Just a few ground rules to ensure the forum is an enjoyable place for all.

Please remember that severe action will only be taken on those people who display totally inappropriate behaviour on the forum – although the minority, these people are usually quite noticeable.

Okay onto the rules:

Firstly, I’d just like to point out that in all cases where a ban is mentioned, this will be based on Moderator/Admins overall decision after discussion. The big stick will not be wielded on a whim.

Suspensions and strikes can be issued at the discretion of an individual/group of admin at the time of the incident.

1. Insults, personal abuse & slanging matches

Please refrain from resorting to insults and/or personal abuse. If you are joking, please do your best to make it obvious. If a problem arises, please try to resolve it via PM, email or, where available, MSN Messenger. If you need help, feel free to contact a member of the Admin/Mod team

2. Arguments

Inevitable! However, please bear in mind rule 1 at all times. Attack the post, not the poster. Try to keep your cool. Remember, we are all here to learn - our own personal view point may not be the best. If things get out of hand, the Admin/Mod team may have to lock or remove the thread.

3. Name and shame

Please try not post detrimental comments in relation to companies. We appreciate there are some less-than-professional companies out there and understand how upsetting bad experiences can be. Please bear in mind that publicly 'naming and shaming' a company could invite legal action to be taken against Euro-Nova. Mods/Admin will advise/edit a thread of this nature if necessary. If you are found to be breaking this rule intentionally, you will receive a 'Suspension' or a ‘Strike’. Repeated breaking of this rule will result in a ban. We have Euro-Nova’s best interests at heart, hence the hard action with this rule.

4. Bad language

Please avoid swearing. We know it is easy to slip but please edit your posts. If you must express anger or jokes with swearing use ‘*’ where necessary. Users intentionally violating this rule on several occasions will be given a ‘Suspension’ or ‘Strike’.

5. Racial / xenophobic / religious bigotry

These will not be tolerated at all. Offensive comments will be edited by admin / mods and if required the originator's account will be immediately suspended/striked pending further administrative action.

6. Net etiquette, or netiquette

Please do not post topic titles and/or topic content containing words entirely of CAPITALS or Text Speak (e.g. m8 how r u). This is considered bad net etiquette and really does annoy people. Also try and use punctuation. This is primarily for your benefit (you'll get your answer if we can actually understand/read the question! ). If the problem continues after mod/admin advisement you may, in extreme cases be cautioned with a ‘strike’. For obvious reasons Net speak i.e LOL, ROFL etc. is fine.

7. Offensive images

These are a no-go area. Please remember people of all ages read this forum and consider that what may not be offensive to you, may well be offensive to others. If an image you have posted is moved or deleted by Moderators or Admin, it will have been due to a complaint or a feeling that it is unacceptable in the public eye. Depending on the theme of the image in question a strike may be issued. A ban may well be issued for those who persist in posting offensive images after mod/admin advisement.

8. Abuse of Admin/Moderators

Serious abuse aimed at any or all of the Moderator/Admin team cannot be tolerated. Such comments will be edited by admin / mods and if required, the originator's account will be immediately suspended pending further administrative action. Should you need to comment on an admin/moderator for whatever reason, please PM one of the mod/admin team with your concerns.

10. Spamming/Pyramid schemes

100% without quibble a no-go here on Euro-Nova. A strike will be issued for anyone posting such schemes. If someone has registered with the pure intention to promote these schemes, then their account will be disabled.

11. For Sale and Wanted.

Please make sure to edit your post title and add [SOLD] when your item sells, this saves people looking through lots of posts for no reason.

Posting for sale and wanted ads on behalf of banned members is off limits. This will result in a strike. Persistent abusers will be banned.
Registering accounts to simply advertise items for sale is also against the rules. This is a blatent use of Euro-Nova just for selling, which is not allowed. Our established users can sell on the forums but you can't join just for selling purposes. Your first post should not be a for sale or ebay forum post.

12. For Sale Threads

These are only allowed in the designated areas. If they are found elsewhere, they will be removed and the poster notified. Any attempt to repost them may result in disciplinary measures.

