Acceptable Use Policy

All users agree not to use the Platform to:

• Violate any applicable federal, provincial, municipal, territorial, or international law, regulation, or ordinance.
• Provide false, misleading, inaccurate, or fraudulent information in account profiles, communications, bookings, or reviews.
• Engage in harassment, bullying, threats, intimidation, or abusive conduct toward other users, Partner Shops, or TireSync personnel.
• Post sexually explicit, obscene, defamatory, libelous, or otherwise offensive content.
• Discriminate against or promote discrimination based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any other protected characteristic.
• Engage in spam, including unsolicited bulk messaging, promotional content, or phishing attempts.
• Reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or attempt to derive the source code or algorithms of the Platform.
• Use automated systems, bots, scrapers, crawlers, or similar tools to access, copy, or extract content from the Platform without express written permission.
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Platform, user accounts, databases, or systems.
• Interfere with or disrupt the Platform's infrastructure, servers, or network services, including denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.
• Circumvent security, authentication, or rate-limiting mechanisms.
• Engage in activities that compromise platform security, including distributing malware or viruses.
• Create, use, or operate fake or fraudulent accounts.
• Impersonate another person, entity, or brand.
• Engage in price manipulation, market manipulation, or coordinated fraudulent conduct.

In addition to the general rules above, customers agree not to:

• Book appointments with no intention of attending or as a form of harassment or disruption to a Partner Shop.
• Repeatedly cancel appointments, particularly at the last minute or without cancellation, establishing a pattern of abuse.
• Provide false or misleading vehicle information in tire recommendation requests.
• Post fake, misleading, or incentivized reviews or ratings of tires, Partner Shops, or services.
• Use the review system to promote competitors, settle personal disputes, or extort discounts from Partner Shops.
• Share or distribute another user's personal information without consent.
• Attempt to circumvent the Platform to conduct Direct Payments to avoid marketplace oversight or to evade taxes.

Partner Shops are subject to additional rules to maintain marketplace integrity. Partner Shops agree not to:

• Create multiple accounts to circumvent account restrictions or violate this Policy.
• Engage in anti-flooding or inventory manipulation tactics (see Section 4 below).
• Post misleading, inaccurate, or fraudulent product listings, inventory data, or pricing information.
• Manipulate search results through keyword stuffing, cloaking, or other deceptive search engine optimization (SEO) tactics.
• Interfere with competitors' listings by posting misleading content about competitor products or services.
• Engage in review manipulation by posting fake reviews, requesting customers post false reviews, or punishing customers who leave negative reviews.
• Offer incentives (discounts, gifts, payment) in exchange for positive reviews or to delete negative reviews.
• Share customer data with third parties without customer consent, except as permitted by law or our Privacy Policy.
• Use customer data to contact customers directly outside the Platform for direct sales or to circumvent the Platform.
• Discriminate against customers based on protected characteristics or refuse service without legitimate business reasons.
• Engage in bait-and-switch tactics, advertising unavailable inventory, or misrepresenting product availability or specifications.

4.1 Purpose

The anti-flooding rules are designed to prevent Partner Shops from flooding the Platform with duplicate, misleading, or low-quality listings, which degrades the customer experience and undermines marketplace integrity.

4.2 Duplicate Listing Prohibition

Partner Shops must not create duplicate or near-duplicate listings for the same product. Specifically:

• One Listing Per Product: A Partner Shop must maintain only one active listing per tire product (identified by brand, model, size, and load/speed rating).
• No Minor Variations: Creating multiple listings with minor variations (e.g., "Brand Model 205/55R16" and "Brand-Model 205/55R16") to circumvent this rule is prohibited.
• Consolidation: If a Partner Shop has multiple listings for the same product due to legacy data, it must consolidate them into a single listing within thirty (30) days of notice from TireSync.

4.3 Listing Volume Caps

To prevent artificial listing inflation, Partner Shops are subject to the following listing limits based on subscription tier:

• Basic Tier: Up to five hundred (500) active listings.
• Professional Tier: Up to two thousand (2,000) active listings.
• Enterprise Tier: Unlimited listings (subject to inventory accuracy requirements).

If a Partner Shop exceeds its listing cap, new listings will be automatically rejected until the shop reduces its active listings below the cap. TireSync may require proof of actual inventory to validate listings.

4.4 Ghost Inventory Ban

Ghost inventory - listings for products that are not actually in stock or available - is strictly prohibited. Specifically:

• Inventory Accuracy: All listings must reflect actual, physically available inventory. A Partner Shop must maintain real-time or near-real-time inventory synchronization with the Platform.
• Outdated Listings: Listings that remain active for more than thirty (30) days without any customer activity or bookings must be verified as in-stock or be delisted.
• Supplier Feeds: Where inventory is sourced from supplier feeds, the data provided by suppliers must be accurate and current. A Partner Shop is responsible for the accuracy of supplier data displayed on its behalf.
• Consequences: Ghost inventory violations will result in: (a) automatic delisting of affected products; (b) account warning for first offense; (c) account suspension for repeated offenses.

4.5 Search Manipulation Ban

Partner Shops must not engage in tactics designed to artificially boost search rankings or manipulate the Platform's search algorithms. Prohibited tactics include:

• Keyword Stuffing: Overloading product titles or descriptions with irrelevant keywords (e.g., repeating "tire" twenty times in a title).
• Cloaking: Presenting different content to the Platform's search algorithm than to customers.
• Link Manipulation: Creating artificial backlinks or manipulating internal linking structures to boost rankings.
• False Attributes: Adding false or misleading attributes (brand, model, size, specifications) to improve search visibility.

