Community Guidelines & Prohibited Items Policy

Effective Date: October 8, 2026 | Last Updated: October 8, 2026

PODY is built on trust, transparency, and consumer safety. These Community Guidelines and Prohibited Items rules apply to all listings, buyer-seller messages, repair requests, and technician interactions on the PODY platform, in full compliance with the Google Play Developer Policy (User Generated Content) and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules, 2021.

Zero Tolerance for Scams: PODY strictly prohibits advance payment scams, counterfeit listings, and falsified appliance passports. Users attempting fraud will face immediate account termination and permanent hardware device bans.

1. Strictly Prohibited Appliances & Items

Users may NOT list, offer, or request quotes for the following on PODY:

Stolen or Unlawfully Obtained Goods: Any appliance without legitimate ownership, police-reported items, or altered/scratched serial number plates.
Counterfeit or Rebadged Appliances: Unbranded appliances fraudulently badged with counterfeit brand emblems or fake BIS certification marks.
Hazardous or Contaminated Equipment: Appliances with hazardous refrigerant leaks (CFCs/HCFCs), damaged microwave radiation shielding, ungrounded high-voltage equipment, or commercial industrial chemical machinery.
Manufacturer-Recalled Equipment: Products subject to official manufacturer recall or safety alerts due to fire hazard or electrical defect.
Falsified Documentation: Fabricated purchase invoices, fake warranty cards, or tampered Digital Passports.
Non-Appliance Merchandise: Weapons, narcotics, tobacco, counterfeit currencies, animals, or unrelated consumer goods.

2. Mandatory Safety & Scam Shield Rules

To protect Indian households from online marketplace scams, all members must follow our Scam Shield protocol:

In-Person Physical Handshake: Always inspect pre-owned refrigerators, washing machines, microwaves, or air conditioners in person before paying.
Test Operational Condition: Power on the unit, test cooling, heating, or motor cycles, and verify that the physical serial number matches the Digital Passport.
Zero Advance Booking Deposits: Never transfer advance UPI deposits to "reserve" an appliance or "hold" an item. Pay only after you have inspected the physical unit.
In-App Chat for First Contact: Keep initial inquiries inside PODY's verified chat before sharing direct phone numbers.

3. Content Standards in Listings & Chat

Users must refrain from transmitting content that is:

Obscene, sexually explicit, or pornographic (automatically detected and quarantined by our AI moderation engine).
Defamatory, abusive, harassing, threatening, or promoting violence or hate speech.
Deceptive, fraudulent, phishing links, or malware.
In violation of third-party intellectual property or privacy rights.

4. Service Professional Standards

Technicians listed on the PODY Electrician Directory must:

Complete identity verification (Aadhaar OTP via UIDAI / GSTIN) before bidding on live service jobs.
Provide transparent estimates for labor and spare parts before commencing repair work.
Maintain professional and courteous conduct during all household service visits.

5. Moderation & Enforcement Protocol

Enforcement Workflow:

AI Pre-Screening: Text keyword filters and image duplicate detection automatically flag suspicious listings on creation.
Community Reporting: Every listing and message includes a one-tap report button. Any listing receiving 3 reports is automatically hidden pending moderator review.
Sanctions: Violations result in listing deletion, forfeiture of unconsumed lead tokens, account deletion, and permanent device fingerprint bans (`device_fingerprints` blocklist).

6. Reporting Violations

If you encounter a suspicious listing, counterfeit appliance, or scam attempt, use the in-app Report Listing feature, or email our moderation desk directly at grievance@pody.in.