Community Policy

Community is at the heart of all we do at Food Prepped. This community policy lays out the guidelines for how Food Prepped sellers use community spaces to find inspiration, share knowledge, discuss ideas, and build relationships that help them grow their businesses.

The Food Prepped Community includes the Forums, Teams, and the Seller Handbook. This community policy is a part of our Terms of Use. By using any of Food Prepped’s community spaces, you’re agreeing to this community policy and our Terms of Use.

1. Using the Food Prepped Community

2. Forums

3. Food Prepped Community Ranks and Badges

4. Direct Messages

5. Teams

6. Branding

7. Seller Events

1. Using the Food Prepped Community

Food Prepped community spaces are public areas where sellers can interact with one another. Sellers who use any of the community areas must be at least 18 years old. To ensure that the Food Prepped community continues to be a place that’s safe, friendly, and considerate, you agree to comply with the subsequent policies in all community spaces.

Community policies include:

1. Respect other members’ privacy and protect your own. Don’t share private or personally identifying information in public areas of the site. This includes, but is not limited to, transaction details, personal contact details and the verbatim contents of private correspondence.
2. Do not use community spaces to debate interactions with Food Prepped reps, or to share verbatim excerpts of such dialogues (i.e., emails, DMs or messages, live chats etc.). Understand, most messages between you and Food Prepped are considered a private interaction and we ask that you respect this confidentiality. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for more information. 
3. Be honest and transparent about who you are. Don’t use a fake identity.
4. Be considerate when dealing with other sellers and, when in doubt, lead with kindness, assume best intentions and act on that basis. Don’t use community spaces to publicly disparage a specific seller, a Food Prepped representative, shop, listing or category of item.
5. Do not use community tools, Services, or spaces to interfere with another seller’s business.
6. Do not spam on our Services. This includes unwanted or duplicate posts or links to your shop, fundraisers, surveys, social media, or other marketing content.
7. Don’t use community areas to co-ordinate pricing or discuss fee avoidance with other sellers.
8. Don’t use community spaces to harass other sellers. Similarly, don’t post content in community spaces that may promote, support, or glorify hatred, misinformation, or that would be in violation of Food Prepped’s policies including our Anti-Discrimination Policy.
9. Don’t publish or post threats of violence against others or promote or encourage others to engage in violence or illegal activity. 
10. Don’t engage in illegal activity or activity that infringes someone’s intellectual property or encourage others to engage in that type of activity. 
11. Don’t use community spaces to encourage others to violate Food Prepped’s policies.

Carry on reading below for some further policies that apply to you while using specific community spaces. 

2. Forums

Forums is a public space where sellers can gather with other sellers to discuss their Food Prepped businesses. 

By using Food Prepped’s Forums, you acknowledge and agree that:

1. Your role is to help us create a safe space for sellers to learn from one another and grow their businesses.
2. Your contributions help us build a public database of valuable knowledge and experiences that are available to everyone.
3. Tone is challenging to interpret on a public forum and our community spaces are for Food Prepped sellers at every level. When in doubt, lead with empathy and kindness. 
4. Your posts will stay on topic. Off topic posts may be removed. 
5. Your posts in the Forums are permanent and can be viewed in various places including your User Profile (unless they are removed by Food Prepped). 
6. Your posts should be helpful, constructive, and encouraging when voicing dissent or criticism. Don’t harass, target, insult, troll, or call out other members or Food Prepped representatives. 
7. Moderators may take certain actions to keep the Forums welcoming, organised, and helpful for everyone. Such actions are not up for public discussion. 
8. You will respect others’ opinions and report content responsibly. Flagging posts is reserved for content that specifically violates Food Prepped’s policies.
9. Food Prepped reserves the right to retract content from the Forums at any time for any purpose, including, for example, violation of our policies, removal of inactive content, content that causes privacy issues, or due to modifications to how the Forums function.
10. If you have concerns about actions taken in the forums, you can follow these instructions to contact Food Prepped Support.

3. Food Prepped Community Ranks and Badges

Registered Food Prepped community members can earn ranks and badges for participation in our community spaces and programming.

