Sponsor Account Information & Guide

Sponsor's Forum Account

This document lists the guidelines for sponsors to follow when posting via their sponsor accounts on MGEVs.com. These guidelines exist in addition to the forum rules and are intended to help sponsors understand how to use the forums and get the most out of posting in them.

A sponsor account is different from a normal user account because it will have a prominent ribbon under the avatar reading ‘MGEVs.com Sponsor’ plus

• a business/product/service/brand name as the user login
• a business/product/service/brand logo as the avatar
• business/product/service/brand details and links in the signature

Sponsors accounts have limited exemption from rule 7 which states

members who own, operate, represent or who are affiliated with a commercial enterprise or competing website must not submit messages which reference that organisation in any way unless they are an MGEVs.com sponsor (please use the contact form to enquire about this). This rule prohibits promotion of, and providing support for that organisation.

Posting

1. The MGEVs.com rules apply equally and fairly to everyone including sponsors.
2. Within the rules, sponsors may post an unlimited, but reasonable* number of messages in any forum on any topic with any content, including links, with the following restrictions:
1. Sponsors may only start new threads in the Sponsor's Deals Forum (two threads at a time only - message admin to remove/merge older threads). Such threads should not be "bumped" (added to) unless with genuine content.
2. Sponsors replying in threads with messages which reference their business/product/service/brand in any way must be on topic and relevant to the discussion. It is not appropriate, for example, to reply to a general discussion about a product with a link to your website to purchase unless someone is asking where it can be purchased.
3. Sponsors may not respond to other sponsors’ posts (whether via a new thread or a reply to any existing one) with any unsubstantiated negatives, rumours, criticisms or contradictions. This guideline exists to prevent disagreements and disputes which could create a negative perception of the sponsors.
4. Sponsors may not use their account to promote other businesses such as those of their friends or associates.
3. Sponsors may not report other sponsors' posts except in clear cases of the forum rules or this code of conduct being broken, and the report must state which rule or code is suspected of being broken.

*What is the definition of a ‘reasonable’ number of messages? We are deliberately not putting a specific limit on the number of messages allowed to be posted by sponsors, but prefer to leave this at their discretion. Sponsors should consider that posting too many messages will be counterproductive when members consider them to be spam and/or an annoyance. Posting too many messages is bad business and the moderators will advise sponsors if they are posting too much. If sponsors continue to post too much, they will likely receive a warning.

Private Conversations

In keeping with the standard rules, sponsors may not send unsolicited private conversations to our members to garner business. This is considered spamming and can result in a severe warning.

Warnings

Moderators will address reported breakages of the code of conduct and the forum rules and may award warning points to offenders. The number of points given vary depending on the severity of the warning and may accumulate to trigger a user account suspension or permanent ban.

• Should an sponsors’ account be subject to a permanent ban following breaking of the rules, the sponsor’s subsequent invoices will be amended to remove the part corresponding to use of the sponsor account. There will be no refund of the invoice for the period in which the ban was applied.
• The agent of the sponsor responsible for breaking the rules which leads to the permanent banning of a commercial user account may not post on MGEVs.com again either using a new account or an existing one in either a personal or professional capacity.

How to win business

This last element of the code of conduct is advice and will not be enforced in any way.
Sponsors should avoid directing people to their website at every opportunity because readers will realise that the motives for posting are not to help, but to sell.
Instead, we highly recommend that sponsors take an altruistic approach by assisting with helpful information rather than specifically promoting products and services. Members appreciate being helped and respond with gratitude. Remember that sponsors’ signatures (usually) contain their business and contact details which members will see and use if their custom has been won.