Community Guidelines

Be a Good Neighbor

Yard Snail is built on the idea that community commerce should be warm, honest, and fun. We expect everyone — buyers, sellers, and Snail Scouts — to treat each other with basic respect.

• Be honest in your listings — accurate descriptions, real photos, correct addresses and dates
• Respond to messages promptly and respectfully
• Honor your commitments — if you say an item is available, hold it
• Be kind in reviews and comments, even when disappointed
• No harassment, threats, hate speech, or discrimination of any kind
• Don't use Yard Snail to stalk, monitor, or intimidate anyone

Prohibited Listings

The following items and listing types are never allowed on Yard Snail. Posting them will result in removal and may lead to account suspension:

Several of these are age-restricted goods rather than dangerous ones. We don't allow them because selling them would mean verifying every buyer's age at checkout, and Yard Snail is a place to meet a neighbour in a driveway — not a place to show anyone your ID.

• Weapons & firearms — guns, ammo, knives marketed as weapons, tasers, or any regulated weapon
• Alcohol — including collectible or unopened bottles, and homebrew
• Tobacco, vapes & nicotine — cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, pods, and refills
• Cannabis & related accessories — regardless of what your state allows
• Fireworks & explosives — including consumer-grade fireworks
• Illegal drugs & paraphernalia — no exceptions
• Recalled products — check CPSC.gov if you're unsure about a children's product or appliance
• Counterfeits — fake designer goods, replica watches, knockoff brand items
• Live animals — rehoming pets must go through licensed rescues or shelters in your area; no breeding sales
• Stolen property — obviously
• Adult content or services
• Misleading listings — bait-and-switch pricing, fake "estate sales," or listings designed to lure people to a location under false pretenses
• Spam — duplicate listings, commercial spam, listings unrelated to community commerce

Buyer Safety

Transactions happen directly between community members. Yard Snail doesn't process payments or guarantee items. Here's how to stay safe:

• Meet in public — a busy parking lot, library, or police station "safe exchange zone" is ideal
• Bring a friend when picking up valuable items or meeting someone new
• Inspect before you pay — never pay upfront for something you haven't seen in person
• Cash at pickup is the safest option for yard sales and local meetups
• Watch for red flags: sellers who won't meet in person, deals that sound too good to be true, pressure to pay via wire transfer or gift cards
• If something feels off, trust your gut and walk away

Seller Responsibilities

• Post only items you actually own and have the right to sell
• Be upfront about condition — "as-is" is fine, just say so
• Keep your listing dates accurate — update or close your listing when the sale ends
• Don't manipulate views, saves, or reviews with fake accounts
• Price items fairly and honor the price shown at the time of inquiry
• Check local rules & permits before posting — you are responsible for any required city, county, state, or HOA approvals. See Terms of Service § 5 for details.

Snail Scout Standards

Snail Scouts are the heart of Yard Snail's discovery engine. With that comes responsibility:

• Only submit real sales you've actually spotted in person
• One submission per event — no duplicates
• Use a clear photo of the sign or stall; blurry or irrelevant photos won't be verified
• Provide an accurate address — wrong addresses waste everyone's time
• Don't submit events found on other sites unless you've personally confirmed them
• Scouts who consistently submit false or low-quality finds lose Scout status

Reporting & Moderation

Every piece of user-generated content on Yard Snail has a Report button. Use it — don't hesitate. Reports go to our moderation team and are reviewed as quickly as possible.

• Listings — tap "Report" on any listing detail page
• Comments — tap the flag icon next to any comment
• Messages — tap "Report Conversation" in any messaging thread
• Reviews — tap "Report" on any review
• Profiles / boutiques — use the Report option on any shop page

Malicious reporting (using Report to harass others) is itself a violation and may result in account action.

Enforcement

When guidelines are violated, we may take action ranging from removing the content to suspending or permanently banning an account, depending on severity. We try to be fair and proportionate. For serious safety issues, we cooperate with law enforcement.

Questions or Concerns?

Email us at hello@sthetic.org. Community health is a priority and we take every report seriously.