RedFlagDeals.com Forum Rules
  1. Before You Post: General Tips
  2. General Rules (Apply to all forums)
  3. RedFlagDeals.com Code of Conduct
  4. Where Should I Post?
  5. Trading Rules (Apply to the Buy, Sell, and Trade forums)
  6. Trading Tips
  7. RedFlagDeals.com Glossary
  8. How can you help RedFlagDeals.com? (RedFlagDeals.com Affiliate Links)




1. Before You Post: General Tips

Want to look smart? Read the following tips before posting and you won't make a rookie mistake!
  • If you have recently created an account, but cannot post, it is likely because you did not activate your account. An email was sent to the email account you registered with that contained a confirmation link. If you have lost this email, please send an email to support@redflagdeals.com explaining your problem. The email must come from the email account you registered with.
  • Your first post must be approved by a moderator before appearing on the site. This is done to ensure the legitimacy of the account (for example, that it is not a spam robot). Posts are usually approved within 3 hours. If you post is not approved, it is most likely because it either broke one of the rules below or was deemed to be suspicious.
  • Before asking a question use the search function to see if it has already been asked and answered.
  • Before posting to the Hot Deals forum, use the search function to see if it has already been posted.
  • When posting your hot deal, your headline should include at least the items that are on sale and the price the retailer is charging for it. In your actual message be sure to include that same information as well as the retailers name and a link to their webpage if possible. To make the post as helpful as possible to other members of the community, see if you can cover the who, what, where, when, and how.
  • Read the "Where Should I Post" section of this document!



RedFlagDeals.com Community Policies

The following rules will be enforced at the discretion the moderators or administrators:

In general we will leave it to you, the community, to police yourselves. The forum moderators and administrators are there only as a last resort. Treat others with respect. Remember that this is a public venue read by many people spanning all walks of life. If you question a post, please use the “report this post”icon in the lower left hand corner.

Don’t be a jerk! - Please be respectful and mindful when posting on our forum. Post and respond to others in the way you would like to be treated. This is a family site with a PG rating.

- Do not display hostility towards any user - Be Polite!
- Defamation, abuse, stalking, harassment, antagonization, threats or otherwise violating the legal rights of others including, without limitation, rights relating to privacy and publicity will not be tolerated
- Linking to X-rated material or violent videos is strictly prohibited
- Sexual discussions may be edited for content or removed entirely
- If someone posts in the wrong section, kindly remind them to post in the correct section
- Be courteous to new users, as they may not have picked up the RedFlagDeals.com way of posting yet. Be polite and direct them to the right place
- Swearing or Cussing is not allowed. This includes Videos that are linked to our site.


Discrimination against individual sexual preferences, race, culture or religion will not be tolerated. This includes making such an attack either through a post, signature or through the private messaging system.

- Religious or political threads are not allowed.
- Racial comments or Ethnic Profiling is strictly prohibited


Treat other community members with respect.

There is a difference between forceful advocacy for a particular issue (which is allowed) and personally attacking a forum member (which is not allowed).

Unambiguous expressions of bigotry or hate will be edited and may result in the immediate ban of the poster. Posters should consider the editing, and email notification of such editing, as a warning to cease such behaviour. If it is unclear whether a comment is bigoted or hateful, moderators will generally give the benefit of the doubt. However, individuals who repeatedly post borderline-bigoted and hateful comments will lose posting privileges (gag or ban).

Personal attacks are not allowed. Any direct and specifically organized wording intended to disparage a person (including, but not limited to: personal qualities, beliefs, points of view and political ideology) is prohibited. Personal attacks are clearly intended to smear, insult or disparage. There are two types of attacks:

- Saying bad things about another member of this forum. For example: "You are an idiot."
- Insulting another member of this forum. For example: "Screw you."

When a post is obviously intended to be malicious, it will be edited or removed.

All statements that begin with "you" are not attacks, although this is a yellow flag. However, if someone says "you frequently make negative comments about <insert group name>," that would be allowed if it accurately characterizes that person's posting style. However, if someone types "you are a liar" or "you always lie," then that post has crossed the line into personal attack because the comment asserts a negative personal characteristic.


