Acceptable Use Policy

1. Purpose

This Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) sets out what you may and may not list, post, or do on RetroMarket. It is part of the contract you agree to under our Terms of Service. Breaches can result in listing removal, account suspension, scammer flagging, or permanent termination at the operator's discretion.

2. Prohibited listings

The following categories are strictly prohibited on RetroMarket. Listings in these categories are removed on sight and the seller is subject to immediate scammer-flag escalation:

• Counterfeits sold as genuine. Reproduction cartridges, clone consoles, repro boxes, or fake collector items presented as original. Clearly labelled reproductions are permitted; passing a reproduction off as the real thing is not.
• Illegal hardware. Signal jammers, illegal active-spectrum devices, or any equipment whose sale, possession, or use is unlawful in Australia. This includes devices that violate the Radiocommunications Act 1992 (Cth).
• Stolen property. Any item the seller does not lawfully own. We cooperate with law enforcement requests where stolen property is reported and identifiable.

3. Copyright and protected content

RetroMarket takes a permissive stance on retro software, firmware, ROMs, flash carts, modded consoles, and modchips because they are central to the retro collecting and preservation hobby. These items are allowed for sale conditional on a per-listing seller attestation.

When you create a listing that includes software, firmware, modchips, flash carts, or pre-loaded media, you tick a checkbox stating: you confirm you have the right to sell this content. The checkbox label and this AUP wording are identical so there is no ambiguity about what you have attested to.

You should be aware that the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) contains provisions on authorising infringement (section 36) and circumvention of technological protection measures (section 116AC). False attestation can expose you to civil and, in some cases, criminal liability under those provisions. We do not provide legal advice; if you are unsure whether you have the right to sell a particular item, consult a lawyer before listing it.

Paralegal review of this section is pending post-launch. We will update this AUP, and where appropriate the listing flow, once that review completes.

4. Prohibited conduct

Regardless of listing content, the following conduct is prohibited platform-wide:

• Harassment, threats, hate speech, or targeted abuse of other users.
• Doxxing — publishing or threatening to publish another user's personal information.
• Shill bidding, fake offers, sock-puppet reviews, or any manipulation of the reputation or offer system.
• Off-platform-payment-fraud attempts — soliciting payment outside agreed-upon protections, then refusing to ship.
• Phishing, malware distribution, or attempts to compromise other users' accounts.
• Automated scraping, mass listing tooling, or other use of the platform that imposes a disproportionate load.
• Circumventing suspensions or bans by creating additional accounts.

5. Seller obligations

Sellers agree to:

• Describe items accurately, including condition, completeness, regional variant, and any known faults.
• Use representative photos — not stock images from elsewhere on the internet.
• Respond to legitimate buyer enquiries within a reasonable time.
• Honour offers you have accepted; if you cannot complete a sale, communicate clearly and promptly with the buyer.
• Ship within the timeframe stated in your listing, and provide tracking where you have promised it.

6. Enforcement

Enforcement is handled through the existing admin moderation queue. The operator may take the following actions, individually or in combination, at their discretion:

• Remove a listing.
• Hide or restrict a user's profile.
• Suspend an account temporarily.
• Apply a scammer flag — a public, persistent marker visible to other users.
• Terminate an account permanently.

Appeals.You can contest an enforcement decision by emailing the operator via the contact path in §7. Appeals are considered at the operator's discretion only; we do not run a formal multi-stage appeal process.

7. Reporting

To report a listing or user behaviour that breaches this AUP, email legal@retromarket.com.au with the URL of the listing or profile and a brief description of the issue. Include screenshots where helpful. We acknowledge reports within seven days and act on them as fast as the evidence allows.