Community Guidelines — The Spool List

Overview

The Spool List is a professional marketplace for fabrication services. These Community Guidelines (also referred to as our Acceptable Use Policy) establish the standards of behavior and content expected from every user -- buyers, makers, and visitors alike. They exist to keep the platform safe, fair, and productive.

These Guidelines supplement our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Violations may result in enforcement actions up to and including permanent account removal. By using the Platform, you agree to follow these Guidelines.

1. Account Integrity

One Person, One Account

Each individual may operate exactly one account on the Platform. Operating multiple accounts to manipulate ratings, circumvent restrictions, gain unfair marketplace advantage, or for any other purpose is strictly prohibited.

Household & Makerspace Exceptions

Multiple individuals in the same household or shared makerspace may each maintain their own account, provided:

Each account is operated by a distinct individual.
The shared location is disclosed during registration or account setup.
Any shared equipment across accounts is disclosed. Equipment sharing does not exempt you from the one-machine-per-account serial number rule -- each machine registration must be on exactly one account.

Account Accuracy

Provide truthful, current information in your profile, portfolio, and equipment listings.
Do not impersonate other users, companies, brands, or organizations.
Keep your credentials secure. You are responsible for all activity under your account.

2. Machine Registration Rules

Accurate Serial Numbers

Every machine registered on the Platform must include its accurate manufacturer serial number. Providing false, altered, or fabricated serial numbers is a serious violation that may result in immediate suspension. Custom-built machines without manufacturer serial numbers are assigned a TSL-CUSTOM-XXXX identifier.

Photo Verification

We may request photographic proof of machine ownership at any time, including images showing the machine's serial number plate. Photos may be analyzed for authenticity (including EXIF metadata). Submitting photos of machines you do not own or control is prohibited.

One Machine, One Account

Each machine serial number may only be registered to one account at any time, platform-wide. You may not:

Register a machine that is already registered to another account.
Split a single machine's registration across multiple accounts.
Share machine registrations between accounts, even within the same household or makerspace.

If a machine changes ownership, the previous owner must deregister it before the new owner can register it. Contact support@thespoollist.com if you need assistance with ownership transfers.

Capability Accuracy

You must accurately represent your equipment's capabilities, supported materials, build volume, and condition. Do not claim capabilities your machine does not have. If your machine is temporarily out of service, mark it as inactive rather than accepting jobs you cannot fulfill.

3. Marketplace Conduct

Accurate Descriptions

Makers: Portfolio items must be your own work produced on your registered equipment. Represent your skills, turnaround times, and capabilities honestly.
Buyers: Provide accurate job descriptions, file specifications, material requirements, and budgets. Do not misrepresent scope to obtain lower bids.

Timely Communication

Respond to messages within a reasonable timeframe (within 48 hours is recommended).
Communicate proactively about delays, issues, or changes to agreed terms.
If you cannot fulfill a job, decline or withdraw early rather than delivering substandard work or going silent.

Honor Accepted Bids

Once a bid is accepted, it creates a binding commitment. Makers must fulfill the job to the agreed specification, price, and timeline. Buyers must pay the agreed amount upon satisfactory delivery. Repeated no-shows or bid withdrawals after acceptance will result in enforcement action.

No Off-Platform Payment Solicitation

All payments must go through the Platform's Stripe-powered payment system. Arranging off-platform payments to avoid commission is prohibited and removes escrow protection for both parties. Do not share personal payment links (Venmo, PayPal, CashApp, crypto wallets, etc.) in messages. Our message filter flags suspicious content to protect both parties.

4. Prohibited Content

The following content and activities are banned from the Platform:

Counterfeit & Infringing Goods

Manufacturing, listing, or distributing counterfeit products, unauthorized replicas, or trademark-infringing items.
Reproducing copyrighted designs without authorization from the rights holder.
Using The Spool List to facilitate IP theft or unauthorized reproduction.

Weapons

The Platform prohibits all firearm-related work to maintain a safe and clean marketplace. This includes but is not limited to:

Manufacturing, modification, repair, or finishing of firearms, firearm frames, receivers, or firearm components.
Suppressors, silencers, and sound moderators.
Ammunition, ammunition components, and reloading equipment.
Any item designed primarily as a weapon.

Other weapons (knives, blades, bows, etc.) are permitted only if they comply with all applicable laws and carry valid serial numbers or manufacturer identification where required by law.

Hazardous Materials

Jobs involving hazardous materials (toxic chemicals, radioactive substances, biological agents) are prohibited unless the maker provides proper documentation of licensing, handling certification, and disposal compliance. Contact support@thespoollist.com if you have questions about a specific material.