No spamming and/or advertising – this includes promoting a company or service in your signature, posts, or sending unsolicited messages through the private messaging system.

- No multi-level, pyramid or get rich schemes
- No cross posting or linking to RedFlagDeals.com competitors
- No affiliate and/or referral links
- No “free money” or “paid to surf” threads
- If you wish to promote your company, please contact biz@redflagdeals.com

We do not allow the discussion of illegal activities.

- For example, where to download pirated games, applications, or movies
- No weapon, pornography, or sex/adult toy deals
- Rule of thumb: if it’s illegal off our site, it’s illegal on our site

Abuse of the thread tagging system is not allowed.

- Please use tags that describe the thread, not your personal opinion of the thread content
- Users posting vulgar or otherwise inappropriate tags will be subject to infraction points or bans from the site

Cookie stuffing is not allowed

- Any type of cookie stuffing or cookie dropping (setting a cookie without a user generated click) will result in an immediate ban. Users suspected of this behaviour will be banned immediately

Respect the Moderators and Administrators

- Our Moderators are all volunteers users. They do it out of the love of the site. You can not do the following:
- disrespect or be a jerk towards them, call them out on the site, leave taunting or inciting posts directed at a mod or admin. (This rule is also applied to the Administrators.)

Escalation Process

- If you would like to clarify, get more information or challenge a post removal/edit or thread removal or closure, please PM the mod that did the action or any other mod on the moderation team. (If you do not want to communicate with the original mod, then you can PM another mod or oranr)
- If you do not agree with the mods explanation, then you can PM oranr

Signatures (policies and links)

- External links in a signature are not allowed. This violates our No spamming and/or advertising policy. (Heatware and Ebay ratings are allowed.)
- Internal links, pointing to a RFD BST or RFD thread are allowed.
- do not use your signature line to draw negative attention to another member of the board.
- no signature should include a message INTENDING to disrupt the ' peace and harmony ' of the site.
- site rules on permissible content apply to signatures.
- characters including bb code markup is 400
- characters excluding bb code markup is 300
- images maximum width (pixels) is 500
- images maximum height (pixels) is 100


Other Policies

- Only one forum account is allowed per individual person
- Homework threads are not allowed
- Retailers and other businesses are allowed to participate on the forums to provide support to users as long as they clearly identify themselves and pursue no commercial activity whatsoever. Business can answer support questions or provide product information, but cannot offer prices or quotes even when specifically asked for them.

Group Buys: User organized Group Buys can be posted in the Group Buys forum under the following conditions:
  1. One thread per actual buy. If it's a new group of people buying, you have to create a new thread.
  2. The person organizing the group buy has to get competitive bids whenever possible. The only case where they wouldn't be able to do this is unique items (gameshares, etc).
  3. The person organizing the group buy has to post a proof of purchase (ie receipt) if they are purchasing on behalf of people.
  4. A group buy can't be open ended. It must have a specified number of slots/items available within a set time frame.





RedFlagDeals.com Community Code of Conduct

Users who act in way that is detrimental to the well-being of the community will be subject to warnings and, if necessary, bannings using the forum infraction and banning system. Respect your fellow members!

How it works:

Infractions are based on a points system. Each infraction earns a certain number of points. The points will expire over time. If at any time you exceed 10 infraction points, you will be banned until your points expire and you fall below the threshold. If you have many infractions in a short period of time, you can be banned for as long as 30 days. Users who continually break the rules will be given longer and potentially permanent bans. Be good to your fellow community members!

Types of Behaviour that will earn an infraction:
  1. Insulting/harassing/fighting with other members.
  2. Making a new user feel unwelcome.
  3. Posting an image, video or message that is not appropriate for a general (ie family) audience. This includes using such an inappropriate image as an avatar.
  4. Trolling. For example, making a post to incite a fight.


Behaviour that will earn an instantaneous ban of 3 or more days:
  1. Personal/Group Attacks based on individual sexual preferences, race, or religion will not be tolerated. This includes making such an attack either through a post, signature or through the private messaging system.
  2. Threadcrapping: The Buy, Sell, and Trade forums are not the Hot Deals forum where opinions on pricing are open for discussion. Respect the posters asking prices. If you feel the need to comment, do it via a PM or an Email. Negative comments of any sort (including obvious lowballing) toward the listing are considered threadcrapping.

