Swapshop Rules

[Miss Lockheart]

Swapshop rules and regulations

This section is currently under construction and does not yet represent the final rules. Any suggestions would be welcome ^^

The purpose of the Swapshop is to create a service in which Members of this forum can exchange games or help fellow Members acquire desired games. At the same time forum Members are expected to have the utmost respect for the service and for other Members, and to follow the rules and regulations carefully and precisely in order to get the most from the service.

1. Members are expected to adhere to Data Protection- in short, this means refraining from misuse of other Member's personal details such as name, address, telephone number if applicable, and any other sensitive information. In the UK the Data Protection Act 1998 covers the law regarding this information, though this applies to Members in all countries in relation to the Swapshop-

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998..._19980029_en_1

When entering a swap Members must take this into account, and Members who fail to do so will face sanctions from the Moderators and Administrators who act as mediators during a swap.

2. Members will communicate any personal information via Private Messaging- either directly or through the Swapshop Moderator. Before any Data sharing takes place, it must be agreed with the Swapshop Moderator whether it will be handled directly or through the Swapshop Moderator. Having gained approval, Data sharing can then take place.

3. Members are responsible for agreeing on the method of delivery of games, either between themselves or via the Swapshop Moderator. This includes method of delivery, payment of postage fees etc. Again this must be confirmed between the involved Members before any Data sharing can take place. There is no set method for delivery, though sometimes Members may recruit a Middle Man in their delivery process, as approved by the Swapshop Moderator. It is imperative that all details are confirmed before sharing personal information.

4. Members are responsible for ensuring that games they choose to exchange are of an adequate quality. Though it is not expected that games will be in immaculate condition, they must be playable. Any missing items, damage to the product casing/articles or disc/cartridge problems, or any other problem, must be mentioned when discussing a swap, and the recipient Member must confirm that they understand exactly what they are receiving. This also counts in the case that system differentiation may occur between regions (excluding the PSP). Any issues that arise during discussion of a swap must be brought to the attention of the Swapshop Moderator.

5. Any problems that occur before, during, and after a swap must immediately be reported to the Swapshop Moderator. Arguments, flaming, or any other ill behaviour will not be tolerated on the forum. Members must resolve any problems in a mature manner and through the guidance of the Swapshop Moderator. Please also keep in mind the general Forum Rules when entering into any kind of discussion.

Failure to comply with these guidelines will result in sanctions from the Swapshop Moderator, or any other Moderator or Administrator on the forum. Sanctions could include warnings, temporary or permanent banning, or possibly legal action depending on the severity of the case. Abuse of the system will absolutely not be tolerated- this service is provided on the premise that Members will act with discretion and respect. Consistent failure to adhere to the rules will result in withdrawal of the service, in order to protect Members from further mal-treatment.

In Layman's terms, keep it clean, don't mess with other people's personal details and keep it friendly. If there's anything I've missed out please let me know

[Miss Lockheart]

It's also in the interest of the forum to provide a Disclaimer with regards to the law-

ffnet.org acknowledges that a Swapshop facility exists on this forum. However sole responsibility lies with the Members participating in the service to act in accordance with the laws of Data Protection, and with regards to Piracy and game Consumerism laws. Therefore ffnet.org accepts no responsibility regarding the misuse of the service or the breaking of any related laws. It is up to the individual Members to take responsibility for any swaps taking place and to act according to the rules set out by the forum.

I hope this will be enough *phew*

[Terminal Est]

Are we allowed to do this without the consent of the forum owner?

[Miss Lockheart]

That is a very good point. When I was writing the disclaimer I wondered if we would need permission from the higher powers to have the Swapshop. It's really quite annoying that there's no-one around to ask. These rules are just a draft for now, we can wait until we get permission to finalise them. In which case I would put a note in the rules about the Swapshop being authorised by the forum owner.

Who can we ask?

[Terminal Est]

The forum owner? XD

Well, I believe we could ask DragoonKain, as he is the closest next to Alex. He might be able to help us.

[Miss Lockheart]

Yeah that would be the best thing. They might either say no, which I suppose is fair enough, or have some suggestions or even an idea of how they would want something like this to work.

[Revenant]

Great work, Miss Lockheart! But it sounds too complicated to me. I hope it would be simplier in reality.

[Terminal Est]

Send and receive games, take good care of what is not yours, and do not rip anyone off-I believe this musters it up, in short.

[Zotar]

Those rules do sound official and sound exactly like actual laws. Soo beautifully done!

I actually felt intimidated when I read them.

Ill email Alex and dragonKain myself though i bet you've alredy done so...

[DragoonKain]

I'm not ready to give the green light on this project yet. I may need to talk with Alex. At any rate, a few things must be considered.

First, I think a standardized method of payment options should be made. PayPal or something of the like. The problem with hosting something like this is that we (forum administrators) may be held liable if it seems that we condone and/or do anything to support this. Liability concerns are not at the top of our wish list at the moment.

So again, I may need to check with Alex first. The last thing that he or I would want to do is stifle your innovation for making these forums better, but at the same time we must make decisions that don't put the forums in jeopardy.