(Advisory) Please try not go off topic in other peoples for sale threads with comments like "It isn't worth that", etc. It may prove detrimental to the sale and is unlikely to be appreciated by the seller.

13. Traders - a definition:

Persons who buy and sell items to make a profit are considered traders. This includes cars, parts, PC parts, etc.
Persons selling the same item type on more than a one-off type of sale are considered traders.
Also, if you buy and sell in excess of 5 cars a year (for alleged profit or not) you are then considered a trader.
It makes no difference if you consider it a hobby and you have a full time job as well - you are still considered a trader here. (Legally you should declare all profits to the Inland Revenue anyway!)

Being a trader is free. It entitles you to post in the "Traders only" section of this forum and should be seen as a mark of approval by the Admin/Moderator team.
In exchange for this, all we ask is that you are honest, ethical and reliable to your customers.

We do, however, offer no guarantee to the general non-trade members that a trader is "good", neither do we hold ANY responsibility for their actions.

Traders are still entitled to sell items that are genuinely personally owned in the "Private Ads" section, but anybody found abusing this will have their selling rights revoked from BOTH sections!

14. Image sizes

For avatars a max width of around 100 pixels would be prefered.

(Advisory) Please keep image file sizes as low as possible without image degradation and please keep image dimensions reasonable.

15. Signatures

Naturally, we ask you to ensure your signature text/images do not contravene the rules on bad language or indecency.

(Advisory) Including details of your car here will prove helpful with technical queries.

16. Disciplinary procedures

What this means -

Right well, depending on the seriousness of the ‘offence’ so to speak, either a ‘Suspension’ or a ‘Strike’ may be issued or perhaps both if it is warranted.

a) Suspension – A suspension is the initial action taken by mods admin. A member’s account is temporarily disabled for 24 hours. This we hope, will allow the person to cool off and and reflect on their behaviour prior to returning. After 24 hours (give or take) the account will be reinstated. Note that it won’t be marked or labelled in any way.
(Suspensions can be issued by discretion of any one or any group of moderators or admin)
Permanent suspensions will be enforced for anyone found to be using duplicate accounts without first informing the admin team of this. Noone needs duplicate accounts and there is no positive reason for having more than one. Anyone found to have duplicate accounts will have both accounts suspended indefinately.

b) Strike 1 – For the more troublesome offenders, and those that have had their account suspended more than once in a 60 day period – for the troublemakers amongst us . Unfortunately this is the first step toward being banned, and results in the ‘Strike’ tag being added under your avatar (viewable to the public). The strike is valid for 30 days and after which will be removed if the person doesn’t play up again in that period.
(Strikes can be issued by discretion of any one or any group of moderators or admin)

c) Strike 2 - Somebody already on a strike who continues to behave badly will be issued with a second strike. This will then last 3 months from the time when it was issued. If the behaviour has been deemed very disruptive (again entirely at the discretion of the Moderator and Admin team) and either the person has just had a Strike removed previously or has been reinstated after a suspension, a person may be fast tracked straight to Strike 2.

For obvious reasons while on a second strike, if bad behaviour persists the account will be deleted/banned. No question.

Any person picking up 3 strikes in one 12 month period will be banned on receiving their 3rd strike for a one month period. If the behavior then persists, the person will be banned permanently. These are usually people out to cause mischief, and are of no value to Euro-Nova.

On receiving a suspension/strike should you wish to comment to admin/mods regarding this, please PM them direct we are open to discussion. Posting publicly regarding action taken and criticising mods/admin is not welcome and won’t be tolerated. Action will be taken if necessary.

Please remember we have the Feedback area to raise any concerns you may have, or the admin/mod team are always available should you want to discuss/raise issues privately.

17. SPAM extra.
If any member is found to be spamming Euro-Nova on their first post, be it either as a registered user or as a guest, their account will be banned on the spot. We do not need spammers here. If this is your aim, then go elsewhere as your not wanted here. Once your banned, you won't be allowed back in unless there is a very good reason.