Where Should I Post?

Where should I post my message?
  • Hot Deals: Post the hot deals you find here! This forum is not for the posting of private sales.
  • Request-a-Deal: If you are looking for a deal from a retailer, this is the place to post. If you are looking for used items, post a WTB (Want to Buy) post in the appropriate Buy, Sell, and Trade Forum.
  • Shopping Discussion: Discuss retailers and their policies here.
  • Freebies: If you have found a company giving away something for absolutely free and want to share, post here.
  • Contests: If you have found a company holding a contest and want to share, post here.
  • Expired Contests: An archive of no longer running contests. You can continue discussion here.
  • Expired Deals: Continue discussion about expired deals in this forum.
  • Expired Freebies: An archive of no longer valid freebies. You can continue discussion here.
  • [B]BST: Cameras and Accessories: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade Cameras and related accessories, post here.
  • BST: Apparel: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade apparel or related accessories post here.
  • BST: Automotive & Accessories: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade automotive related items post here.
  • [B]BST: Cameras and Accessories: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade Cameras and related accessories, post here.
  • BST: Computer Hardware, Software & Accessories: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade computer hardware, software, webcams, PDAs, etc. post here.
  • BST: Cell Phones & Accessories: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade cell phones or related accessories post here.
  • BST: Electronics: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade, DVD Players, MP3 Players, and other electronics, post here.
  • BST: Gift Cards: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade gift cards post here.
  • BST: Textbooks: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade text books post here.
  • BST: Tickets: Buy, sell, or trade concert, sporting, travel or event tickets here.
  • BST: Video Games, Music & Movies: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade DVDs, video games or consoles, or music, etc. post here. Video game equipment should be posted here, but DVD players and MP3 players should go in the BST: Electronics.
  • BST: Everything Else: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade clothing, Condos, or something that doesn't fit the above BST forums, post here.
  • Group Buys: User organized group buys.
  • Free Stuff: If you wish to give something away, post it here.
  • Scammers and Warnings: A list of bad traders to avoid and other tips.
  • The Welcome to RedFlagDeals.com Forum: This forum is for new members to introduce themselves and ask questions.
  • Site Comments & Suggestions: This is the forum to offer your comments and suggestions on what you like/dislike about RedFlagDeals.com and how we can better serve your needs.
  • Art and Photography - Share photos, tips, and discuss equipment here.
  • Automotive & Accessories: If you wish to discuss automotive related topics, do it here. This forum is not for buying or selling, please use the BST: Automotive & Accessories forum for that.
  • Computers & Electronics: If you wish to discuss computers, electronics, and related topics, do it here.
  • Computers & Electronics - Cell Phones: This forum is for discussion of cell phones and plans.
  • Careers: Visit this forum to discuss jobs and education or post job openings!
  • Entertainment: If you wish to discuss movies, actors, music, books, TV or any related topics, do it here.
  • Entertainment - PC & Video Games: Discuss video games here.
  • Entrepreneurship & Small Business: This forum is not meant for self-promotion, but rather to discuss the challenges facing Small Business owners and those wishing to start their own business in Canada.
  • Fashion & Apparel: If you wish to trends, clothing, accessories, makeup, hair salons, or related topics, do it in here.
  • Food & Drink: If you wish to share recipes, restaurant reviews, or any food related topics, do it in here.
  • Green / Eco-friendly: Discuss environmentally friendly products, deals, tips, and more.
  • Home & Garden: Talk about home improvement, landscaping, decor, and more here!
  • Parenting: Discuss childcare and parenting related issues with fellow RedFlagDeals.com readers.
  • Personal Finance: Visit this forum to discuss mortgages, loans, money saving tips, taxes, and more! (No stock tips allowed)
  • Pets: Discuss pets related issues with fellow RedFlagDeals.com readers.
  • Sports & Fitness: If you wish to discuss sports, working out, or any related topics, this is the place.
  • Travel: If you wish to share travel tips, stories or if you want to ask for travel help, this is the forum to post in.
  • Off Topic: This forum is for the general discussion of anything that does not fit in the other forums. This can include current events, personal problems, and more. Political/ideological/religious topics should not be posted on RedFlagDeals.com.



