1. Our Commitment

LocalMarket is committed to creating a safe, trusted environment for both businesses and customers. We work hard to verify businesses, monitor activity, and respond quickly to reports of misconduct.

2. Business Verification

All public businesses on LocalMarket go through an approval process before visibility. Some businesses may also complete additional verification:

• Identity Verification: Business owners must verify their identity
• Business Verification: We confirm the business exists and is legitimate
• Contact Verification: Phone and email must be valid and accessible
• Manual Review: Our team reviews applications before approval

Approved businesses can appear publicly. Verified businesses receive an additional trust badge on their profile after admin review.

3. What We Prohibit

The following behaviors are not allowed on LocalMarket:

• Scams and Fraud: Any attempt to deceive users for financial gain
• Fake Businesses: Listing businesses that don't exist or aren't yours
• Harassment: Abusive language, threats, or discrimination
• Spam: Repetitive or irrelevant content
• Unsafe Behavior: Promoting illegal activities or dangerous products
• Impersonation: Pretending to be someone else
• False Advertising: Misleading descriptions or fake reviews

4. Content Guidelines

All content must be:

• Accurate and truthful
• Appropriate for all audiences
• Respectful of others
• Legal in your jurisdiction
• Not containing personal information of others

5. Reviews and Ratings

Our review system helps build trust. Reviews must reflect genuine experiences:

• Only review businesses you've actually interacted with
• Be honest and specific in your feedback
• Don't include personal attacks or false accusations
• Businesses can respond to reviews professionally
• We remove fake or manipulated reviews

6. Reporting Issues

If you see something that violates our policies, please report it:

• Use the "Report" button on any business or review
• Provide detailed information about the issue
• Include evidence when possible (links, screenshots)
• Our team reviews all reports within 24-48 hours

7. Enforcement Actions

When policies are violated, we may take the following actions:

• Warning: Notice about the violation
• Content Removal: Delete inappropriate content
• Feature Restrictions: Disable certain features
• Account Suspension: Temporary loss of access
• Permanent Ban: Removal from the platform

8. Trust Badges

LocalMarket displays trust indicators:

• Verified: Business identity confirmed by our team
• Featured: High-quality business selected by our team
• Premium: Business with premium subscription
• Member Since: Shows how long on platform

9. Your Responsibility

Help us maintain a safe community:

• Verify your identity and business information
• Report suspicious activity immediately
• Communicate professionally with others
• Keep your account secure
• Read and follow our guidelines

10. Contact Us

For trust and safety concerns, email reports@soulnet.co.za or use the reporting form.