rules
Table of Contents
Rules
Welcome to our community! Please take a moment to read through the rules before making or responding to any posts. Failing to read the rules won't be accepted as an excuse, and any posts that violate the rules will be removed.
If you cannot find something covered in the rules, contact us using Mod Mail or Discord to ask for more information.
Posting Guidelines
Participation
- Reddit accounts must be at least 50 days old and have a minimum of 100 comment karma to post.
- Discord accounts must be verified with the bot, and be at least 5 days old.
- Failing to verify in time on Discord may result in a server ban.
Posting Limits
- Reposting items is allowed after 48 hours.
- New items may be posted after 24 hours.
Deleting Posts
- Do not delete posts without explicit approval from the moderation team.
Permitted Items
- Computer parts, full systems, peripherals, networking devices, electronics for tech projects, and repair tools. Items must be relevant to computing, tech, or DIY electronics.
- Software, services, financed devices, pre-orders, gift cards, store credit, digital goods, and other non-hardware-related items are not allowed.
Post Structure
Post Title
- Titles must follow this specific format.
- [COUNTRY-STATE][H] This is what you Have [W] Here is what you Want
- Country must use 3-letter abbreviations, such as CAN, GBR, or USA.
- State should use the official 2-letter abbreviations, such as NY, CA, or BC.
- State is required for the United States, but Province is optional for Canada, and other countries.
Descriptions
- Each item must have a description providing the full specifications, condition, all included or missing accessories, and any blemishes/defects.
Timestamps
- All items for sale or trade must have a Timestamp.
- Timestamps are required to protect both the seller and buyer by providing proof of ownership and current condition. This serves as proof that you physically possess the item and helps ensure transparency in online trading.
- Failure to post a timestamp will result in posts being removed.
- Users with less than 15 confirmed trades must provide a Video Timestamp for all items with an inherent or accumulated value of over $400 USD
- Devices with customizable/customized specifications require a Spec Timestamp.
Asking Prices
- All items for sale, or offered must have valid asking prices.
- Asking prices must be within reason and must reflect market value. (No asking $1000 for a $500 item, etc.)
- This requirement doesn't apply to threads where you're only trading items.
- Items in trade posts that mention or accept payment must include asking prices.
- No bidding, no auctions.
Making a Sale
- Edit your post and use markdown to indicate which items have sold, how much they sold for, and to whom you sold them in your post.
- Examples:
- 2700X
$120SOLD $115 to @namehere - RTX 3080 ti traded to @namehere for Radeon 6950XT
Transaction Standards
Payment Methods
- The only accepted payment methods on HardwareSwap are PayPal Goods and Services or PayPal Invoices. For local or in-person trades, cash and other payment options are permitted.
- Sellers should send detailed invoices to buyers for payment.
Solicitation
- Do not use HardwareSwap to advertise. This includes your listings from other sites, or seeking collaboration with other users on projects or services.
Policing
- Do not attack or call out posts where the asking price is out of market trends. This is called Price Policing and is not allowed.
- To offer constructive feedback, you may provide recent listings or current offers of the same product as a price reference.
Shipping & Handling
Handling
- Sellers must ship to the buyer's address on the PayPal invoice.
- Returns must ship to the seller's address on the PayPal invoice.
- Users have 5 business days to ship/return, the delivery window is out of the shipper's hands.
- Sellers can use any preferred shipment method unless shipping is part of the agreement.
Returns
- Sellers are not required to accept returns for buyer's remorse (e.g., no longer wanting the item).
- Items that are not as described, arrive damaged, or have missing parts must be accepted as a return.
- Sellers are recommended to purchase insurance equal to the item’s value to cover potential shipping issues.
Misc Post Types
Giveaways
- Giveaways are permitted only after approval by the moderation team.
- Shipping must be free and covered by the giveaway holder.
- Winner must be chosen at random through a Randomizer Raffle site.
Meta
- Meta posts are for announcing and discussing changes that impact HardwareSwap and marketplaces.
- Only moderators may post meta posts.
Official
- Official posts are posts created announcing a rule or process change.
- Only moderators may post official posts.
Flair
What is Flair and Confirmed Trades?
- Confirmed Trades include sold, purchased, and trade transactions in the HardwareSwap market. Local Trades can not be confirmed.
- Flair is the count of confirmed trades displayed on a user's post or profile.
Flair Fraud
- Any attempt to gain 'free' flair or to circumvent the system.
- Can only confirm trades once regardless of the number of items traded per transaction.
- Multiple trades with the same user may only be confirmed once within 30 days.
Confirming Trades
- Local trades do not count towards the confirmed trade count and not be confirmed.
- The item must be delivered and tested before confirming the trade.
- Once the item(s) have arrived, confirm the trade with the other user.
- Confirm the condition, and receipt of the item within 2 weeks to ensure the item is as described and functional.
Moderation
Communication
- Moderators may request additional information to handle claims. Ensure you are speaking with a moderator before providing this information. Moderators can be reached through Reddit Modmail or a ticket on the HardwareSwap Discord.
- Any attempt to deceive or impersonate a moderator will result in an immediate permanent ban.
Code of Conduct
- Respectful behavior is essential. For more, see our Code of Conduct.
Rule Comprehension
- We do our best to address most possible situations within our rules and guidelines, but it is not possible to cover every scenario. Please use your intuition, and keep an eye out for scams.
- The moderation team reserves the right to make case-by-case decisions as needed, including those related to rule enforcement and post-removals.
- If there is a disagreement regarding a rule or post removal, please reach out to us on Reddit or Discord.
- Repeated violations may lead to a permanent ban.
Infractions
- Moderation uses an infraction system. Different infractions carry a different weight on the infraction scale. Repeated infractions or scamming will result in suspension or a permanent ban.
Business Use
- Businesses, corporations, and other commercial entities are permitted to use HardwareSwap but must meet the following requirements.
- One user is allowed to use an account. Shared accounts among employees or partners are not allowed.
- Using bots, scripts, or other third-party means to reply to posts or to contact users in bulk is not allowed.
- Buying items in bulk for reselling or drop shipping on other online selling platforms is forbidden. This is a consumer platform meant for consumers. Reselling items purchased on /r/hardwareswap to other users is acceptable.
- There are no restrictions on commercial entities selling items on /r/hardwareswap as long as rules are followed.
- If you have concerns or questions about this rule or believe you should have an exception, message Modmail.