Acceptable Use Policy

1. Purpose

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") defines the rules and standards of conduct for all users of Spronet.ng, the B2B industrial procurement marketplace operated by Spronet Nig Ltd. This Policy supplements and is incorporated into our Terms of Service. Capitalised terms not defined herein have the meaning given in the Terms of Service.

This AUP exists to protect the integrity of the Platform, safeguard the trust between Buyers and Dealers, and ensure a fair, safe, and productive trading environment for all participants. By using Spronet.ng you agree to comply with this Policy in its entirety.

2. General Conduct Standards

All Users must:

Act honestly, in good faith, and with integrity in all Platform interactions.
Respect the rights, reputation, and privacy of other Users.
Use the Platform exclusively for lawful B2B procurement, sourcing, and trading activities.
Provide accurate, truthful, and current information in all profiles, listings, requests, quotes, and communications.
Respond to RFQs, quotes, orders, and messages in a timely and professional manner.
Honour commitments made through the Platform, including accepted quotes and confirmed orders.

3. Prohibited Activities

The following activities are strictly prohibited on Spronet.ng. Violations may result in content removal, account suspension, or permanent termination.

3.1 Fraud and Misrepresentation

Submitting fake, forged, or misleading payment proofs to falsely represent that a payment has been made.
Creating fictitious orders, quotes, or RFQs to manipulate Handshake Scores, boost impression metrics, or mislead other Users.
Impersonating another person, business, or entity, including falsely claiming to represent a company you are not authorised to represent.
Providing false business registration details, certifications, or credentials during Dealer Profile verification.
Operating under multiple accounts to circumvent bans, manipulate reputation, or exploit promotional features.
Bait-and-switch practices: listing products or prices that differ materially from what is actually offered or delivered.

3.2 Transaction Manipulation

Soliciting Users to complete transactions outside the Platform to avoid Success Fees or other Platform mechanisms.
Colluding with other Users to create sham transactions for the purpose of inflating Handshake Scores, generating false reviews, or triggering referral rewards.
Submitting a Quote with the intent of not fulfilling it, or accepting a Quote with the intent of not paying.
Artificially inflating prices in Quotes with the expectation of later negotiating down, solely to manipulate platform metrics.
Repeatedly cancelling Orders without legitimate reason ("serial cancellation").

3.3 Handshake Score and Review Manipulation

Offering payment, discounts, gifts, or other incentives in exchange for positive reviews or high ratings.
Posting false or retaliatory negative reviews against a Buyer or Dealer.
Creating multiple accounts or coordinating with others to inflate or deflate a User's Handshake Score.
Threatening a trading partner with a negative review to coerce them into unfavourable terms.

3.4 Prohibited Products and Services

The following may not be listed, advertised, or traded on the Platform:

Illegal goods: Controlled substances, unlicensed firearms, explosives, stolen property, or any item whose sale is prohibited under Nigerian law.
Counterfeit goods: Products that infringe on trademarks, patents, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights of third parties.
Hazardous materials: Chemicals, biological agents, or radioactive materials that are not properly documented, labelled, and compliant with Nigerian environmental and safety regulations.
Sanctioned goods: Products subject to government embargo, trade sanctions, or export control restrictions.
Human trafficking / forced labour: Any listing or service connected to labour exploitation, trafficking, or forced labour.
Consumer products with deceptive claims: Products marketed with false safety, health, or performance claims.
Non-business products: Consumer-oriented products with no legitimate B2B application (e.g., personal consumer electronics for resale as new when used).

3.5 Harassment and Abuse

Threatening, intimidating, bullying, or harassing any User through messages, negotiations, posts, comments, or reviews.
Using discriminatory, hateful, or derogatory language based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or nationality.
Doxxing: publishing another User's private or personal information without their consent.
Persistent unwanted contact after a User has declined an RFQ, ended a negotiation, or requested no further communication.
Sexual harassment of any kind.

3.6 Spam and Unsolicited Content

Sending bulk, unsolicited messages, quotes, or RFQs to Users who have not requested them.
Posting repetitive, irrelevant, or promotional content in the social feed that adds no value to the community.
Using the social feed, comments, or negotiation rooms to advertise external products, services, or websites unrelated to the transaction.
Generating automated content (bot-generated posts, comments, or messages) without prior authorisation from Spronet.ng.