To help out the moderators and to make the forum more useful for everyone, we'd really appreciate it if you could use the 'Report this Post' link on the left to let us know when Hot Deals, Freebies, or Contests have expired so we can move them to the appropriate Expired Forums.


5. Trading Rules

The Trading Post is intended for individuals to buy, sell, and trade between one another. RedFlagDeals.com cannot guarantee the legitimacy of the buyer, seller, trader, or the items being exchanged. RedFlagDeals.com does not take responsibility of any sort for any transactions that takes place between individuals. If you do have difficulties with a trade or you think you have been scammed, contact oranr or NSX through the private message system and he will do what he can to help you resolve the issue.


Please post your items in the proper forum:
  • [B]BST: Cameras and Accessories: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade Cameras and related accessories, post here.
  • BST: Apparel: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade apparel or related accessories post here.
  • BST: Computer Hardware, Software & Accessories: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade computer hardware, software, webcams, PDAs, etc. post here.
  • BST: Cell Phones & Accessories: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade cell phones or related accessories post here.
  • BST: Electronics: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade, DVD Players, MP3 Players, and other electronics, post here.
  • BST: Gift Cards: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade gift cards post here.
  • BST: Automotive & Accessories: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade automotive related items post here.
  • BST: Textbooks: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade text books post here.
  • BST: Tickets: Buy, sell, or trade concert, sporting, travel or event tickets here.
  • BST: Video Games, Music & Movies: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade DVDs, video games or consoles, or music, etc. post here. Video game equipment should be posted here, but DVD players and MP3 players should go in the BST: Electronics.
  • BST: Everything Else: If you wish to buy, sell, or trade clothing, Condos, or something that doesn't fit the above BST forums, post here.
  • Free Stuff: If you wish to give something away, post it here.
  • Group Buys: User organized group buys.


Cross posting (posting the same item in more than one thread) will not be tolerated. Please only post for sale items to one BST category.


Rules:
  1. You MUST post a price for ALL For Sale (FS) and For Sale/For Trade (FS/FT) topics.

  2. You cannot charge taxes for your items. Honour your prices.

  3. No auction style posts will be allowed. This includes posting vague statements like �Make me an offer!� or waiting for an offer higher than what you posted. The posting of eBay links by themselves is prohibited. eBay links are allowed if the poster is willing to sell the item(s) to forum members at a specified, POSTED price.

  4. Threadcrapping will not be tolerated. If you do not intend to buy and have no legitimate questions or concerns, please refrain from posting in that topic. If you think the asking price is too high, or want to make an offer significantly lower than the posted price, please contact the seller via email or private message (PM). Violators of this rule will be banned for 3 days for a first offense. Multiple offenders will be banned permanently.

  5. You cannot sell something you do not have in your immediate possession. You cannot sell items on behalf of your friends, relatives, etc. If they wish to sell something, they should create their own forum account.

  6. No alcohol, tobacco, pornography or weapon sales. This includes air soft and paintball guns.

  7. No pirated/bootleg/illegal/trades allowed. You cannot disclose the inclusion of pirated games/applications/movies in any of your sale threads. Your price can also not reflect the inclusion of pirated games/applications/movies. Furthermore, the sale of fake purses or other branded goods is strictly prohibited.

  8. Selling tickets for an event above the ticket face value is illegal and not allowed. You must include the face value of the ticket in your ticket sale listing. Creative evasion of the scalping laws (ie including another item) is not allowed.

  9. No more than 2 active threads every 5 days in each Buy, Sell, and Trade subforum at all times. This means you can either have 2 for sale threads, 2 want to buy threads, or one of each in a forum. For example you could have 2 threads in BST: Electronics and 2 threads in BST: Textbooks.

  10. Bumping a thread: No more that 2 bumps per 24 hour period (00:00 - 23:59). Any post by the original poster counts as a bump, even if they are answering a question.

