. The reason we have our own Marketplace is that it provides more focus on the Dublin Ranch locale and is convenient for members who have had opportunities to learn to know each other.

General Rules

Eligibility. To use the Marketplace forum (read threads, start threads, or post replies), you must be a registered forum member.

Forum rules. All regular Forum Rules apply to the Marketplace forum.

Ownership. The Marketplace is for personal sales/trades of items owned by the members involved. You may not state that you are buying, selling, or trading on behalf of others, because it can interfere with responsibility and decision-making; YOU must be the sole party involved in the transaction with another forum member. You must be in physical possession of any items offered for sale at the time they are offered.

Commerce. The Marketplace is not for commercial business. Any violations of this rule will result in immediate account deletion and banning of the IP address in question.

Fundraising. The Marketplace may not be used for fundraising.

Suitable items. We do not permit offers to sell/trade/buy hazardous materials, weapons, or age-restricted items that would be illegal for our members aged 13+ to purchase. We do not permit sales or trades that violate laws or items on eBay's Prohibited and Restricted Items list. When in doubt, contact us for permission before starting a Marketplace thread.

Terms and Conditions. The Marketplace may not be used for transactions that bypass, or are intended to bypass, the Terms and Conditions of a product or service. This includes rules about product resale or service transfer.

Feedback. Dublin Ranch Lifestyle does not maintain its own feedback system. If you have feedback elsewhere, you can post a link to it (and mention the name you use at that site) as a way to convey your credentials to others. Site with feedback systems include eBay, HEATWARE, and Agora. Both parties to a completed or failed transaction may post in that thread to give credit to the other or to report problems. Members may not post feedback in other Marketplace threads. Feedback should be a statement of facts that you know first-hand. If the parties disagree, they should each state their point of view, then let other members draw their own conclusions.

Disclaimer. Dublin Ranch Lifestyle does not and cannot evaluate sales, items, sellers, buyers, or prices. These rules are intended to maintain order and to assist, rather than impede, personal sales and trades among forum members, but cannot ensure that every offer is legitimate or fairly priced. Dublin Ranch Lifestyle is not responsible for the actions of forum members in carrying out the terms of sales, purchases, and trades.

Common sense. Use common sense and be straightforward in your dealmaking. Observe the spirit, not just the letter, of these rules. When in doubt about a rule, ask a moderator. Before entering into a transaction with another member, look at his or her previous Marketplace transactions, feedback from others they have dealt with (very important!), and their forum posting history. Make sure you have contact information outside of the Marketplace forum before sending money or goods to another member.

Rule violations. If you think a sale, buyer, seller, or other forum member is breaking Forum Rules or these Marketplace Rules, report it using the Report Bad Post feature. Don't police the sale yourself. If a member has a history of Marketplace problems or is involved in a disputed transaction, their other Marketplace activity may be frozen.