New Rules

Guidelines

In general, we just ask that everyone be nice to each other. Remember we’re all just here to buy, sail, trade and have a good time!

The Outdoors Trader consists of 3 major sections that all have their own sets of rules.

• Classifieds - Moderated very strictly.
• Public Forums - Moderated to a PG-13ish level, kept on topic and family friendly.
• Boiler Room - More relaxed rules and more controversial topics. You can view and join these forums in your settings under "Join user groups." Boiler room forums can have custom rules as long as they don’t violate the overall site guidelines.

On Topic

We have many forums on the site devoted to many different topics, and our goal is to keep them as “on topic” as possible. This means that any threads or posts that attempt to change the subject of a thread can/will be removed if necessary. This can be enforced more strongly in serious forums and loosely in relaxed forums, and will be based on how the users and moderators of each section would like it to be enforced.

If a user posts off topic threads or posts they will receive a notice from a moderator to let them know it was moved or removed. If you frequently post off topic content in the wrong area you can be removed from that area.

Inside every forum there can be one off topic “chat thread“ that is stuck to the top. You can use these if you want to chit-chat with folks from that forum without having to go to a separate area.

Notices / Warnings / Bans

Notices are given for small things like posting off topic content or breaking small rules.

Warnings are given for more serious violations like threatening someone, posting racist stuff, etc.

Temporary bans will be used when people need to cool off or sober up, and they can last anywhere from 6 - 24 hours. Longer bans can be used in extreme circumstances.

Forum and Section Bans are given when a section moderator requests that an admin remove someone from a particular forum or section.

Site-Wide Bans are given to frequent trouble makers, scammers, spam accounts, etc. and will be based on the recommendations of section moderators and must be approved by a majority of the admins or site owner.

Rules

Personal Attacks - We do not allow personal attacks of any kind. This is stuff like name calling, insults, insinuations of economic status, etc. Includes anything said about or posted towards another member that is meant as an insult. This would include asking if someone is “butt hurt” or posting a meme to imply that someone is a whiner or crybaby.

Racist/Discriminatory Content - We do not allow racist content in any form. We’re a gun forum and we have members from everywhere. This means no racist jokes anywhere, no racist memes, no “retard” memes, etc. This covers any meme where the punchline is based on a negative connotation of the subject’s race or mental capability.

Harassment - We do not allow harassment, this includes the following and can result in a temporary or permanent ban. Harassment includes but is not limited to:

• Do not follow anyone around and post in all their threads if you know it is unwanted by that person.
• Do not send multiple private messages harassing anyone for any reason.
• Do not contact someone's place of work.
• Do not reveal anyone’s real name, address, personal information, etc.

Banned Members - We do not allow any comments meant to call attention to a member that is banned. If you have a question as to why someone was banned you can ask in the private help section. If we can share the reason for the ban or length of the ban we will.

Callouts - We do not allow callouts of other members of the site. A callout is defined as posting a negative opinion of another member on any given topic. If the negative opinion is in regard to a bad trading experience AND meets the guidelines defined in the rules for feedback then feel free to use the feedback system as warranted. Negative personal opinions outside of proper use of feedback have no place here and will not be tolerated.

Other Forums - We do not allow recruiting for other sites/forums or bashing of other sites/forums.

Cut & Paste - We do not allow users to cut and paste content from other sites, we ask that you instead post a link to the story with a short summary or commentary written by yourself.

Banned Members - We do not allow any comments meant to call attention to a member that is banned. If you have a question as to why someone was banned you can ask in the private help section. If we can share the reason for the ban or length of the ban we will.

Cut & Paste - We do not allow users to cut and paste content from other sites, we ask that you instead post your own summary and then a link to the original content.

Images / Videos

• Public Forums - Do not post any lewd, crude, or disgusting images. Think PG-13. (Includes avatars and “trick” images meant to look like something worse than they are.)
• Boiler Room - No porn. No gore. Maxim is fine but not Penthouse.

Classifieds

Classified ads last 45 days if not closed or relisted. Ads can be edited or closed by the user at any time. You may post multiple items in your ad, but once they are bundled together they can’t be listed separately until after the 72 hours requirement has been met.

Ads may be closed and relisted after 72 hours. You will receive a message from our system when it is ready to be relisted. You do not have to relist, it’s just an option.

A relist counts as a new listing.

All members are allowed 3 free listings in a 30 day period. You may upgrade your account to get more listings at any time in your settings under "Account upgrades." If you have a “Maximum Listings” or “Supporter” upgrade you are allowed to post up to five items per day per category.

All items must have some sort of value reference point. This can be a ballpark value, possible trade interest, etc. Just something to serve as a starting point for everyone interested in your item. If your item is listed as "For Sale Only" you must have a price listed. If you do not list a price or trade reference your ad will be moved to the Listings Under Review forum until a price or value is added. Extreme values used to bypass the value requirement will not be accepted. This would include prices such as $1 or $1,000,000 for something like a standard Glock 17.

Please refrain from excessively bumping your ad when there is no new information to add and nothing has changed. (More than twice a day with no new info is considered "excessive")

Items listed by private sellers must be purchasable at the time it is listed. Items may not be listed if they are not considered “in hand.” Items may not be listed if they are already committed to be sold elsewhere, an example would be listing your gun here when it is already committed to be sold on gunbroker.

Auctions are only allowed as fundraisers for charitable causes and must be approved by an admin beforehand. Raffles are only allowed if they are conducted by a non profit organization.

