1. Purpose & Scope
This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") governs your use of Business-Sale.biz and outlines the standards of behavior we expect from all users. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to comply with this policy. Violation of these terms may result in suspension or termination of your account and access to our services. This policy applies to all users, including buyers, sellers, brokers, agents, and visitors.
2. Prohibited Conduct
You may not use Business-Sale.biz to engage in, facilitate, or promote any of the following activities. Each category includes a severity rating to help you understand the potential impact of violations.
Fraudulent Activity
Posting fake business listings, misrepresenting financials, impersonating another person or entity, or engaging in any deceptive practice.
Illegal Activities
Using the platform for money laundering, tax evasion, securities fraud, or any activity that violates applicable local, state, federal, or international law.
Harassment & Abuse
Sending threatening, abusive, or harassing messages to other users. Stalking or intimidating buyers, sellers, or agents.
Spam & Solicitation
Sending unsolicited promotional messages, advertising unrelated services, or harvesting user contact information for unauthorized marketing.
Circumventing Fees
Attempting to transact outside the platform to avoid listing fees, or encouraging other users to bypass our fee structure.
Duplicate Listings
Posting the same business multiple times or across multiple categories without authorization. Includes artificially inflating listing visibility.
Scraping & Data Mining
Using automated tools, bots, or scripts to extract data from our platform without our express written permission.
Impersonation
Pretending to be an agent, broker, or representative of Business-Sale.biz without authorization.
Manipulation
Artificially inflating listing views, inquiries, or ratings through automated means or coordinated activity.
3. Listing Standards
All business listings posted on Business-Sale.biz must meet the following standards:
- Accuracy: Financial information, revenue figures, profit data, and business descriptions must be truthful and verifiable upon reasonable request.
- Legitimacy: The listing must represent a genuine business for sale. You must have legal authority to sell the business or franchise opportunity.
- Clarity: Listings must clearly describe the business, its location, industry, and what is included in the sale (assets, inventory, intellectual property, etc.).
- No Duplicate Listings: Posting the same business multiple times or across multiple categories is not permitted unless explicitly authorized.
- Prohibited Businesses: Businesses engaged in illegal activities, adult content, weapons, drugs, or any regulated industry without proper licensing may not be listed.
4. Communications Standards
All communications through our platform must be:
- Professional: Use courteous and respectful language. Disagreements should be handled constructively.
- Honest: Do not misrepresent your interest, financial capacity, or intent to purchase a business.
- Non-Commercial: Do not use our messaging system to advertise products or services unrelated to the business listing.
- Not Confidential: Be aware that messages may be monitored for compliance with this policy. Do not share sensitive personal information unless necessary for legitimate business due diligence.
5. Content Standards
Any content you submit to Business-Sale.biz — including listing descriptions, images, documents, and messages — must comply with these standards:
- No Offensive Content: Do not post content that is discriminatory, hateful, violent, sexually explicit, or otherwise offensive.
- No Infringing Content: Do not upload content that violates copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights of others.
- No Malware: Do not distribute viruses, malware, or any harmful code through our platform.
- No False Information: Do not provide false or misleading information in user profiles, reviews, or listing inquiries.
6. Intellectual Property
You retain ownership of content you submit, but you grant Business-Sale.biz a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to display and distribute that content on our platform. You may not use our trademarks, logos, or brand materials without prior written permission. All platform code, design, and infrastructure are the exclusive property of Business-Sale.biz.
7. Enforcement Pyramid
We use a graduated enforcement system that scales based on the severity and frequency of violations. This ensures fair and proportional responses to conduct issues.
Repeat offenders may face escalated enforcement actions. We reserve the right to skip levels for egregious violations, including threats to platform security or user safety.
8. Policy Scenarios
Test your understanding of our policies with these real-world scenarios. Click each scenario to reveal the correct response.
A buyer messages a seller privately offering to purchase their business outside of Business-Sale.biz to "save on fees." What should the seller do?
A listing claims a business has $500K in annual revenue, but the provided financial documents show only $250K. What enforcement action is appropriate?
A user posts negative reviews about a seller across multiple listings without ever having purchased from them. What is this?
9. Report a Violation
If you believe another user has violated this Acceptable Use Policy, please use the form below to submit a report. All reports are reviewed by our Trust & Safety team within 24 hours.
10. Frequently Asked Questions
Our Trust & Safety team reviews all reports within 24 hours. You will receive an email confirmation with your report ID. Depending on the severity, we may take immediate action or conduct an investigation before acting.
Yes. You can check the "Submit anonymously" option on the report form. When selected, your identity will not be shared with the reported user. However, we will still have your contact information on file for internal purposes.
Enforcement follows our graduated pyramid system. Each case is reviewed individually, considering the severity of the violation, the user's history, intent (whether accidental or intentional), and the impact on other users.
Any policy violation within a 12-month rolling period counts toward repeat offense tracking. Two or more violations may result in escalated enforcement actions as shown in the enforcement pyramid above.
Yes. Users may submit an appeal by contacting our Trust & Safety team at trust-safety@business-sale.biz. Appeals are reviewed within 5 business days and you will receive a written response with the outcome.
11. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Acceptable Use Policy or wish to report a violation, please contact our Trust & Safety team:
Policy Acknowledgment
By using Business-Sale.biz, you acknowledge that you have read and understand this Acceptable Use Policy.
Thank you for helping us maintain a trusted marketplace for business opportunities.