4. Prohibited Conduct

Automotive DIY is committed to providing a safe, educational, and respectful environment for car enthusiasts, mechanics, and DIY builders. To maintain platform integrity and user safety, the following conduct is strictly prohibited. Violations may result in content removal, account suspension, or permanent termination.

⚠️ 1. Safety Violations & Dangerous Advice

Automotive work involves significant physical and mechanical risks. Users must not:

• Share instructions that bypass critical safety systems (e.g., disabling airbags, removing brake components, tampering with emissions controls).
• Promote illegal modifications that violate DOT, EPA, or local vehicle regulations.
• Provide unverified mechanical advice without clear disclaimers regarding professional consultation.
• Encourage unsafe lifting practices, improper tool usage, or working on vehicles without proper support equipment.

🚫 2. Community Harassment & Abuse

Our community thrives on mutual respect. The following behavior will not be tolerated:

• Hate speech, discrimination, or harassment based on race, gender, religion, disability, or background.
• Threats of violence, doxxing, or sharing private personal information without consent.
• Intentional trolling, inflammatory trolling, or coordinated harassment campaigns.
• Posting explicit, violent, or otherwise disturbing content in forums, comments, or project galleries.

©️ 3. Intellectual Property Infringement

Automotive DIY respects creators and manufacturers. Users must not:

• Reproduce, distribute, or sell proprietary repair guides, wiring diagrams, or tool schematics without authorization.
• Pass off third-party content as original work or claim false authorship of community submissions.
• Use automated tools to scrape, copy, or archive platform content for commercial redistribution.

🛡️ 4. Fraud, Scams & Misrepresentation

Integrity in parts, tools, and transactions is essential. Prohibited activities include:

• Listing counterfeit, fake, or mislabeled automotive parts/tools for sale or promotion.
• Posting fake reviews, incentivized testimonials, or manipulated rating data.
• Phishing attempts, credential harvesting, or impersonating Automotive DIY staff or verified mechanics.
• Facilitating off-platform transactions that evade safety verification or dispute resolution processes.

🔒 5. Platform Manipulation & Unauthorized Access

• Using bots, scrapers, or automated scripts to interact with platform services beyond acceptable use limits.
• Attempting to gain unauthorized access to admin panels, user accounts, or payment systems.
• Disrupting service availability through flooding, DDoS-like behavior, or exploit testing.
• Reverse-engineering or decompiling proprietary tools, diagnostic software, or platform features.

📢 6. Commercial Spam & Unauthorized Solicitation

• Mass-posting affiliate links, discount codes, or promotional content in community discussions.
• Using user profiles, project pages, or comment sections primarily for unsolicited advertising.
• Soliciting donations, investments, or crowdfunding without proper disclosure and platform approval.

📩 7. Reporting Violations

We rely on our community to help maintain a safe environment. If you encounter prohibited conduct:

• Use the "Report" feature on posts, comments, or user profiles.
• Contact our Trust & Safety team directly at compliance@automotivediy.com
• Provide clear details, timestamps, and links to support your report.

All reports are treated confidentially and investigated promptly. Retaliation against good-faith reporters is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate disciplinary action.