Site‑Specific Rules

• All listings are cleared roughly every thirty days upon publication of the newest issue of Southwoods Magazine usually around the 15th of the month.
• All items will stay listed until the end of the thirty day period even if item(s) have been sold or event has already transpired.
• All postings will only be approved during business hours (Monday–Friday, 10am to 5pm).
• An account is necessary to post, but no account is required to view or use the website.
• Please read all rules and terms of service below before posting or interacting with posts on Southwoods Magazine.

Rules and Terms for Free Classified Ads

1. User Responsibility and Legal Compliance

• Sellers and buyers are completely and solely responsible for negotiating the purchase, sale, or exchange of any personal items, products, or services.
• All transactions and communications with other users are entered into at your own risk and are solely between you and that individual.
• Sellers and buyers must resolve any disputes that arise from transactions among themselves and without our involvement.
• Sellers and buyers are responsible for researching and complying with all applicable laws, regulations, and restrictions related to any items, services, or manner of sale or exchange.
• You may not offer anything that is illegal or that infringes upon anyone else’s rights.
• You may not post material that is false, inaccurate, misleading, defamatory, libelous, profane, obscene, sexually oriented, harmful to minors, discriminatory, degrading, abusive, belittling, hateful, harassing, threatening, hostile, insulting, or otherwise offensive.
• You may not post material intended to discourage, intimidate, hinder, divert, or otherwise interfere with any transactions taking place on this website.
• You remain solely responsible for any content you post and agree to indemnify and hold harmless the owners and staff of this website for any consequences of your actions.
• You may not use this service for any fraudulent activity or purpose, including collecting payment without providing the purchased item or filing false claims.
• You may not use the site if you are unable to form legally binding contracts (for example, if you are under 18) or if you are suspended from using the site.
• You may not offer to sell any item that is not in your possession, that you do not have the right to sell, or that does not exist at the time the ad is posted.

2. Posting Requirements

• All items for sale must be listed, and all ads must include prices. Free Listings will display a price of $0. Ads without prices may be removed.
• Do not create multiple ads for the same item or group of items.
• Do not post identical advertisements in the same category or location.
• Only one item may be listed per advertisement unless items are similar and combined into a single post.
• Do not post content in inappropriate categories.
• Do not list items that are vague in nature or not product‑specific.
• Do not post content that promotes a service or contains editorial content unrelated to the sale of a personal item, product, or service.
• Do not post links to other classified or auction sites.
• Do not use the classifieds section to post messages, feedback, or buyer/seller ratings.
• Ads may not be used to market or advertise stock, sales, or clearance items in a commercial capacity unless otherwise permitted by law.
• You may not post infringing material, including text or images.
• You may not distribute spam, unsolicited communications, chain letters, or pyramid schemes.
• You may not distribute viruses or technologies that may harm the site or its users.
• You may not use robots, spiders, scrapers, or automated means to access the service.
• You may not interfere with the working of the site or impose an unreasonable load on the infrastructure.
• You may not harvest or collect information about users without their consent.
• You may not copy, reproduce, modify, reverse engineer, create derivative works from, distribute, or publicly display any content from the site without prior written permission.

3. Payment and Transaction Conduct

For Sellers

• Do not send items that have not been paid for.
• Be honest about the condition of your item.
• Clearly state whether all transactions are final or whether returns/refunds are accepted.
• Pack items securely, ideally with double‑boxing and protective materials.
• Require delivery confirmation and insurance for shipped items.
• Consider additional protections such as signature confirmation when dealing with unfamiliar buyers.
• Keep all postage records and transaction communications for at least 90 days.
• When using PayPal or similar services, do not request “personal payments” for goods or services.
• Do not add a separate fee to cover payment‑processing fees; the total price must include all costs.
• Consider invoicing buyers for clarity and record‑keeping.

For Buyers

• Use a payment method that allows disputes if the seller fails to deliver as described.
• Do not send “personal payments” when purchasing goods or services.
• Request delivery confirmation and insurance.
• Keep all postage records and communications for at least 90 days.
• If an item arrives damaged, determine whether the issue is improper packing or carrier mishandling and retain all packaging for claims.

For Trades

• Trading carries no inherent buyer/seller protection.
• Consider mutually “purchasing” each other’s items at equal value through a protected payment method to ensure recourse if something goes wrong.

4. Commission‑Related Transactions

If You Are Accepting a Commission

• Do not send items that have not been paid for.
• Be honest about the quality of your work and provide examples when possible.
• Establish clear expectations regarding skill level, turnaround time, deadlines, payment terms, and detail level.
• Clearly state whether all sales are final or whether refunds are offered.
• Pack items securely and require delivery confirmation and insurance.
• Consider signature confirmation for unfamiliar clients.
• Keep all postage records and communications for at least 90 days.

If You Are Seeking a Commission

• Ask for the creator’s terms or guidelines.
• Clarify payment method, deadlines, expectations, and detail level before work begins.
• Use a payment method that allows disputes if the work is not delivered as described.

5. Conduct Toward Other Users

• You must be respectful and courteous.
• Personal attacks, harassment, hostility, or abusive behavior will not be tolerated.
• If you have a problem with another user, contact a moderator or administrator rather than engaging publicly.

6. Safety, Moderation, and Enforcement

• If you believe a law has been broken or fraud has occurred, contact the appropriate enforcement agency.
• If you find an ad objectionable, notify a moderator or administrator.
• Moderators and administrators may remove objectionable content within a reasonable time frame if they determine removal is in the best interest of the community.
• Violations may result in removal or modification of your ad, warnings, temporary suspension, or permanent banning.
• Severe violations may result in immediate termination of posting rights without warning.
• The site may cancel ads, remove inactive accounts, or modify or discontinue services at any time.
• The site is not responsible for the personal actions of anyone who posts or responds to an ad.
• The site owners reserve the right to reveal your identity or related information in the event of a formal complaint or legal action arising from your use of the classifieds.

7. Disclaimers

• We do not own or sell the items listed.
• We do not screen or control users, nor do we review or authenticate all listings.
• We are not responsible or liable for any loss or damage resulting from dealings with advertisers or other users.
• Purchase items at your own risk. While we work to reduce scams, we are not responsible for deals gone bad.
• Sellers and buyers are responsible for all applicable taxes and costs incurred by participating in this site.

By posting or interacting with any of our free classified ads, you agree to the above.