Rules

Rules and Guidelines

The following rules are to be followed to ensure a good experience for users. Failure to follow these rules and our terms and conditions will result in removed ads, suspension, banning or other penalties.

The following rules focus primarily on sellers, whereas the TOS describe expectations applicable to all users.

Your membership plan can affect the following rules, where stated.


Identity and Accounts

1. A Seller is a person or organisation who uses Reptile Room to advertise and sell their animals, goods, and services. Each seller may create only one User Account which is associated with a username and is used to login to the site. A Store is an additional element associated with a seller’s user account which provides selling features such as a Seller Profile, permits the creation of Ads, and so forth.

2. A seller may create only one Store per person/business, although you may share the user account between members of your organisation as necessary.


i. If multiple individuals at your organisation have User Accounts, only one of those users can be considered the Store Owner.
Contact us if you need assistance with old accounts or Store Owner changes.

3. All listed Store Owners must specify their legal first and last names on the Seller Profile of their store. Any person listed as an owner must submit an ID for verification/approval and will be held responsible for all activities on the account.

i. Documentation is required to prove the identity of the account holder(s), such as a photo of the person with a government issued ID.

ii. More steps may be required if the ID photo is suspect in any way.

Communication

We expect all sellers to conduct themselves in a professional manner and hold them to a higher standard than other users.

1. Abusive language will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to: swearing at the buyer, using racial or sexual slurs, threats, bullying, or extortion tactics.

2. Sellers will maintain a reasonably consistent flow of communication.

i. Inquiries should not be ignored. Use the “Decline Inquiry” option if necessary.

ii. Once a buyer has sent money, the seller has a responsibility to keep open lines of communication. This does not mean responding to every single message from a frantic buyer, but regular professional responses are expected.

3. We realise that buyers may send annoying, insulting, or “time wasting” inquiries and questions. Feel free to use the “Decline Inquiry” option on your Message Page rather than ignoring them or responding in a less-than professional manner.

4. When necessary, Reptile Room will be the final arbiter on what constitutes abusive language, unethical practises, or negligent communication.

5. Sellers may not insist that buyers make initial contact with them outside of the Reptile Room Inquiry system, though buyers may choose to do so. Communication through Reptile Room’s messages system gives Reptile Room a greater ability to protect both parties from scams and spam. In the event of a problem, it is far more difficult for us to determine what happened in outside communications.

i. Sellers are encouraged to list their direct contact information in the appropriate fields of their seller profile (phone, email, website), but are not allowed to provide outside contact information in the free text fields including the Store Description, Store Policies, and Ad Descriptions.

ii. After initial inquiries have been sent it is acceptable to follow up outside the system.

6. Users are not allowed to use the messages system to solicit donations, either for themselves or for any charitable cause, without express written permission from Reptile Room.

Ads

Ad details must be accurate.

1. Genetics must be specific and as accurate as possible.

i. Trait tags must be used properly. A “het albino” should not be tagged “albino”.

ii. Questionable (“possible”) genetic traits which are not currently supported by our trait tags (e.g., “gravel or yellow belly”) should be clearly indicated in the title and description of the ad.

2. Sex, weight, age, and other attributes are to be as accurate and up to date as possible.

3. Photos must be of the exact animal offered for sale, unless otherwise specified with a “Representative Photo” tag.

i. Sick or unhealthy-looking animals may not be sold on our site.
(This includes animals with physical deformities, such as being kinked, even if it is otherwise healthy.)

ii. Ads may be removed at our discretion of what appears to be unhealthy.

iii. Very minor cosmetic issues are acceptable as long as they are disclosed in the ad description (such as tiny tail kinks or small scars).
(Buyers may ask for additional, specific pictures.)

4. An animal can only be listed once by a seller in the marketplace.

i. The ad may be renewed an unlimited number of times, but a seller may not delete an ad and recreate it (for example, to get more attention).

ii. Two different stores may not advertise the same animal for sale at the same time.

5. You may not list a “fake price” in the ad. This includes:

i. A low price to get around our inventory limits.

ii. A low or high price to indicate “make an offer” or trade.

iii. Unusually high shipping costs to try and get around inventory limits.

iv. You may use a hidden price only if your membership level offers the “Inquire for Price” feature.

6. You may not post any animals that do not belong to you, unless you have written permission from Reptile Room.

i. You or your team must also have physical possession of any animals you are currently advertising for sale.

7. User-assigned ID#’s are permanent and unique.

i. Permanent: Once an Ad/Animal is assigned an ID#, it should not be changed to a different one later.

ii. Unique: An Animal ID# can only be used for a single Ad/Animal. The same ID may never be reused with another Ad/Animal.

8. Only Ready-to-Sell animals may be posted.

i. You may not post ads for eggs unhatched or litters not yet born.

ii. You may not post ads for animals too young to safely sell and ship.

iii. You may create an ad in “hidden/expired” state for upcoming animals which are not able to be shown yet.

9. The ad’s fields, including descriptions, photos, and store info, may not contain links to any other websites. It may also not include direct contact information (see Communication section).

10. You may not advertise additional animals or products in the description or store info fields.

11. It is the seller’s responsibility to ensure their ads are up to date.

i. Mark “On Hold” and “Sold” in a timely manner for ads not available.

