Splitcoaststampers - Rubber Stamps, Card Making, & Paper Crafting
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Site Posting Rules

Welcome to the Splitcoaststampers ("SCS") Site Posting Rules. We thank you in advance for your cooperation with our policies.

SCS is an open community - everyone is encouraged to participate, and everyone is welcome until a member proves that it is unlikely that he or she will comply with the rules.

Any guidelines we institute are in addition to rules of common sense and courtesy, and we are not outlining or providing for every situation. The simple rules we write here can in no way constitute the entire scope of how SCS will be managed. We can only provide the guidelines, and do our best to maintain this site with its original purpose in mind - providing a place for people to get together and share their creativity and talent, and provide support for one another in a positive way.

SCS expects and welcomes contributions that stimulate and add to our creative atmosphere. While encouraging all discussions, we expect all participants to treat each other with respect and courtesy.

With those thoughts in mind, here are some simple guidelines to follow to help maintain the site in a positive way:

Respect and courtesy

  • Members are cautioned to take the greatest care when they post new threads or create a response to an existing thread. We ask that no one creates or condones a post openly disparaging any individual, company or group of people.
  • Posting personal contact or biographical information of others without their permission is not allowed.
  • Posting from multiple usernames in an attempt to remain anonymous is forbidden. Members   who knowingly maintain and post from multiple usernames will be banned.
  • Abusive comments, flaming, or insults are strictly against the rules. If you must disagree with another member's point of view, do so in a mature and civil manner. If someone posts to discuss their personal opinions, or seeks help from other forum members, please do not respond unless you have something positive or helpful to add. If you do not like what a particular member has posted, please remember that each person is entitled to their opinion, even if it differs from your own. Similarly, our galleries and comments in those galleries may not contain offensive or derogatory comments.  If you find yourself being attacked or insulted by another member, please do not dignify that content with a response. Notify a moderator and we will be sure to look into the matter as quickly as we can.
  • Profanity is strictly prohibited. Abbreviating or using symbols to indicate profanity is also prohibited.
  • Messages that you send privately through the site, known as PMs, must follow the guidelines set forth above. We will not tolerate any abusive comments, name calling, or insults that are sent through our private message system.
  • You don't have to agree with another member's opinion, but we ask that you respect that person enough to realize that it is THEIR opinion, which may differ greatly from your own. Signatures, Avatars, and Profile Fields may not contain personal statements regarding other members or any other material which violates our posting rules.
  • Purposefully changing a thread topic to draw attention away from the topic of the original poster, commonly known as "thread jacking", is not permitted. If you don't like a post that someone has created, please respond civilly or just ignore the post completely. Topics do change in the natural course of conversation and we know that it also happens naturally in posts - our policy is not concerned with that. What we are trying to eliminate would be the intentional diversion from the original post topic, or an attempt to make the topic a member rather than the subject matter of the thread.
  • Cross-posting is prohibited. Cross-posting is when a user quotes or copies material from one thread into another. Discussions about a topic should be conducted in the thread in which they were originated, not cross-posted. This ensures the integrity of topics, thread integrity and search functions on the site. Additionally, material cross-posted from other message boards, which is derogatory or negative, is prohibited.
  • The edit feature is to be used carefully. It is appropriate to edit a post in order to update or clarify. It is not appropriate to delete all of your text or completely change a post. We ask that you think carefully before submitting a thread to ensure you are being clear and are expressing yourself in the manner you are comfortable with. If we find the editing function is being abused that privilege will be revoked.
  • Moderators may remove any post at any time that is directed in a negative way at another user, or that the community at large may find offensive.

Advertising/Solicitation

  • You may not advertise your company, product or site in our forums or solicit customers. This includes but is not limited to your own specials, sales, open houses, stamp camps, products you sell on your website, etc. We allow no posting for personal gain, or promotional posts by company owners and their agents (employees, Design Team members and other "friends" of the company).
  • Posts that are promotional in nature or contain commercial solicitations may be deleted by one of the administrators or moderators.
  • Posts offering blog candy are prohibited. While we have a forum for events where SCS members can get together and make projects, this forum cannot be used to promote for profit events or events where the focus is fundraising for charitable or non charitable causes.
  • Posts that are informational in nature regarding a company or its products are permitted.
  • Should you wish to advertise on our site, you may contact our advertising department at advertising@splitcoaststampers.com for rates and availability.

