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Acceptable Use Policy

Last Updated: 2 February 2026 Effective Date: 2 February 2026

Operating Entity​

RTC Collector is a service operated by RetroTechCollection.

Operating Entity: RetroTechCollection Service Name: RTC Collector Operating Entity Website: https://retrotechcollection.com Service URL: https://rtccollector.com

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") explains what you can and can't do on RTC Collector. It supplements our Terms of Service and applies to all users. In this policy, "we", "us", and "our" refer to RetroTechCollection, the operating company.

Violating this policy may result in content removal, account suspension, or permanent termination.

Purpose of This Policy​

RTC Collector is a community for retro technology enthusiasts. We want it to be safe, welcoming, and useful for everyone.

This policy exists to:

  • Protect users from harm and harassment
  • Maintain the integrity of the marketplace
  • Comply with legal requirements
  • Keep the platform functional and secure
  • Foster a positive community

General Principles​

When using RTC Collector:

Be Respectful

  • Treat others the way you'd want to be treated
  • Disagree without being disagreeable
  • Remember there's a person on the other side of the screen

Be Honest

  • Don't misrepresent yourself or your items
  • Be truthful in marketplace listings
  • Don't manipulate ratings or reviews

Be Legal

  • Follow UK law and laws in your jurisdiction
  • Don't use RTC Collector for illegal purposes
  • Respect intellectual property rights

Be Safe

  • Protect your own information
  • Don't try to access others' accounts or data
  • Report security issues responsibly

Prohibited Content​

You may not post, upload, or share:

Illegal Content​

  • Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) - zero tolerance, reported to authorities
  • Content promoting terrorism or violent extremism
  • Instructions for making weapons or explosives
  • Materials that violate UK law (including the Online Safety Act 2023)
  • Content that infringes copyright, trademarks, or other IP rights
  • Stolen goods or items you don't have legal right to sell

Harmful Content​

  • Credible threats of violence against people or groups
  • Content promoting self-harm or suicide
  • Graphic violence or gore (unless historically significant and appropriately contextualized)
  • Non-consensual intimate images or "revenge porn"
  • Content that sexualizes minors

Hateful Content​

  • Hate speech targeting race, ethnicity, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics
  • Racial slurs and derogatory terms
  • Holocaust denial or glorification of atrocities
  • Content promoting discrimination or segregation

Harassment and Bullying​

  • Targeted harassment of individuals
  • Doxxing (sharing private information without consent)
  • Encouraging others to harass someone
  • Sexual harassment or unwanted sexual advances
  • Impersonation intended to harm someone

Spam and Manipulation​

  • Unsolicited commercial messages
  • Pyramid schemes or multi-level marketing
  • Phishing attempts
  • Fake reviews or ratings
  • Artificially inflating item values
  • Bid manipulation on marketplace items

Misleading Content​

  • Scam marketplace listings
  • Counterfeit items marketed as authentic
  • Fake documentation or certificates of authenticity
  • Misrepresenting an item's condition
  • False information intended to deceive

Adult Content​

  • Pornography or sexually explicit content
  • Sexual services
  • We're a platform for retro technology, not adult content

Note: Vintage magazines or game packaging that happens to contain period-appropriate content may be acceptable if clearly disclosed and relevant to the collection.

Prohibited Behaviour​

You may not:

Abuse the Platform​

  • Create fake accounts or multiple accounts to evade bans
  • Use bots or automated tools without permission
  • Scrape data from the platform
  • Attempt to reverse engineer our systems
  • Exploit bugs or vulnerabilities (report them instead via [email protected])
  • Bypass any restrictions we've placed on your account

Abuse Other Users​

  • Harass users through messages
  • Send unsolicited bulk messages
  • Create listings you don't intend to honor
  • Abuse the dispute system with false claims
  • Leave fake negative reviews
  • Engage in buyer or seller fraud

Interfere with the Service​

  • Overwhelm our servers (DoS attacks)
  • Introduce malware or viruses
  • Attempt unauthorized access to accounts or systems
  • Interfere with other users' enjoyment of the platform
  • Circumvent security measures

Violate Marketplace Rules​

  • List prohibited items (see Prohibited Items section)
  • Manipulate prices through fake bids or offers
  • Avoid fees through off-platform transactions (after initial contact on RTC Collector)
  • Fail to ship items after accepting payment
  • Fail to pay for items after offer acceptance
  • Engage in "shill bidding" (bidding on your own items)

Prohibited Items in Marketplace​

Beyond illegal items, you can't list:

Stolen or Unauthorized Goods​

  • Stolen items
  • Items obtained through fraud
  • Items you don't have legal right to sell
  • Pre-orders you can't fulfill
  • Items you don't physically possess

Regulated Items​

  • Firearms, ammunition, or weapon accessories
  • Explosives or hazardous materials
  • Prescription drugs or controlled substances
  • Tobacco products
  • Alcohol (without proper licensing)

High-Risk Items​

  • Recalled products
  • Counterfeit or replica items marketed as authentic
  • Items with removed or altered serial numbers (unless disclosed and legal)
  • Lock-picking tools (in jurisdictions where prohibited)
  • Government uniforms or credentials

Platform-Specific Restrictions​

  • Digital goods or NFTs (we're for physical items)
  • Services (we're for items, not freelancing)
  • Tickets or event access
  • Living things
  • Human remains or body parts

Items Violating Third-Party Terms​

  • Game accounts or in-game items (violates game ToS)
  • Modded consoles or devices with pirated content
  • Items that circumvent DRM
  • Software licenses that aren't transferable