Multiple Quantity Ads

1. All the rules stated for normal ads apply.

2. Multiple animals may be sold only if your membership level allows it, in which case ads will have a “Quantity” field.

3. There are two types of Multiple Animal Ads that are permitted:

1. Same Type Group: all the animals posted in the ad are for sale as a single unit, sometimes called a “Lot”.

i. Must all be of the same type/morph, but may include any variety of sex.

ii. Price listed is the total price for the entire group.

iii. None of these animals may have individual ads.

iv. Quantity field is set and the “Group” option is selected on the ad.

2. Same Type Bulk: a collection of multiple animals offered as individual sales

i. Must all be of the same type/morph/price.

ii. Price listed is the price for purchase of a single animal.

iii. None of these animals may have individual ads.

iv. Quantity field is set and the “Group” option is deselected on the ad.

4. Mixed Groups, often sold as Breeding Groups with similar genetics, and any set of animals with different genetics (e.g., pair of het and visual) may not be sold in a single ad.

i. However, until we offer this feature we will permit specifying in the description that the animal may be paired with another animal that is in another ad for a discounted price.

ii. You may not require these to be sold together except for the Collection Sale as described below.

Collection Sales

There is only one way to post your entire collection for sale on Reptile Room. It is an “all or nothing” approach.

1. Ad limits per your membership level still apply.

2. All rules regarding accuracy and seller responsibility still apply.

3. Create individual ads for each animal.

i. Must include an accurate photo of that exact animal.

ii. Must include accurate market-value price in the price field.

iii. The description field must include the following language: “COLLECTION SALE! No animals sold separately. Entire collection must go at once. Click on the store link to see ads for the full selection of available animals. TOTAL COLLECTION PRICE: $XXXX.”

iv. The Collection Price must be an accurate reflection of what you are willing to accept. Negotiations may go on behind the scenes, but this price may not be overly inflated or understated to attract inquiries.

Media
Photos

1. All ads must include at least one applicable photo of the item for sale, unless otherwise allowed by your membership level.

2. If multiple pictures are used, the primary photo must be of the animal advertised. Secondary photos may show parents, etc.

3. All photos used MUST belong to the seller posting the ads.

i. You may not “borrow” images from anyone else, even if you bought the animal from them. Use your own photos. No exceptions.

ii. If you’re caught using someone else’s photos (for any reason) your store will be subject to an automatic 30 day suspension and will not be reopened until you notify us that all ads are fixed.

4. All images must show the EXACT animal for sale, unless otherwise stated with a Representative Photo tag, as allowed by your membership level.

i. A representative photo must still belong to the seller posting the ad.

ii. A representative photo must be of an animal of the same species and genetics being offered for sale and accurately represent the appearance of the animal.

iii. No representative photo may be used unless this option is selected in the ad so that it is plainly obvious to the buyer that the item they are inquiring about may not be pictured.

5. Pictures used in ads must be of the item listed for sale. Watermarks and/or logos may be present in the photo, however the main focus should be the item for sale.

6. Photos should not include feeding or feeder/prey items.

7. Unprofessional looking photos and ads may be removed at our discretion.

8. A minimum resolution may be required for quality purposes.

Videos

1. The same rules for content, accuracy and ownership of photos apply also to videos.

2. A video must include the exact animal being sold in that ad.

Logo Designs

1. The store directory logo must be a graphic design of square dimensions.

i. It may not be just a plain photo of a snake.

ii. It may not be a blank or irrelevant image.

2. In the future, there may be additional photo/video standards pertaining to dimensions, background, logos, watermarks, and other content.

Shipping

1. Responsible Shipping Practises are critical for our entire industry. Sellers are responsible for knowing and following proper shipping procedures if they offer shipping as part of their services. We do not mandate the use of ShipYourReptiles, but we use their shipping standards as a reference for shipping practises on Reptile Room.

2. If an animal is damaged, killed, or lost due to negligent shipping practises, the seller is responsible for making sure the buyer is reimbursed: 100% for a death and some reasonable percentage depending on damage and vet requirements for a survivor. Shipping errors may include (but are not limited to):

i. Improper use of heat packs (#1 killer of animals in shipments)

ii. Not shipping Priority Overnight

iii. Shipping to wrong address (unless Buyer provided the wrong address)

iv. Wrong drop-off or delivery locations

v. Improper packaging materials

vi. Shipping on the wrong days

vii. Lack of proper Lacey Act/IATA labels (which may cause a package to be delayed for inspection and possible confiscation)

viii. Shipping during no ship periods when delays are common as defined by ShipYourReptiles, typically around the holidays or during environmental events

Privacy

1Access to a User Profile may be granted to you as the seller on the buyer’s behalf for the specific purpose of doing business with them on Reptile Room.

i. You are not permitted to use this information for any purpose other than responding to their inquiry.

ii. Any other use, including but not limited to sharing this information with others publicly or privately, is strictly prohibited without written approval from Reptile Room.

Laws and Disputes

1. By using this website you are agreeing to our terms and conditions, including that you are at least 18 years of age.

2. All users of this website are responsible for knowing and following all applicable laws with regards to the purchasing, transporting, shipping, and keeping of animals. Sellers are additionally responsible for laws pertaining to collecting, breeding, and selling.

3. We expect sellers to respond quickly to problems reported by their customers and to fairly resolve them.

4. Sellers are responsible for delivering service according to their own clearly defined Store Policy on their Reptile Room Seller Profile as written at the time of a sale.

While a custom Store Policy can and should override the Default Policy, it cannot override the Rules or provide immunity from them.
Reptile Room is not liable for anything that happens as a result of any buying, selling, or advertising you perform in this marketplace. You do so at your own risk.
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