Building a Trusted Community
IbomMarket is built on trust, respect, and fairness. These guidelines apply to all users across every part of our platform - marketplace, hotels, restaurants, services, and messaging.
Last Updated: March 27, 2026
Our Community Values
At IbomMarket, we believe in creating a marketplace where everyone feels welcome, safe, and respected. Our community is made up of buyers, sellers, hosts, restaurant operators, service providers, and marketers from all walks of life across Nigeria and beyond.
Safety First
Protect yourself and others in every interaction
Respect Always
Treat every person with dignity, regardless of background
Honesty Matters
Be truthful in listings, reviews, and all dealings
What We Encourage
Be Honest & Accurate
Provide truthful descriptions, real photos, and accurate information. For hotels: represent properties accurately. For restaurants: describe dishes honestly including allergens and ingredients.
Communicate Respectfully
Use polite, professional language in messages, reviews, and interactions. There is a real person on the other side.
Respond Promptly
Reply to inquiries, orders, and booking requests in a timely manner. Quick, helpful communication builds trust.
Honour Your Commitments
Follow through on agreed prices, delivery dates, booking confirmations, and service timelines. Your word is your reputation.
Report Problems
Help us keep the community safe by reporting suspicious listings, scam attempts, safety concerns, or policy violations.
Leave Fair & Honest Reviews
Share genuine feedback based on real experiences. Review the product, accommodation, food, or service - not the person.
Protect Your Privacy
Be mindful of personal information you share. Use platform messaging for initial communication. Never share passwords, PINs, or bank details.
Meet Safely
Choose public places for in-person transactions. Bring a companion for high-value items. Trust your instincts.
What's Not Allowed
Fraudulent Activity
Scams, fake listings, counterfeit goods, bait-and-switch tactics, or any deceptive practices result in immediate ban and potential legal action.
Harassment or Abuse
Threatening, bullying, intimidating, stalking, or harassing other users through messages, reviews, or any channel is strictly prohibited.
Hate Speech & Discrimination
Content promoting discrimination based on ethnicity, tribe, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected characteristics. This includes discriminatory refusal of service.
Spam & Manipulation
Posting duplicate listings, sending unsolicited messages, manipulating search results, fake engagement, or bot activity.
Illegal Items & Services
Weapons, drugs, stolen goods, or anything prohibited by Nigerian law. See our Seller Policy for the full prohibited items list.
Adult Content
Sexually explicit content, escort services, or adult-only material anywhere on the platform.
False or Manipulated Reviews
Fake reviews, paid reviews (undisclosed), reviewing your own products, retaliatory reviews, or bribing/threatening others to change reviews.
Price Manipulation
Artificially inflated prices, hidden fees, bait-and-switch, or misleading promotional claims.
Multiple Accounts for Evasion
Creating multiple accounts to circumvent bans, manipulate leaderboards, self-refer for commissions, or game gamification systems.
Off-Platform Contact Info
Posting phone numbers, emails, WhatsApp, or social media in listing descriptions to bypass platform messaging and fees.
Misleading AI-Generated Content
Using AI-generated images, reviews, or descriptions presented as real/authentic without clear disclosure. AI-enhanced photos must still represent the actual item.
Unsafe Food Practices
For restaurants: serving food past its safe consumption date, misrepresenting ingredients, concealing allergens, or operating without required health permits.
Review & Rating Guidelines
Reviews are crucial for trust on IbomMarket. They help buyers make informed decisions and help sellers improve. When leaving reviews:
Product Reviews
- Review the actual product quality, accuracy of description, and transaction experience
- Include specifics: did it match photos? Was the condition as described?
- Photos in reviews are encouraged and help other buyers
Hotel & Accommodation Reviews
- Review based on your actual stay experience
- Comment on accuracy of listing, cleanliness, amenities, location, and host communication
- Be specific about what met or missed your expectations
Restaurant Reviews
- Review based on food quality, portion size, delivery speed, and accuracy of order
- Distinguish between restaurant issues (food quality) and delivery issues (late, damaged packaging)
- Report genuine food safety concerns through the reporting system in addition to leaving a review
What Makes a Bad Review (Will Be Removed)
- Reviews not based on a genuine transaction or experience
- Defamatory, abusive, or threatening language
- Hate speech or discriminatory content
- Personal information about other users (full name, address, phone number)
- Reviews posted as leverage to extract discounts or free goods
- Reviews about an unrelated business or product
Content Standards
Photos & Media
- Use real photos of your actual item, property, or food
- Photos must be clear, well-lit, and representative of the actual product
- No watermarks from other websites or platforms
- No stock photos or images from the internet presented as your own
- AI-enhanced photos are permitted but must still accurately represent the item
- No offensive, violent, or inappropriate imagery
- No embedded contact information (phone numbers, emails) in images
Descriptions
- Be accurate, complete, and honest
- Include all relevant details (size, condition, features, amenities, allergens)
- Mention any defects, limitations, or restrictions honestly
- No misleading, exaggerated, or false claims
- Write in language buyers can understand
- AI-generated descriptions must be reviewed for accuracy before posting
Pricing
- Set realistic, fair prices in Nigerian Naira (NGN)
- Include all costs upfront (no hidden fees or surprise charges)
- Indicate if price is negotiable
- No "Contact for price" for every listing
- No bait-and-switch pricing tactics
Enforcement
We use a combination of AI-powered automated moderation and human review. Violations are handled through a progressive enforcement system:
Warning
First minor offense. Educational notification with guidance.
Content Removal
Listing, review, or message removed for policy violation.
Suspension
Temporary account suspension (7-30 days) for repeated or serious violations.
Permanent Ban
Fraud, illegal activity, severe safety violations, or repeated serious offenses.
You may appeal any enforcement action within 14 days through the Platform's appeals process. Appeals are reviewed by a different team member from the one who made the original decision.
How to Report
If you see something that violates these guidelines:
- Click the "Report" button on any listing, review, message, or user profile
- Select the type of violation (scam, fake, inappropriate, spam, wrong category, offensive, prohibited, duplicate, misleading, safety concern, or other)
- Provide details and supporting evidence (screenshots, photos)
- Submit your report - our team investigates all reports, typically within 24-48 hours
You can also email us directly at safety@ibommarket.com. For urgent safety concerns (immediate physical danger, criminal activity in progress), contact local law enforcement directly.