3.7 Security and Technical Violations

Attempting to gain unauthorised access to other Users' accounts, data, or administrative systems.
Uploading malware, viruses, ransomware, spyware, or any other malicious code.
Scraping, data mining, or using automated tools (bots, crawlers, scripts) to extract data from the Platform without prior written authorisation.
Interfering with, overloading, or disrupting Platform servers, APIs, or network infrastructure.
Reverse-engineering, decompiling, or disassembling any part of the Platform's software or algorithms.
Circumventing or attempting to bypass security measures, rate limits, access controls, or content moderation systems.
Using the Platform through unauthorised third-party applications or interfaces.

3.8 Financial Misconduct

Using the Platform to launder money, finance terrorism, or facilitate any form of financial crime.
Evading or attempting to evade Platform Success Fees through off-platform transactions initiated via the Platform.
Disputing legitimate payment proofs in bad faith to delay or avoid payment obligations.
Submitting fraudulent refund or dispute claims.

4. Content Standards

All content posted on the Platform — including product listings, social posts, comments, reviews, negotiation messages, RFQs, and profile information — must comply with the following standards:

4.1 Accuracy

Content must be truthful and not misleading.
Product images must accurately represent the actual product being offered.
Pricing must be genuine and reflect the actual cost or a reasonable estimate.
Business credentials, certifications, and qualifications must be verifiable and current.

4.2 Legality

Content must not violate any Nigerian law or applicable international law.
Content must not infringe on the intellectual property rights of any third party.
Content must not contain or promote illegal activities.

4.3 Professionalism

Content must be appropriate for a professional B2B trading environment.
Content must not contain obscene, pornographic, or sexually explicit material.
Content must not contain graphic violence or gore unrelated to the industrial context.
Content must be written in a language appropriate for business communication.

4.4 File Uploads

Uploaded files (product images, RFQ attachments, payment proofs, quotation documents) must not contain malware or embedded malicious code.
File sizes must remain within Platform limits.
Files must be relevant to the listing, request, or transaction they are attached to.

5. RFQ and Quote Conduct

5.1 Buyer Obligations

RFQs must describe a genuine procurement need. Posting RFQs solely for price research, competitive intelligence, or market manipulation without intent to purchase is prohibited.
Buyers must not share confidential information from one Dealer's Quote with another Dealer to drive down pricing, unless both Dealers are aware of the competitive process.
Buyers must respond to Quotes in a reasonable timeframe and must not leave Dealers waiting indefinitely without communication.

5.2 Dealer Obligations

Dealers must only submit Quotes for products or services they are genuinely able and willing to supply.
Quote pricing must be offered in good faith. Deliberately under-quoting to win a deal with the intention of increasing the price after acceptance is a violation.
Dealers must disclose any limitations, conditions, or exclusions that materially affect the Quote (e.g., lead times, minimum quantities, quality variations).
Dealers who have opted to receive public RFQs must respond to or decline received RFQs in a timely manner. Persistent non-response may affect Handshake Score.

5.3 Negotiation Conduct

All negotiations must be conducted professionally and in good faith.
Negotiations must not be used to solicit business outside the Platform.
Counter-offers must represent genuine willingness to transact at the proposed terms.
Sharing negotiation content (screenshots, messages) outside the Platform without the other party's consent is prohibited, except as required by law or for dispute resolution with Spronet.ng.

6. Order and Payment Conduct

Both parties must honour the terms of an accepted Order, including price, quantity, specifications, and delivery timeline.
Dealers must fulfill Orders with goods that match the quality, quantity, and specifications described in the accepted Quote.
Buyers must make payment as agreed and upload legitimate payment proofs promptly.
Dealers must confirm or dispute payment proofs honestly and within a reasonable timeframe.
Dealers must pay all applicable Platform Success Fees by the invoice due date. Chronic non-payment or deliberate fee avoidance is a serious violation.
Neither party may weaponise the dispute or confirmation process to gain unfair leverage over the other.