  11. Price Checks/Interest Checks do not belong in the Buy, Sell, and Trading Post forums. Please post all Price Checks in the Hardware forum or Off Topic forum if appropriate. Please make it a genuine post to determine price and not an attempt to find the highest bidder.

  12. Services are not allowed in the Buy, Sell, and Trading Post. We have had numerous problems with people offering services and believe this is in the best interest of our users.

  13. Dealers, resellers and other large quantity sellers are not allowed to post in the BST. You cannot sell more than 3 new items per thread. This includes 3 of the same new item or 3 individual new items. If you want to sell more than 3 new items, you can either become a Sponsored Poster (see information below) or contact biz@redflagdeals.com for advertising information. Users selling large quantities of used or refurbished items who are clearly operating a business are not allowed either.

  14. For further clarification, in the BST: Gift Card Forum, large quantity sales would be defined as a member selling more than 20 gift cards TOTAL of any type at any particular time. Anyone selling gift cards must clearly state the number of gift cards available for sale and their denominations. Sellers with a seemingly unending supply of gift cards would also be considered large quantity sellers. Because of increased gift card fraud, you may be asked to show proof that the gift cards were obtained legitimately.

  15. What is a "Sponsored Poster"? A sponsored poster is a small business or large quantity seller who has paid for the privilege of posting in the RedFlagDeals.com Buy, Sell, and Trade forums. They are bound by the same rules of posting as any other RedFlagDeals.com user with the exception of the rule against large quantity sales and the charging of taxes. RedFlagDeals.com does in no way vouch for the legitimacy of the "Sponsored Poster" and normal precautions should be taken when dealing with them. If you would like more information on becoming a "Sponsored Poster" please contact biz@redflagdeals.com

  16. Users other than the original poster are not allowed to post a message to a Buy, Sell, and Trade thread solely for the purpose of bringing it to the top of the thread list (AKA "bumping"). Only legitimate questions or concerns may be posted to a thread.


6. Trading Guidance:
  1. Leave your contact information whether that is your e-mail address, MSN, ICQ, Skype, etc. You must be able to contact one another to be able to buy, sell, or trade. Before you complete a deal, it is recommended that you obtain each other's phone number and ensure that the number works.
  2. Use common sense. If the deal seems too good to be true then take extra precaution.
  3. Clarity is key. Links to a product's website are often helpful. Be honest when describing the condition of used parts. Make sure there is a mutual understanding of what is being paid for and what is expected and get it in writing where possible. Agree on any terms of sale before the transaction takes place. (ie: damage responsibility, excess charges, guarantees, and payment options). It is a good idea to include your location in your post.
  4. Keep in touch when making transactions. Let the buyer know when money has arrived, items have been shipped, and if you're having any difficulties. In case of deals gone bad, keep a record of your discussion.
  5. Honesty is the best policy. If you promised to sell at a set price don't change it after someone has met that price.
  6. Check for references. Established traders will usually have RedFlagDeals.com BST Feedback, Heatware (http://www.heatware.com/) and/or eBay references. If a trader claims to have references but cannot produce them, take extra precautions when trading. The number of posts and the length of time they have been registered is a good place to begin but there are no guarantees. We recommend that you try to contact someone the seller has previously dealt with for a reference.
  7. Attempt to resolve any issues in private. If the issue cannot be resolved after a reasonable amount of time send the Moderators or Administrators a private message. Post a message to warn others if necessary, however keep it respectful.
  8. Make proper packaging and shipping a priority. Tracking and insurance on a shipment is obviously preferred. Remember to use anti-static bags for component that are sensitive in nature. Make sure an item is sufficiently padded on all sides.
  9. Leave an accurate evaluation at the end of the deal.
  10. Make sure you know what you are purchasing. Attempt to get all the relevant information such as conditions/usage, what's included, refund possibility etc. Sometimes in the haste of getting in on a good deal, you may end up with something you didn't quite anticipate.
  11. Most gift cards have a phone number on the back that allows you to check the balance. For more information on gift card trading, read this thread: http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/s...d.php?t=237948


Recommendations:
  • Trading takes two - it's the responsibility of BOTH parties to ensure a smooth transaction. For sellers, follow up on the trade. For buyers, make sure that you're comfortable with the sale. Both of you should have some sort of feedback venue, like Heatware or eBay. Nothing is fool proof, but it's something.
  • Clear communication - Ask questions, keep records, and above all, be specific. This applies to both seller and buyer. DON'T ASSUME
  • Calm communication - When you're hot and toasty mad, don't go sending that message in a hurry. Take a deep breath, heck, take ten. Think about it and try to avoid rash statements. This hinders any kind of mediation process.