Ad titles must have the item name in the title and can’t be misleading in any way. This would include titles like “Free gun,” but then the ad says you have to buy the holster for $500.

Items must be listed in the section that applies to them, not in a section where the item you’re looking for would be listed. Basically don’t list a handgun under rifles even if you’re looking for a rifle.

“I’ll take it” means nothing unless the thread starter says it does, and even then we do not enforce it, it just isn’t feasible.

If you decide to list an item for a friend then you take responsibility for that transaction as far as feedback is concerned. We recommend advising others to create their own accounts if they would like to trade here.

AR Lowers can be listed in either Handguns or Rifles, but not both. AR Uppers must be listed in the accessories section.

We do not allow stolen or counterfeit goods to be sold here. If there is suspicion that your item may be stolen or counterfeit it will be taken down and you will be asked to provide proof that you legally acquired the item. If you can not provide proof then you will not be allowed to list that item again.

80% Lowers - These can only be sold as incomplete/unbuilt lowers. Completed 80% lowers are not allowed in the classifieds.

Any firearm with a stabilizing brace listed in the classifieds must be placed in the Rifles category and must have an NFA sub category tag. All others will be removed or relabeled correctly.

Prohibited Items - The following items are prohibited from being sold here: Drugs, alcohol, tobacco, non-commercial reloads, freon or other restricted chemicals, and pornography.

It is the buyer’s and seller’s responsibility to be familiar with all local, state, and federal laws when considering buying or selling a firearm. It is the parties involved in the transaction’s responsibility to make sure all laws are followed and all items are as represented before they take part in a transaction with someone else. This site can accept no responsibility for mis-represented items or items not being delivered after payment. You use this site at your own risk so please be careful.

Dealers

What is a dealer? If during a transaction you have to do anything differently from a private sale then you are considered a dealer.

Types of dealers we care about:

• Firearms/ Firearm Accessories Dealer - Must use the firearms dealer section.
• Vehicle / Heavy Equipment Dealers - Can post one vehicle per day or one heavy equipment listing per day. .

Other categories may be added if necessary.

Classified Ad Comments

Comments must be enabled when the ad is started or manually after the ad is created. If comments are enabled then the following rules apply:

Any negative comments, bickering, etc. will be removed from any ads unless the user is pointing out an error in the ad, a defect in the item, or a recall affecting the item.

Any comments on the price being too high or links to lower priced items will be removed.

Do not post the same comment or offer in multiple ads, this will be considered spam and will be deleted.

"GLWS" and smileys are not allowed by themselves, they must be accompanied by a comment or question that is allowed under the rules.

Listings that turn into off-topic discussions will have the comments disabled. (5 or more posts that have nothing to do with the item.)

Users have the ability to remove comments from their ads. If you feel like a user is deleting comments that point out a defect in an item or an error in the ad then you can report it and a moderator will take a look at it.

Users that break these rules multiple times can be banned temporarily and/or will have to have all their posts in the classifieds approved by a moderator before they get posted.

Feedback

Our feedback system is designed to help you make an informed decision about who to deal with and to hold users accountable for their actions. Please be sure to check a user’s feedback before any potential trade and be sure to follow our guidelines for completing a deal so you have the option to leave a negative rating if necessary later.

Positive Ratings - can be left for any deal that went positively.

Negative Ratings - A negative rating becomes an option once BOTH these terms have been agreed to by both parties and the information can be verified in private message:

• Date/Time of meeting. (Up to a 2 hour range is acceptable)
• Location of meeting.

The reasons for leaving a negative are limited to the following:

• Cancellation of meet after committing to it.
• Failure to show up to meet.
• Failure to send payment or item.
• Item is misrepresented or damaged and it is discovered after the transaction is complete.

Our members take their feedback scores very seriously, and that means we must have very strict rules when it comes to giving negative ratings. Please review our requirements carefully for leaving a negative so you can keep it as an option in case a deal doesn’t go according to plan. Any negative rating can be challenged by the recipient by posting in the private help forum.

If a negative rating is challenged then a mod will review the user’s private messages to investigate. In cases involving shipping we will accept tracking information from a major carrier as proof of sending or receiving an item. We will NOT accept texts, emails, voicemails, snapchats, instagram posts, tweets, police body cam footage, etc. as proof of anything. We just don’t have the time or resources to get into anything that isn’t directly verifiable here on the site.

Negatives do not have to be permanent, in many cases they are used to force a member to follow through with their commitments. At any time a user can choose to reverse any negative that they have left for another user by posting in the private help forum and letting the site staff know which rating to remove.

Members are allowed to inspect and reject an item or trade at a meet, there is no requirement that they must purchase the item, they are just committed to showing up to the meet.

We recommend that once you have all the details worked out that you send a private message detailing every item involved in the transaction and the time and location of the meet, and ask them to agree to it or accept it. Save this response until you are satisfied with the deal. Once it is gone you lose your leverage.

Disputing a Negative Rating - If you feel like you’ve been given a negative rating unfairly then you have 30 days to dispute it in the private help forum. Please remember that we only accept info that is verifiable in a private message.

Disclaimer

We do not have a rule for every possible scenario, and not every scenario requires a rule to be written for it. When something comes up that isn’t covered in the rules the moderators will make a judgement call based on how we deal with everything else. If something comes up frequently then the rules will be amended to address it.