Groups Usage Policy

Community Groups form communities based on their common eBay experiences. They can play an active role in shaping a Group's character and setting the tone for fellow Group members to follow. When members of Groups abide by the principles found in the eBay User Agreement, eBay Community Values, this Groups Usage Policy and the Groups Guidelines, Groups can be a positive and enjoyable experience for all Groups members.

This Groups Usage Policy and the Groups Guidelines describe the rules that apply to your use of the Groups system available on www.ebay.co.uk (the "eBay Site"). If you do not agree to follow this Groups Usage Policy or the Groups Guidelines, do not use or access the Groups system on the eBay Site.

Definitions:

Group	- an independent user group of eBay community members supported by the Groups system on the eBay Site in accordance with this Groups Usage Policy and the Groups Guidelines
Group member	- a registered eBay community member who has registered to join a Group
Leader	- a qualified eBay Group member who is responsible for that Group's operations and well-being
Moderator	- a Group member selected by a Group's Leader who works with the Leader to manage a Group's operations
Public Group	- a type of Group which any interested eBay community member can register to join at any time
Private Group	- a type of Group which an interested eBay community member can register to join if that community member receives permission from the Leader or a Moderator of the Group, either after receiving an invitation to join the Group from the Leader or a Moderator or after the community member requests such permission to join.
Charter	- a set of Group membership terms and conditions specific to a Group as defined by the initial Leader of the Group
Group Election	- a process used by Group members to replace a Leader of a Group under certain circumstances
Review Period	- an initial period during which eBay confirms a Leader's qualifications
Groups Administrators	- eBay employees who are responsible for managing the overall Groups system on the eBay Site, but not individual Groups, their Charters or materials posted by Group members

Groups on the eBay Site are created and maintained by qualified eBay community members called Leaders who have met the minimum requirements described in the Groups Guidelines. As part of their responsibilities, Leaders develop specific Charters that apply to their Groups. Group members, including the Leader and Moderators, must abide by the Group's Charter and all eBay policies, including the eBay User Agreement, this Groups Usage Policy and the Groups Guidelines.

Groups are independent entities that are not authorised, sponsored, endorsed or otherwise approved by eBay. Although eBay does enable its community members to participate in the Groups system through the use of its online services, eBay does not, manage, moderate, or direct the operations of Groups or the content related to those Groups, including materials posted by Group members. There are no "official" eBay user groups.

Leaders, Moderators and Group members are not employees or agents of eBay. As such, they do not have the authority to bind eBay in any way, nor are they entitled to any of the benefits which eBay makes available to its employees. Leaders, Moderators and Group members are solely responsible and liable for materials they post in the Groups.

Group members are only allowed to advertise
(a) merchandise found on the eBay Site,
(b) services found on the eBay Site and
(c) an eBay Shops or About Me page.
within the Groups system

The following types of postings and behaviours are prohibited within Groups on the eBay Site and may be grounds for a disciplinary response such as immediate post removal, warnings, Groups sanctions and/or suspension from Groups or the eBay Site. Other inappropriate postings and behaviours not listed below may also warrant a disciplinary response. eBay reserves the right to remove any post without warning or future notice.

• Posting contact information about another individual
• Posting material containing profanity, hate speech, threats of violence or defamatory comments
• Activities that conflict with eBay's Community Values, such as discrimination on the basis of age, race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability
• Posting material (graphic or text) that is obscene or pornographic
• Using JavaScript, active or other coding, or other actions that interfere with site operations
• Posting material with the intent to impersonate eBay staff or another Groups member through the use of similar User IDs or any other method or device
• Encouraging others to violate the eBay User Agreement or other eBay policies
• Advertising merchandise, services, or commercial Web sites, including offers to trade, found from sources other than the eBay Site
• "Want ad" posts or posting solicitations of interest in the sale of an item or service
• Posting private emails
• Posting material that in any way breaches the eBay User Agreement or other eBay policies, including Community Values
• Posting listings reports or member breaches
• Discussion or reposting of deleted posts or discussion of no longer registered Group members
• Posting of links, information or profile pages by persons who are under the age of 18, without regard to whether adults actually own the registrations of those underage persons or those underage persons have some type of parental/guardian permission
• Posting of intellectual property, including copyrighted materials, without the permission of the owner of the intellectual property
• Posting Group logos that include, use or otherwise incorporate the eBay name, trademarks or logos
• Publication or distribution of eBay Blocked Bidder/Buyer lists, or any list of persons or organisations under suspicion or disfavor (also known as "blacklists")

Notes:

eBay and a Groups Administrator may sanction a Group member from Groups without suspending them from the eBay Site. eBay may suspend any member from Groups and from the eBay Site if they have been previously warned of violations of the Group Usage Policy, the eBay User Agreement or other eBay policies, though we reserve the right to suspend a member immediately depending upon the type of breach. Sanctions and suspensions may range from one day to an indefinite time period. A sanction or suspension of one of a Group member's User ID will apply to all of that Group member's User IDs. The use of false registration information or the creation of multiple accounts for use within eBay's Groups for the purpose of disruption or in order to avoid detection may result in permanent sanction or suspension of all of the Group member's associated eBay registrations. All warning and suspensions will be issued in accordance with guidelines set out in the eBay User Agreement and the eBay Trust and Safety guidelines Due to the variety of eBay Groups, additional policies may be implemented from time to time. At our discretion, exceptions to the Groups Usage Policy or the Groups Guidelines may be made for certain eBay-sponsored programmes or events.

• Rules for Everyone Overview