Posts must be relevant to the industrial B2B community: product announcements, industry updates, project showcases, sourcing tips, and business news.
Do not use the social feed for personal content unrelated to business.
Do not post political, religious, or divisive content that could alienate or offend members of the professional community.
Do not engage in trolling, flame wars, or deliberately provocative commentary.
Tagging products, Dealers, or categories must be relevant and accurate. Do not tag unrelated businesses or products for visibility.
Comments must be constructive. Spam comments, self-promotion in comment sections, and off-topic comments may be removed.

8. Account Integrity

One account per entity: Each individual or business may operate only one account. Creating secondary accounts for any purpose — including fresh-start reputation, ban evasion, or fee avoidance — is prohibited.
Account sharing: Account credentials may not be shared with unauthorised individuals. Where multiple employees need access, use authorised delegation methods or contact support.
Profile accuracy: All profile information must be kept accurate and current. Outdated contact information, expired certifications, or incorrect business details must be updated promptly.
Claim integrity: Submitting a Claim Request for a Dealer Profile that you do not own or are not authorised to represent is a serious violation.

9. Reporting Violations

If you encounter behaviour or content that violates this Policy, we encourage you to report it immediately. You can report violations through the following channels:

In-app reporting: Use the "Report" or "Flag" button available on product listings, posts, profiles, and messages.
Email: Send a detailed report to trust@spronet.ng including the User's name/profile, a description of the violation, and any supporting evidence (screenshots, URLs, transaction IDs).
Support: Contact support@spronet.ng for general enquiries about Platform rules.

All reports are reviewed by our Trust & Safety team. Reports are treated confidentially — the identity of the reporter is not disclosed to the reported party unless required by law.

10. Enforcement and Consequences

Violations of this Acceptable Use Policy are handled based on severity, frequency, and intent. Spronet.ng reserves the right to take any of the following actions, with or without prior notice:

10.1 Escalation Ladder

Level	Action	Typical Trigger
Warning	Written notification of the violation with instructions to cease the behaviour	First-time minor offence (e.g., off-topic post, mild language)
Content Removal	Specific content is flagged, suspended, or permanently removed	Content that violates accuracy, legality, or professionalism standards
Feature Restriction	Temporary restriction of specific features (e.g., posting, quoting, boosting)	Repeated minor offences or moderate offences (e.g., spam, late fee payments)
Account Suspension	Temporary suspension of account access, with reinstatement upon review or corrective action	Serious offences (e.g., fraudulent payment proofs, review manipulation, harassment)
Permanent Termination	Irreversible closure of account and forfeiture of all Handshake Score, reviews, and Platform privileges	Severe or repeated offences (e.g., money laundering, impersonation, systemic fraud, threats of violence)

10.2 Immediate Termination

The following offences may result in immediate permanent termination without prior warning:

Money laundering or terrorist financing.
Listing or trading in illegal products.
Impersonation of another business entity.
Uploading malware or conducting cyberattacks against the Platform.
Threats of physical violence against any User or Spronet.ng employee.
Doxxing or revealing the private personal information of another User.

10.3 Handshake Score Impact

Certain violations may also result in a reduction of your Handshake Score, potentially affecting your tier status and visibility on the Platform.

10.4 Legal Action

Spronet.ng reserves the right to report illegal activities to the relevant Nigerian law enforcement authorities and to pursue civil remedies where appropriate. We will cooperate fully with law enforcement investigations.

11. Appeals

If you believe an enforcement action taken against your account or content was made in error, you may submit an appeal to appeals@spronet.ng within thirty (30) days of the action. Your appeal should include:

Your account email address and name.
A description of the enforcement action you are appealing.
Your explanation of why you believe the action was unwarranted, including any supporting evidence.

Appeals are reviewed by a senior member of the Trust & Safety team who was not involved in the original decision. We aim to respond to all appeals within fourteen (14) business days. The appeal decision is final.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Acceptable Use Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify affected Users via email and/or an in-app notification at least fourteen (14) days before the changes take effect. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page will be revised. Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.

13. Contact

For questions about this Acceptable Use Policy or to report a violation:

Trust & Safety: trust@spronet.ng
Appeals: appeals@spronet.ng
General Support: support@spronet.ng
Company: Spronet Nig Ltd
Address: Rivers State, Nigeria

By using Spronet.ng, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Acceptable Use Policy.