Specific Rules for Different Features​

Marketplace Listings​

  • Describe items accurately
  • Use real photos of the actual item
  • Disclose all defects, damage, or issues
  • Price items reasonably (no price gouging on rare items just to inflate market data)
  • Respond to buyer questions within 2 business days
  • Ship within stated timeframes
  • Provide tracking when available

Messaging​

  • Don't send unsolicited bulk messages
  • Keep conversations relevant to transactions or collections
  • Don't harass or abuse
  • Don't share contact info to avoid platform fees on marketplace transactions
  • Don't send phishing links or malware

Reviews and Ratings​

  • Base reviews on actual experiences
  • Don't review yourself or competitors
  • Don't exchange reviews
  • Don't review in exchange for compensation
  • Be honest but not abusive

Collection Data​

  • Don't enter false data to manipulate market value statistics
  • Don't plagiarize descriptions from other sources without attribution
  • Respect copyright on images you upload

Friend Features​

  • Don't add people just to spam them
  • Respect privacy settings
  • Don't share friends' private collections without permission

Age-Restricted Content​

Some retro technology may have age-appropriate content (like vintage Playboy magazines or M-rated games).

If listing age-restricted items:

  • Mark them clearly in the title and description
  • Only sell to users who meet age requirements
  • Don't use sexually explicit images in listing photos
  • Ensure items are legal in both your jurisdiction and the buyer's

We may remove listings if they're not appropriately disclosed or if we determine they're primarily adult content rather than legitimate collectibles.

Reporting Violations​

If you see content or behaviour that violates this policy:

For Immediate Dangers:

  • Child safety issues: Report to UK's CEOP immediately (ceop.police.uk)
  • Credible threats of violence: Contact local police
  • Then report to us: [email protected]

For Other Violations:

  • Use the "Report" button on content
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Include: URL, username, description of violation, screenshots if relevant

What We'll Do:

  • Review reports within 24-72 hours
  • Take action if we find violations
  • Notify you of the outcome (unless doing so would compromise investigations)
  • Not disclose reporter identity without consent

False Reports:

  • Don't abuse the reporting system
  • False reports may result in account penalties
  • If you're unsure, report anyway - we won't penalize good-faith reports

Enforcement​

How we respond to violations depends on severity and history:

First Offenses (Minor)​

  • Warning via email
  • Content removal
  • Temporary restriction of features
  • Educational message about the policy

Repeat or Serious Offenses​

  • Temporary suspension (7-30 days)
  • Permanent ban from marketplace
  • Account termination
  • Reporting to authorities (for illegal content)
  • Legal action (for severe violations)

Zero Tolerance Violations​

Immediate permanent ban for:

  • Child sexual abuse material
  • Credible violent threats
  • Doxxing with intent to harm
  • Fraud or theft
  • Repeated severe violations after warnings

Appeals​

If you believe we made a mistake:

  1. Email [email protected] within 14 days
  2. Explain why you think the decision was wrong
  3. Provide any relevant evidence
  4. We'll review and respond within 7 business days

We're not required to provide warnings before termination for serious violations.

Consequences of Violations​

Beyond account actions, violations may result in:

Financial:

  • Forfeiture of pending marketplace earnings
  • No refund for subscriptions
  • Liability for damages we incur

Legal:

  • Report to law enforcement for illegal activity
  • Cooperation with legal investigations
  • Civil action for breach of contract or damages

Reputational:

  • Negative reviews from affected users
  • Public disclosure in extreme cases (e.g., high-profile scams)

Exceptions and Context​

We recognize context matters:

Historical or Educational Content:

  • Discussion of sensitive historical items (like wartime memorabilia) may be acceptable if approached responsibly
  • Educational content about technology history gets leeway

Satire and Parody:

  • Generally acceptable if clearly labeled
  • Can't be used to circumvent hate speech rules

Artistic Expression:

  • Vintage computer art or game screenshots may contain content that wouldn't be allowed if posted directly
  • Must be relevant to the collection aspect

Jurisdiction Differences:

  • We follow UK law as our baseline
  • If something's illegal in your jurisdiction but not the UK (or vice versa), you're still responsible for following your local laws
  • We may restrict access geographically for some content

When in doubt, ask: [email protected]

Your Responsibilities​

By using RTC Collector, you agree to:

  • Follow this AUP
  • Report violations you encounter
  • Keep your content legal and appropriate
  • Respect others and the platform
  • Accept consequences for violations

Our Rights​

We reserve the right to:

  • Remove content without warning
  • Suspend or terminate accounts
  • Refuse service to anyone
  • Change this policy at any time
  • Make exceptions or enforce selectively based on context
  • Not act on every report (we use judgment)

These rights don't create obligations. We're not required to monitor all content or act on all reports, though we try to.

As a platform hosting user-generated content, we benefit from certain legal protections (like the Electronic Commerce Directive's safe harbour provisions).

However, we take proactive steps to combat illegal content:

  • We respond to reports
  • We remove content when we become aware of issues
  • We cooperate with law enforcement
  • We implement technical measures to detect violations

We're not liable for user-generated content, but we take our responsibilities seriously.

Changes to This Policy​

We may update this AUP to:

  • Address new types of abuse
  • Comply with new laws
  • Clarify existing rules
  • Respond to community feedback

When we make significant changes:

  • We'll update the "Last Updated" date
  • We'll notify active users
  • Continued use means you accept the changes

This AUP should be read alongside:

Contact​

Report violations: [email protected] Appeal decisions: [email protected] Ask questions: [email protected] General support: [email protected]

This policy exists to keep RTC Collector safe and welcoming. Most users never violate it. If you use common sense and treat others well, you'll be fine.

Last reviewed: 2 February 2026