4.6 Multi-Account Ban

A Partner Shop must operate through a single, registered account. Creating or operating multiple accounts is prohibited. This includes:

• Separate Accounts: Operating under different business names or entities to circumvent listing caps, escape restrictions, or hide policy violations.
• Related Entities: If a Partner Shop has related legal entities (e.g., sister companies, franchises), they must use a single consolidated account or seek written approval from TireSync for separate accounts.
• Detection: TireSync monitors for multi-account activity using various detection methods, including IP address analysis, payment information, business registration, and usage patterns.
• Consequences: Multi-account violations result in immediate account termination for all related accounts and potential legal action.

4.7 Anti-Competition Abuse

Partner Shops must not engage in unfair competitive practices aimed at damaging competitors. Prohibited conduct includes:

• Defamatory Content: Posting false or defamatory claims about competitor products, services, or business practices.
• Listing Tampering: Reporting competitor listings as violations when they are not, or attempting to have competitor listings removed through false claims.
• Review Bombing: Posting fake negative reviews of competitors or coordinating false reviews.
• Spam and Harassment: Sending unsolicited messages to customers of competitors or engaging in email spam to disrupt competitor activity.

5.1 Monitoring and Detection

TireSync monitors the Platform for violations of this Policy using automated systems and manual review. Violations may be detected through customer reports, Partner Shop reports, automated algorithms, or TireSync staff reviews.

5.2 Graduated Enforcement Approach

TireSync uses a graduated approach to enforcement:

• First Violation: Written warning via email, describing the violation, its severity, and required corrective action.
• Second Violation: Temporary account suspension (typically seven (7) to thirty (30) days), during which the account is inaccessible and no new bookings may be made.
• Third Violation: Extended suspension or permanent account termination. Termination may be immediate for severe violations.

5.3 Serious Violations

Certain violations are so severe that they warrant immediate account termination without prior warning. These include:

• Fraud: Creating fraudulent accounts, making fraudulent payments, or engaging in money laundering.
• Security Threats: Attempting to hack accounts, distributing malware, or launching cyber-attacks.
• Illegal Activity: Engaging in activity that violates criminal law.
• Mass Harm: Flooding the Platform with thousands of fake listings, conducting large-scale spam, or similar mass disruption.
• Repeated Violations After Suspension: Violating the Policy again shortly after account suspension or warning.

5.4 Appeal Process

If your account is suspended or terminated for violation of this Policy, you may appeal the decision within fourteen (14) days of notification by contacting info@tiresync.ca. Your appeal should include:

• A description of why you believe the violation determination is incorrect.
• Evidence supporting your position (screenshots, documentation, etc.).
• Any mitigating circumstances.

TireSync will review your appeal and respond within seven (7) business days. The decision will be final.

6.1 Review Integrity

The review and rating system is crucial to marketplace trust. All reviews must be honest, fair, and based on genuine experiences. Prohibited review conduct includes:

• Fake Reviews: Posting reviews for products you have not purchased or services you have not used.
• Incentivized Reviews: Posting or requesting reviews in exchange for payment, discount, or other incentive.
• Competitive Sabotage: Posting negative reviews of competitors to harm their reputation.
• Review Manipulation: Coordinating with others to post multiple fake reviews or using bot networks to artificially inflate ratings.

6.2 Review Content Standards

Reviews must be factual, relevant, and respectful. Reviews must not contain:

• Profanity, obscenity, or hateful language.
• Personal attacks on individuals or groups.
• Irrelevant information not related to the product or service.
• Contact information, email addresses, or phone numbers.
• Requests for users to contact the reviewer outside the Platform.

6.3 TireSync Review Moderation

TireSync reserves the right to remove or flag reviews that violate these standards. Removal does not indicate liability or wrongdoing by the reviewed shop. TireSync does not endorse or verify the accuracy of individual reviews.

If you witness a violation of this Policy, you are encouraged to report it to TireSync. Report violations by:

• Clicking the "Report" button on the relevant listing, review, or user profile.
• Emailing info@tiresync.ca with a description of the violation, including relevant links and screenshots.

Reports are investigated promptly. You may request confidentiality, and TireSync will not disclose your identity to the user accused of the violation unless required by law.

TireSync reserves the right to remove any content that violates this Policy, including listings, reviews, messages, and user profiles. TireSync also reserves the right to suspend or terminate any account that violates this Policy, without prior notice in cases of serious violations.

Removal of content or suspension of an account does not indicate legal liability on the part of TireSync.

TireSync is not responsible for user conduct that violates this Policy. While we endeavor to monitor and enforce this Policy, we do not guarantee that all violations will be detected or prevented. Users agree that they do so at their own risk and that TireSync is not liable for damages arising from user conduct in violation of this Policy.

We may update this Acceptable Use Policy at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email or prominent notice on the Platform at least thirty (30) days before they take effect. Your continued use of the Platform after such notice constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.

For questions about this Acceptable Use Policy or to report a violation, please contact us:

• Email: info@tiresync.ca
• Email (General): info@tiresync.ca
• Website: tiresync.ca