Signatures

  • Signatures may contain a maximum of 3 off-site links to blogs, shops, etc.
    • Promotional language and referral links are not allowed. Examples of promotional language include any call to action for a user to visit a commercial site, and include but are not limited to, phrases such as:
    • "Check out XYZ"
    • "Get XYZ at XYZ for less." Keep your signatures to 5 lines total. This will still give you plenty of room for fun and creativity.
  • No limit of number of SCS links as long as it fits into the line limit.
  • Keep signatures at or below a size 4 font.
  • No blinkies, pictures, animations.

BST/Swap Forum Issues

We maintain BST and Swap forums for our members to use. Although we cannot guarantee any sales/trades, we will ban users who do not fulfill obligations they have agreed to. If you intend to hostess a swap, buy, sell, or trade on this site please do so with the knowledge that if you do not follow through you may face mail fraud charges from the individual you are doing the sale/trade with, as well as permanent banning from the site. We will use our best judgment and evidence provided to us by affected members in making all disciplinary decisions. We thank you in advance for working to ensure all sales, trades and swaps are carried through. Our guidelines for BST are below.

Before you post

Be aware that the B/S/T forum is not intended for profit/retail sales listings, nor is it intended for operating a "virtual store business." Listings/posts may be considered a Virtual Store Business if any of the following applies:

  • Ongoing listings of multiple items (i.e.: 1,000 coasters)
  • We obtain knowledge of a member's eBay, Internet, and/or retail store
  • We obtain knowledge of a member's access to wholesale products

As a courtesy to our members who are Stampin' Up! demonstrators, the posting of current stamp sets and/or accessories is prohibited in our forums.

How to post your items

When posting your items that you wish to buy, sell, or trade, follow these instructions:

  • First, select the appropriate forum for your item/s. ISO if you're looking to buy a particular item, Buy/Sell to list item/s for sale or sale and trade, or Trade to trade your item/s with someone else.
  • To create your listing, look for the button that says New Thread.
  • List all of your items in a single forum post, complete with prices and detailed descriptions. Don't create separate posts for each item. "Grab bags" are prohibited - each item and price must be listed.
  • Update your original post as needed to reflect those items sold or traded (look for the Edit button on the right hand side of your original post).
  • Create only 1 post either in the Buy/Sell or the Trade forums. Please do not post in both forums.

Posting in the Trade forum

You can trade cardstock, ribbon, embellishments, or stamps. Anything to create a project can be TRADED. Trading of already made/crafted items such as lunchbox tins, cards, things you would find at a craft fair, etc. is not allowed.

B/S/T Forum Organization

To keep searches productive and postings current, listed threads will be deleted after one month (28 days). Please make sure you have all your contact information saved.

Advertising

We will delete all posts that are considered advertising such as on-line store ads, links to online auctions, independent rubber stamp/scrapbook consultant ads, etc. This includes, but is not limited to, cardstock or other sample rings, file tabs, and other craft organizational supplies that you may or may not have advertised in the B/S/T forums or in your signature lines previously.

You may not advertise your company or product or solicit customers in our forums. This includes, but is not limited to, your own specials, sales, open houses, stamp camps, products you sell on your website, etc.

If you would like to purchase advertising on our site, please visit our advertising information site or send an e-mail to advertising@splitcoaststampers.com.

How to ensure a successful transaction

  • Agree upon an expected date of product arrival to the buyer before the money is ever sent.
  • Be mutually clear as to what type of delivery service will be used, and understand about how long that service could take for your product to arrive Ex: Priority mail could be about 2-3 days, first class could be 4-7 days.
  • We highly recommend the use of delivery confirmation and/or insurance. In order to protect your purchase, use a secure online payment service (PayPal, etc.).
  • Communicate with the seller/trader via email and/or PM.
  • Keep records of your communications: delivery confirmation numbers, contact information, copies of emails/PMs (this is especially important in the event of a SCS site glitch!).
  • If the product isn't in your hands after 30 days, contact your online payment company for a refund.
  • Contact a Splitcoast B/S/T Moderator if you need assistance.