Community ranks and badges are decided by several factors, including but not limited to:

• How much you’ve read in the Community Space
• How many posts you’ve written
• How often members find your posts helpful
• How often you’ve liked other members’ posts
• Participation in Food Prepped programmes 
• Features such as Community Spotlights

Ranks you can earn in the Food Prepped Community include:

• Food Prepped Seller: You have a Food Prepped shop.
• Reader: You’ve read a few threads.
• Eager Reader: You’ve read a few more, and liked some posts, too.
• Community Skipper: You have a track record of reading the Forums and avidly share your appreciation for posts you like.
• Muse: You posted in the Forums. Thank you for your contribution!
• The Curious: You shared your thoughts and questions a few times.
• Grateful Leader: You appreciated others, and your posts are appreciated too.
• Problem Solver: You posted helpful answers to the community’s questions.
• Key Holder: You reliably answered a lot of the community’s questions. People like you help make the Food Prepped Community what it is.
• Architect: You’re an inspiration to others! You have assisted us building the community with your influential contributions and have been a member of our community for at least two years.

Badges are awarded for achieving certain ranks or participating in specific Food Prepped programmes. Badges that are awarded to you, will appear on your community profile, and can be viewed on your My Badges page. Go here to learn more about ranks and badges. Food Prepped reserves the right to deem any action that violates its Community Policy ineligible towards advancing your Community Rank. Food Prepped reserves the right to add, modify or remove ranks to accommodate product updates or changes in the community. 

4. Direct Messages

Members may send each other direct messages using the Community’s built-in messaging system. These messages are separate from Food Prepped Messages and can be accessed and read when you are in community spaces. 

By using direct messages in the Food Prepped Community, you agree to all the above policies. In addition, you may not send messages that are considered:

1. Abusive, threatening, defamatory, harassing, or otherwise in violation of our Anti-Discrimination Policy.
2. Obscene or vulgar.
3. Unsolicited advertising or promotions.

If you receive an inappropriate message, report the content to Food Prepped. To do so, go to your Direct Messages inbox, open the message contents, and use the “Report as inappropriate” function to bring it to Food Prepped’s attention for review. 

5. Teams

Food Prepped Teams is a community feature where you can connect with Food Prepped sellers to help you grow your business. Food Prepped Teams are self-organised by members and not run by part of or affiliated with Food Prepped.

By using Food Prepped’s Teams feature, you acknowledge and agree that: 

1. Except as explained below, Food Prepped is not accountable for or involved in a team’s membership policies, dues, finances, or any other activities. 
2. Teams that do not comply with Food Prepped’s policies, including our Anti-Discrimination Policy, may be removed, and Food Prepped reserves the right to remove a team or limit access to the creation of new teams for any reason. 
3. Food Prepped will not mediate disputes between teams and outside parties, nor disputes between teams and team members.
4. Food Prepped will not monitor third-party forums or other independent team sites.
5. Any use of the term “Food Prepped,” Food Prepped’s visual marks such as the portrayed Food Prepped name logo or “FP” logo, other Food Prepped Trademarks (all trademarks worldwide owned by Food Prepped, Ltd. and its partners), or marks ambiguously similar to the Food Prepped Marks must comply with Food Prepped’s Trademark Policy and our Team branding guidelines. See below for more details.
6. A team may not use mature, disrespectful, or hateful language or images in the team’s name, banner, or logo.
7. A team may not be used for the solitary drive of redirecting traffic to another web location. Food Prepped reserves the right to remove links on any profile page or team page for any reason. Unsolicited promotion or advertisement from representatives or affiliates of outside services, websites or other products is not allowed.
8. Teams are created by and run by Team Captains. A team must have a Captain in place to function successfully.
9. A Team Captain is responsible for moderating their Team’s content. In addition, Team Captains may appoint additional roles and responsibilities to their members.
10. Teams that are inactive for 6 months or more, or who do not have a Team Captain in place to moderate the Team, are subject to removal from the platform and cancellation at Food Prepped’s discretion. This includes revocation of the right to use Food Prepped’s name or the Food Prepped Trademarks.
11. Team forums and on-site publications (i.e., blogs and knowledge base articles) are subject to this Community Policy and may not be used to demonstrate or discuss disputes with other members or with Food Prepped.
12. A team may have an agreement detailing membership requirements and expectations for the team. Team leadership is responsible for enforcing the team’s charter. A team’s charter must abide by all of Food Prepped’s policies, including our Terms of Use and Intellectual Property Policy.
13. If a team elects to use a devoted item listing tag or “team tag”, it must contain the word “team”. Food Prepped will not resolve disputes regarding use of team tags on item listings.
14. Team Captains may be granted permission to upload rich content to their Food Prepped Teams including videos, images, and photos. Any rich content uploaded to the platform must comply with Food Prepped’s Terms of Use.
15. Food Prepped reserves the right to remove content and users from Teams at its sole discretion, including but not limited to members, Team Captains and dormant or inappropriate content. 
16. Food Prepped may limit, modify, or remove access to specific Teams tools and permissions without notice to members if a Team’s activity is deemed a violation of the Community Policy or if necessary to improve the product experience and keep our community safe.

