Acceptable Use Policy

1. Introduction

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") governs your use of the Masterlinq platform and services. This policy is incorporated into and forms part of our Terms of Service.

All users of our platform—including Retailers, Suppliers, and Customers—must comply with this policy. Violation of this AUP may result in suspension or termination of your account and access to our Services.

We reserve the right to modify this policy at any time. Continued use of our Services after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

2. Prohibited Content

You may not use our platform to list, sell, distribute, or promote any of the following:

Illegal Products and Services:

• Counterfeit, pirated, or stolen goods
• Products that infringe intellectual property rights (trademarks, copyrights, patents)
• Goods that violate export control laws or trade sanctions
• Products requiring licenses or permits that you do not possess
• Recalled or banned products

Dangerous or Regulated Items:

• Weapons, ammunition, or explosives
• Controlled substances or drug paraphernalia
• Hazardous materials without proper certifications
• Products that do not meet applicable safety standards

Deceptive Content:

• False, misleading, or deceptive product descriptions
• Fake reviews or testimonials
• Manipulated images that misrepresent products
• False claims about product origin, certification, or specifications

Offensive Content:

• Content that promotes hate, violence, or discrimination
• Defamatory, harassing, or threatening content
• Sexually explicit or obscene material
• Content that exploits or endangers minors

3. Prohibited Activities

You may not engage in any of the following activities on our platform:

Fraudulent Conduct:

• Creating fake accounts or misrepresenting your identity
• Processing fraudulent transactions or chargebacks
• Price manipulation, bid rigging, or market manipulation
• Money laundering or other financial crimes
• Phishing, social engineering, or identity theft attempts

Platform Manipulation:

• Artificially inflating sales, views, or ratings
• Circumventing fees, commissions, or payment processing
• Creating multiple accounts to evade restrictions or limits
• Interfering with other users' accounts or transactions

Unfair Business Practices:

• Bait-and-switch tactics or false advertising
• Failing to fulfill orders or provide promised services
• Unauthorized collection or use of customer data
• Spamming customers or other platform users
• Disparaging competitors through false statements

4. System Abuse

You may not attempt to compromise the security, integrity, or availability of our platform:

• Unauthorized access to systems, accounts, or data
• Attempting to probe, scan, or test system vulnerabilities
• Deploying malware, viruses, or malicious code
• Conducting denial-of-service attacks or overwhelming system resources
• Scraping, crawling, or harvesting data without authorization
• Reverse engineering, decompiling, or disassembling our software
• Circumventing security measures, access controls, or rate limits
• Using automated tools (bots) except through our official APIs
• Interfering with the proper functioning of the platform

If you discover a security vulnerability, please report it responsibly to security@masterlinq.io rather than exploiting it.

5. Enforcement

We actively monitor our platform for violations of this policy. When we identify violations, we may take any of the following actions at our discretion:

• Issue warnings and request corrective action
• Remove or disable violating content or listings
• Suspend or restrict account features
• Temporarily or permanently terminate accounts
• Withhold or reverse payments
• Report illegal activities to law enforcement
• Pursue legal action for damages or injunctive relief

The severity of enforcement depends on factors including the nature and frequency of violations, intent, impact on other users, and cooperation in resolving issues.

Account termination for AUP violations may result in forfeiture of pending payouts and removal of all platform data, subject to applicable law and our data retention requirements.

6. Reporting Violations

We encourage all users to report suspected violations of this policy. You can report violations through:

• Email: security@masterlinq.io
• In-platform reporting tools (where available)
• Contact your account manager (for enterprise accounts)

When reporting a violation, please include:

• Description of the suspected violation
• Relevant URLs, account names, or order numbers
• Screenshots or other evidence (if available)
• Your contact information for follow-up

We review all reports and take appropriate action. However, we cannot guarantee specific outcomes or disclose details of enforcement actions taken against other users due to privacy considerations.

Submitting false or malicious reports is itself a violation of this policy.

7. Modifications

We may modify this Acceptable Use Policy at any time. Changes become effective when posted on our website. We will notify users of material changes through email or platform notifications.

Your continued use of our Services after modifications constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. If you do not agree with changes, you must stop using our Services.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about acceptable use of our platform.

8. Contact

If you have questions about this Acceptable Use Policy or need clarification on whether specific activities are permitted, please contact us:

• Email: support@masterlinq.io
• Abuse Reports: security@masterlinq.io
• Security Issues: security@masterlinq.io

For general inquiries about our Services, please see our Terms of Service or contact our support team.