I. Basic Rules

By posting on our Facebook group page, users must agree to the following commonsense rules:

No Impersonation – We don’t want members with offensive names (use your common sense). We also have zero tolerance for anyone who deliberately or maliciously posts something while pretending to be someone else. This will result in automatic and permanent banishment.

No Spam/Advertising – The deliberate posting by members of pyramid schemes, chain letters, commercial advertisements or anything illegal or illicit is not permitted. Of course, it should be noted that Facebook automatically lists some advertisements on pages. We have little control over this. You must obtain permission before posting more than one ad every two weeks.

No Offensive Posts/Flaming – Personal or discriminatory attacks in the form of name calling/insults, harassment, defamation or other extreme or inappropriate comments are not acceptable. Remember that people from all walks of life may use this Facebook page. If members see any offensive posts, please do not respond to them. Instead, report it to an Admin.

No Modifying Posts – Posts must not be modified or deleted AFTER others have responded specifically to them. This is out of courtesy to others- the loss of data may have a “snowball effect” which will make subsequent responses incoherent. If there are responses to earlier posts in the thread, but not specifically to yours, you can delete it. Just don't do anything that will cause subsequent posts/comments to no longer make any sense. If you change your mind or need to correct something, simply add new comments.

All Companies/Transporters are required to register AND become verified to use the Hauling Buddies Communities. Please Sign Up Here

II. Reporting Offensesand Accessing Penalties

Although we monitor our Facebook page closely,it’s still possible that members may notice a problem before we do. Ifso, they are welcome to notify our staff. We will review the situationand if we find that an offense did take place, we will take appropriateaction.

III. Assessing Penalties(Rules Enforcement)

We generally use a warning system of the“three strikes and you’re out” variety. From there, the course of action canrange from a warning to total blocking from the group. Naturally, we willattempt to work with the accused offender privately before taking any suchaction. We will use the following means/methods to maintain order:

The moderators will generally issue informal cautionary notes – essentially ‘calls to order’ -- regarding posts, which they feel are potentially offensive in any significant way. If we receive formal written complaints from three or more individuals, we will investigate the matter closely and issue a formal warning if we determine a violation did take place. The identity of those registering the complaints will not be revealed. Warnings will be posted ‘in the clear’ in the relevant thread will contain specific descriptions of the nature of the complaint(s), and will suggest potential remedies. We may also need to modify or delete the offending post (but only if absolutely necessary and if it won’t adversely affect on subsequent posts in said thread.

If the offending person has a total of three warnings within a 6-month period, they will be suspended for a period of 3 months. If they return and resume their behavior, they will then be subject to permanent deletion/banishment.

Anyone who strongly disagrees with an action taken by us (removal of posts, blocking of members, etc.) is asked to please contact our staff via private message feature or standard e-mail. The situation will most certainly be addressed in a fair manner. However, it’s inevitable that we won’t be able to please everyone and as such will not allow it to become a drawn-out debate. In these cases please remember that this is our site and assessment of penalties is done at our own discretion. In other words, we have the final say.

Spammers will be automatically blocked and their posts deleted (this refers to people or "bots" which join and then post inappropriate or completely unrelated posts).

IV. Helpful Suggestions

The following, while not strict rules and certainly things that are open tointerpretation, are suggested “best practices” for posting. Followingthese recommendations should make your Facebook experience more beneficial:

Treat Each Other With Respect – We understand that some topics can become the center of heated debates. We also understand that not everyone gets along. Quite often, things are merely misunderstandings. Regardless of which situation applies, please treat each other with respect. Avoid name calling and resorting to offensive posts such as those specified in our rules above. Wherever possible, try to quickly clarify misunderstandings. When that's not possible, simply agree to disagree and move on.

Keep it Factual & Cite Sources – If you make a statement, please let people know if it’s just an opinion, an interpretation or if it’s a direct quote (i.e., "in my opinion..." or "according to..."). Please cite sources used so that others will have the chance to form their own informed opinions. This should make any information exchanges more fruitful.

Stay on Topic – Keep in mind that this is Horse Hauling Facebook page, so the topics of discussion should revolved around Horses or Horse Hauling.