6. Branding Guidelines for Teams and Captains of Teams

Teams must adhere to these branding guidelines when identifying as a Food Prepped Seller Team. 

You can use the word Food Prepped in the name of your Team. (e.g., Food Prepped Greek Team, Brighton Food Prepped Team). However, you can’t use the term ‘Food Prepped’ alone, or the Food Prepped logo by itself in your Team name, or in any promotional materials that reference your Team in any manner.

Things to keep in mind when creating a Food Prepped Team Logo:

• You can’t use the Food Prepped logo to promote your Team without your Team name included at any time.
• You can create a stand-alone Food Prepped Team logo so long as your Team name is clearly presented on the logo image.
• If you use the word “Food Prepped” in your Team logo, it must not be the most prominent or the largest word on the logo image.
• If you are promoting your Team or any Team related activities, you must include the terms “Organised by a Team of Food Prepped sellers” visibly and prominently. It is also your responsibility to make it clear that you are not an agent or employee of Food Prepped. 
• You are solely responsible for any costs relating to your use of all promotional materials, venues or other items used to promote your Team. 

Food Prepped does not pre-approve Team branding and we reserve the right to take action on any usage brought to our attention that causes confusion, potential harm to the Food Prepped brand, or is in direct violation of our Trademark Policy. In particular:

Teams’ use of the Food Prepped name and Food Prepped Trademarks is subject to periodic Food Prepped’s review at any time, and Food Prepped may require changes in your use of the Food Prepped Trademarks to comply with Food Prepped policies, including our Trademark Policy, Food Prepped’s marketing needs, or to ensure Food Prepped’s Trademarks are not used in a way that suggests your Team is affiliated with, or part of Food Prepped, Inc. In addition, you may not use the Food Prepped Trademarks or similar marks in a way that tarnishes or causes harm to Food Prepped’s brand or reputation, or in relation to non-Food Prepped services. At Food Prepped’s sole discretion, including if you violate this community policy, or any of Food Prepped’s Terms of Use, Food Prepped reserves the right to revoke your right to use the Food Prepped Trademarks.

7. Seller Events

Food Prepped may promote seller-focused virtual or in person events and activities including educational workshops, markets, and summits. Sellers participate in events at their own discretion.

Food Prepped does not sponsor seller-led events unless otherwise specified. While Food Prepped sellers may describe their events as “organised by Food Prepped sellers”, sellers may not prominently use the Food Prepped name or logo in a manner that suggests the event is organised or run by Food Prepped. Food Prepped may periodically review the use of the Food Prepped name and Food Prepped Trademarks and may revoke the right to use the Food Prepped name or Food Prepped Trademarks at any time, for any reason. 

Food Prepped may take action, including termination or suspension, on any account that violates these policies. For example, we may temporarily or permanently suspend your ability to post on our community, remove your community access or close your Food Prepped account, which will instantaneously suspend all Food Prepped shop activity. If we do so, it’s imperative to understand that you don’t have a contractual or legal right to resume using our Services, including Community areas or the Food Prepped Trademarks. Usually, Food Prepped will notify you that your account has been terminated or suspended, unless you’ve repeatedly violated this community policy or our Terms or we have legal or regulatory reasons preventing us from notifying you.

Last updated on 04 Dec 2023