Buyer beware and happy buying, selling, and trading!



7. RedFlagDeals.com Glossary

AFAIK = As Far As I Know
AFK = Away From Keyboard
AOL = America Online
ASAP = As Soon As Possible
ATM = At The Moment
B&M = Brick and Mortar
BB = Best Buy
BBV = BlockBuster Video
BOGO = Buy One, Get One
BRB = Be Right Back
BTW = By The Way
Bump = a short message to move the post to the top of the forum list
CC = Credit Card or Canada Computers
COD = Cash On Delivery
CT = Canadian Tire
DD = Direct Deposit
DOA = dead on arrival
EMT = Email Money Transfer
FAQ = Frequently Asked Questions
FS = For Sale or Future Shop
FSOT = For Sale or Trade
GL = Good Luck
GTA = Grand Theft Auto or Greater Toronto Area
GVA = Greater Vancouver Area
GVR = Greater Vancouver Region
IIRC = If I Recall Correctly
IMHO = In My Humble Opinion
IMO = In My Opinion
JK = Just Kidding
LF = Looking For
LMK = Let Me Know
LTIC = Last Time I Checked
MIJ = Made in Japan
MIR = Mail In Rebate
MIT = Made in Taiwan
MSG = Message
NFR = Not For Resale
NIB = New In Box
NP = No Problem
OBO = Or Best Offer
OBRO = Or Best Reasonable Offer
OD = Office Depot
OEM = Original Equipment Manufacturer (Not Retail)
OMG = Oh My God
OOS = Out of Stock
OP = Original Poster/Original Post
OT = Off Topic
PC = Personal Computer
PITA = Pain In The *ss
PM = Private Message or Price Match
POS: Piece of Sh*t or Point of Sale
RCSS = Real Canadian SuperStore
RFD = Red Flag Deals
RMA = Return to Manufacturer Authorization
ROFLMAO = Rolling On The Floor Laughing My *ss Off
ROTFL = Roll on The Floor Laughing
RS = RadioShack
RTFM = Read the er.... manual
SCOP = Scanning Code of Practice
SOL = Sh*t Out of Luck
STFU = Shut the f* up
TBA = To Be Announced
TD = Tigerdirect or TD bank
TRU = Toys R Us
TS = The Source by CC
TTT = To The Top (a.k.a. Bump)
WTB = Want To Buy
YGM = You've Got Mail
YGPM = You've Got a Private Message or You've Got Personal Mail.
YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary


8. How can you help RedFlagDeals.com? (RedFlagDeals.com Affiliate Links)

Over the past 11 years RedFlagDeals.com has grown beyond our wildest dreams. We couldn't have done it without the amazing support of our readers. We often get asked how readers can help RedFlagDeals.com directly. The easiest way is to use one of the links in the Marketplace section whenever you are planning to make a purchase from one of the following retailers. The Marketplace section is filled with retailers that RFD has worked with and in many cases we get a small commission when you buy through those links. It doesn't cost you anything either and as always we appreciate your help! Happy deal hunting!


Comments can be posted in the Comments & Suggestions Forum as always.

Thanks for reading, we appreciate it

UPDATE Oct 23/06: Mostly cosmetic update. The formatting has been cleaned up and we've updated some of the links and the glossary. A few rule clarifications that were made elsewhere were also included in the above.


UPDATE Sept. 6/07: Clarified Group Buys rules. Updated Forum list.

UPDATE May 11/09: Updated 'How can you help RFD?' section.

UPDATE June 12/09: Code of Conduct added, infractions added, rules consolidated and clarified.

UPDATE Sept. 13/10: Minor updates to language around group buys and retailers.