Acceptable Use Policy
Last updated: 21 July 2026
This Acceptable Use Policy explains how you may and may not use Tradeza. It forms part of, and should be read together with, our Terms of Service. While our Terms set out what may not be sold, this policy sets out how you must behave. Breaking these rules may result in content removal, suspension, or a permanent ban.
1. The Spirit of Tradeza
Tradeza exists to help South Africans buy, sell, swap, and trade safely and honestly. We ask every user to treat others the way they would want to be treated: communicate respectfully, describe items truthfully, honour agreements made in good faith, and keep the platform safe for everyone. Most of these rules simply put that principle into words.
2. What We Expect From You
- Post accurate, honest ads with genuine photos of the actual item or service.
- Communicate politely and respond to buyers and sellers in good faith.
- Meet in safe, public places and follow our Safety Tips when completing a deal.
- Respect other people's privacy, property, and intellectual property rights.
- Report anything that looks like a scam, abuse, or a prohibited listing.
- Keep your account details accurate and your password confidential.
3. Prohibited Conduct
The following behaviour is not allowed on Tradeza. This list is not exhaustive — we may act against any conduct we reasonably consider harmful, dishonest, or unlawful.
Fraud, scams & deception
- Advance-fee, courier, or "overpayment" scams, or any attempt to defraud another user.
- Posing as Tradeza staff, a "Tradeza payment system", or a verified/escrow service — Tradeza never holds funds.
- Requesting payment before a buyer has seen the item, or pressuring users to pay via untraceable methods.
- Bait-and-switch listings, fake stock, or ads for items you do not have or cannot sell.
Harassment & harmful behaviour
- Threats, intimidation, stalking, or bullying of any user.
- Hate speech or discrimination based on race, gender, religion, ethnicity, disability, or sexual orientation.
- Sexually explicit, obscene, or otherwise offensive messages or content.
- Sharing another person's private information (doxxing) without their consent.
Spam & manipulation
- Unsolicited bulk messaging, chain messages, or repetitive duplicate ads.
- Posting ads in the wrong category or stuffing titles/descriptions with irrelevant keywords.
- Manipulating reviews, ratings, or referrals — including fake reviews or self-referral abuse.
- Pyramid schemes, "get rich quick" schemes, or unauthorised advertising of unrelated businesses.
Technical abuse
- Scraping, harvesting, or bulk-collecting data or user contact details from the platform.
- Using bots, crawlers, or automated tools to post ads, send messages, or access the platform.
- Attempting to bypass security, rate limits, verification, or a ban (including creating new accounts).
- Uploading malware, viruses, or attempting to disrupt, overload, or reverse-engineer the platform.
Impersonation & misuse of identity
- Impersonating another person, business, or brand.
- Creating accounts with false information or maintaining more than one active account.
- Using someone else's account or sharing your account with others.
For prohibited items (illegal goods, weapons, counterfeits, and similar), see Section 5 of our Terms of Service.
4. Keeping Deals On the Level
Tradeza does not process payments and never holds money on behalf of users. Be extremely cautious of anyone who asks you to pay a deposit before viewing an item, to use a "Tradeza guarantee" or escrow, or to move the conversation off the platform immediately. These are common signs of a scam. When in doubt, review our Safety Tips and report the user.
5. How We Enforce This Policy
Where we reasonably believe this policy has been breached, we may take one or more of the following actions, at our sole discretion and with or without prior notice, depending on the severity of the breach:
- Remove or hide the offending ad, message, review, or content;
- Issue a warning to the user;
- Temporarily suspend the user's account or ability to post;
- Permanently ban the user and remove all their listings;
- Report the matter to the South African Police Service or other relevant authorities where we believe an offence has been committed.
Serious breaches — such as fraud, threats of violence, or the sale of illegal items — may result in an immediate permanent ban without warning.
6. Reporting a Breach
If you see an ad, message, or user that breaks these rules, please report it. You can use the Report option on any ad or conversation, or contact our support team through the Help & Support page. Reports concerning intellectual-property or copyright infringement should follow our Copyright & Content Takedown process. We review every report and take action where appropriate.
Questions?
If you have any questions about this Acceptable Use Policy, please contact us at support@trade-za.co.za.