Special notes regarding Stampin' Up! products

Sales listings are limited to RETIRED ONLY SU! merchandise for customers and SU! demonstrators alike. By eliminating the sale of current sets entirely, we remove questions and uncertainty about the demo status of sellers.

Items in the SU! catalogs are considered current until they have been officially retired (all retired items are announced before the end of a catalog period), and the pertinent new catalog is available for retail sales. All items on the dormant list or any items not officially retired are considered current and may not be sold in the B/S/T forums.

Postings in the ISO (want to buy) forum may not include current SU! merchandise. Current or retired SU! stamp sets may be traded, however. Post your listing in the Trade forum.

Discontinued ink colors can be sold in any style pad. Pads may be listed for sale only if the color is a retired/discontinued color, regardless of the packaging. *Edited 12/11/07*

Items that are currently sold by SU! such as 12x12 repackaged cardstock and WWC are considered current whether in new or old packaging.

Special note for Stampin' Up! demonstrators

We have a special DEMO B/S/T forum for current hostess sets only and your SU! business supplies (items that are not available to the general public through the SU! Idea Book & Catalog). Postings of this type in any area other than Demo BST will result in your posts being moved or deleted. If you have other items to trade or sell, please list your items in the general B/S/T forum. If items are "pre-order" (such as before a mini catalog period is current for customers), then the items need to be in the Demo B/S/T area.

To access the Demo B/S/T forum you need to be a member of the SU! Demos user group. To join the group, go to the Group Memberships page and request to be added. Requests must be approved by a group leader.

Important Reminders

  • While the B/S/T forum is a valuable resource for our members, we do not guarantee or endorse any particular trade/sale. You are entering a B/S/T agreement at your own risk.
  • As with any agreement between two people, please use common sense and good judgment when entering into a sale or trade.
  • Members who do not successfully complete their deals risk suspension of their SCS membership (we don't take banning lightly, and it would never be done without hearing your side of the story).
  • If you intend to buy, sell, or trade here, please do so with the knowledge that if you do not follow through you may face mail fraud charges from the individual with whom you've dealt.
  • Moderators and administrators may delete or edit any posts they feel are not in compliance with the B/S/T guidelines.

Galleries

  • Our galleries are for showcasing our talented members' and guests' papercrafting projects. Images which are unrelated to papercrafting, personal in nature, or in any way inappropriate will be removed. Abuse of our gallery feature repeatedly may result in a permanent ban.
  • Our members work hard on their creations, and we encourage members to comment on these entries.
  • Gallery creations should ideally contain basic instructions and supply lists and we encourage our members to share these details. Gallery creations without details will be ineligible for promotions we run at SCS, and will not be showcased on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Our community loves getting a crafty education about products and techniques, and so we encourage members to share their expertise for the benefit of our community.
  • If you list a blog link in your gallery post, the link should go directly to the post containing that project, not to your main blog address.
  • Gallery posts with links to blog posts containing blog candy, promotions or giveaways will be removed by moderators. Our advertising and promotional policies that are in place on the site govern gallery posts as well.

General Site Policies

  • SCS Moderators and Administrators will move threads and replies to the most appropriate forums. Please spend a little extra time when posting and help us to make the board run as smoothly as possible by making sure when you start a thread that it is in the proper forum and category. Additionally, please refrain from posting duplicate threads or posts in multiple forums.
  • The Moderators do their best to maintain this site and add to the overall positive nature here. We are here to help, and with that in mind, here are some guidelines for addressing your concerns to moderators or administrators:

    • Please be civil and polite when communicating with moderators and administrators of the site. Bring up your concerns in a mature and respectful manner.
    • If you want to contact the SCS Administrator or Moderators, please send us a private message.

Our members are the most creative and talented artists on the internet. We are proud to be the #1 papercrafting site, and we appreciate everything you do to make that happen. Thank you for participating in our site in a positive and creative way.



Revised July 21, 2010