Adult Content

Sexually explicit imagery, pornographic content, and adult novelty items are prohibited in portfolios, job listings, and all public-facing areas of the Platform.

Stolen Intellectual Property

Only upload files and designs you have the right to use.
Do not share, copy, or reproduce a buyer's proprietary designs without explicit permission.
Respect confidentiality. Job details, design files, and communications are shared in trust.

5. Anti-Abuse

The following behaviors undermine the integrity of the Platform and are prohibited:

Multi-Account Dodging

Creating new accounts to circumvent bans, suspensions, restrictions, or other enforcement actions. Machine serial numbers from banned accounts are retained in the platform ledger to prevent re-registration.

Fake Reviews & Rating Manipulation

Posting reviews for transactions that did not occur.
Incentivizing, purchasing, or trading reviews.
Retaliatory reviews designed to punish rather than inform.
Using multiple accounts or coordinating with others to inflate or deflate ratings.

Automated Scraping

Using bots, crawlers, scripts, or other automated tools to access, scrape, or extract data from the Platform without written permission. This includes price monitoring, maker data harvesting, and bulk downloading of portfolio images.

Harassment & Discrimination

Threatening, intimidating, discriminating against, stalking, or harassing other users in messages, reviews, or any Platform interaction. This includes hate speech, slurs, doxxing, and sharing another user's personal information without consent.

6. Enforcement Actions

When violations are detected, enforcement follows a graduated approach. The severity of the action depends on the nature, frequency, and impact of the violation.

Level 1 Flagged

Your account is flagged internally for monitoring. You receive a notification explaining the issue. No features are restricted. This is an advisory notice. Typical triggers: first minor policy violation, borderline content, incomplete machine documentation.

Level 2 Restricted

Certain features are temporarily disabled. This may include: inability to bid on new jobs, inability to post new jobs, messaging limitations, or portfolio upload restrictions. Active jobs in progress may continue to completion. You are notified with specific details of what is restricted and why. Typical triggers: repeated minor violations, moderate policy breach, unresolved flagged issues.

Level 3 Suspended

Full account access is suspended for a defined period (typically 7-30 days). You cannot log in, bid, post, or message during suspension. Active escrow is handled case-by-case -- funds may be held, released, or refunded depending on circumstances. You are notified and may appeal. Typical triggers: serious policy violation, repeated moderate violations, off-platform payment solicitation, equipment fraud.

Level 4 Banned

Permanent account removal. All active listings are removed. Outstanding escrow is resolved according to the circumstances. Machine serial numbers are retained in the platform ledger to prevent re-registration under a new account. You are notified and may appeal within 30 days. Typical triggers: fraud, safety threats, severe harassment, repeated serious violations, ban evasion.

Severity override: For violations involving imminent safety threats, fraud, or illegal activity, we may skip directly to suspension or ban without progressing through lower enforcement levels.

7. Due Process & Appeals

Notification Before Action

You will be notified before any enforcement action is taken against your account, with an explanation of the violation and the action being applied. The sole exception is situations involving imminent harm (active fraud, safety threats, or illegal activity), where immediate action may be taken with notification following as soon as practicable.

Right to Appeal

You have 30 days from the date of any enforcement action to submit an appeal.
Send your appeal to support@thespoollist.com with your account email, the enforcement action in question, and your explanation or supporting evidence.
Appeals are reviewed by a different team member than the one who issued the original action to ensure impartiality.

Review Timeline

We aim to review and respond to all appeals within 14 days of receipt. Complex cases may take longer, and we will notify you if additional time is needed. The appeal decision is final.

Data Export

Regardless of enforcement status, you retain the right to request an export of your personal data. Contact support@thespoollist.com to request a data export in a machine-readable format. See our Privacy Policy for details on data retention following account actions.

8. Reporting Violations

If you encounter behavior or content that violates these Guidelines, we want to hear about it. You can report violations through the following channels:

In-app reporting: Use the report button on any profile, job listing, message, or review to flag it for review.
Email: Send detailed reports to support@thespoollist.com. Include screenshots, links, and any relevant context.

All reports are reviewed by our Trust & Safety team. We will acknowledge receipt within 24 hours and complete initial review within 48 hours. Reporter identities are kept confidential -- we will never reveal who reported a violation to the reported user.

Reporting in good faith is protected. However, submitting deliberately false or malicious reports is itself a violation of these Guidelines.

These Guidelines are a living document and may be updated as the Platform evolves. Material changes will be communicated via in-app notification. Questions about these Guidelines can be directed to support@thespoollist.com.