RefSpace Prohibited Products Policy

1 Purpose of the document: This Prohibited Products Policy sets out what goods and content may not be offered or published on the RefSpace platform. This is to ensure that the platform complies with the law (both EU and UK) as well as for the safety of users and to maintain the high standards of the RefSpace community. All users of the platform are required to comply with the following rules. Violations of the Prohibited Products Policy may result in the removal of unauthorised listings or content, account sanctions (including account suspension or blocking) and, in the case of serious violations, reporting the matter to the relevant authorities.

2 Absolutely prohibited products category: The following categories of products and services may not be offered for sale or promoted on RefSpace:

          -Controlled substances and illegal drugs: All drugs, psychotropic and narcotic substances, as well as their analogues and precursors, the possession or circulation of which is prohibited or regulated by law. This also applies to offers for the sale of prescription-only (Rx) medicines, as well as pharmaceuticals without a prescription but sold illegally (e.g. by unauthorised operators). It is prohibited to offer any illegal stimulants, legal highs, anabolic substances without a permit, etc.

          -Criminally derived or illegally traded products and items: It is not permitted to sell stolen, smuggled or otherwise criminal items. Offers to trade in goods the possession or sale of which is prohibited by law (e.g. explosives, professional grade fireworks, chemical reagents exempted from circulation) are also prohibited. This category also includes human organs, tissues, bodily fluids, as well as items belonging to national heritage or cultural goods, the unauthorised trade of which is illegal.

          -Weapons and dangerous accessories: The sale of firearms, offensive white weapons (e.g. knuckledusters, telescopic batons, spring knives above the permitted blade length), ammunition and essential parts of weapons is prohibited. The ban also covers explosive devices and props (e.g. grenades, explosives, detonators) and replica weapons that may mislead as to their true nature. Limited trade in defence accessories such as pepper spray or stun guns may be allowed, but only in accordance with local law and for authorised recipients – in principle, however, RefSpace does not allow trade in such products for security reasons.

          -Pornographic content and material: It is forbidden to sell or distribute pornographic material on the platform, in particular content that depicts minors (paedophilia) or that promotes violence, cruelty, sexual deviation contrary to the law of the United Kingdom and the European Union. Any offer of services of a sexual nature is also prohibited. Erotic gadgets and legal erotic publications may be allowed conditionally (see section 3), as long as their presentation complies with the law and is directed only to an adult audience.

          -Counterfeits, pirated copies and goods infringing intellectual property rights: It is absolutely forbidden to sell counterfeit products, i.e. products bearing unlawfully registered trademarks of well-known brands (fake branded clothes, accessories, electronics, etc.). It is also forbidden to offer copies of goods infringing patents or industrial designs. Furthermore, it is forbidden to offer copies of media that infringe copyright – e.g. pirated DVDs, illegal software licence keys, “bootlegs” of recordings, books in photocopied/PDF form without a licence. The seller is obliged to offer only original products to which he has the right of distribution.

          -Products hazardous to life and health: This refers to such goods that by their nature pose a serious risk to the user or the environment and their sale is either regulated or prohibited. Examples: toxic chemicals (e.g. corrosive acids) outside of controlled circulation, radioactive materials, asbestos and other harmful materials banned in consumer use, fireworks and professional firecrackers. Also included in this category are products that are defective or recalled for safety reasons (e.g. toys that endanger children, electronic devices that do not meet electrical standards). If a product has been recalled by the manufacturer or regulator due to a defect or hazard, it must not be sold on RefSpace.

          -Live animals: Trade in live vertebrate animals (e.g. sale of dogs, cats, reptiles, birds) is prohibited on the platform. Only offers for the sale of animal-related products in an indirect manner (e.g. animal accessories, food) are permitted – provided that the products themselves meet the legal requirements (e.g. the food must be authorised). It is also prohibited to offer products derived from endangered, protected species (CITES) – e.g. ivory products, skins of protected animals, traditional “medicines” containing parts of protected animals.

Please note that the above list is not exhaustive – all products, the offering of which is prohibited by law in the territory where the platform operates (EU/UK), are considered prohibited also on RefSpace, even if they are not listed separately here. If you are in doubt as to whether an item is permitted, please contact the platform staff before listing.

3 Conditionally allowed products (restrictions and requirements): Certain categories of goods, although not completely prohibited, can only be sold on RefSpace under certain conditions. These requirements are mainly due to legal provisions and rules for the protection of certain groups (e.g. minors). Here are the main product groups allowed conditionally:

         -Alcohol: The sale of alcoholic beverages online is subject to strict legal restrictions. On RefSpace, we only allow offers of alcohol with the prior consent of the Administrator and to the extent that they comply with the law. The seller must have the relevant permits/licences for distance selling of alcohol (if required by national law). Alcohol may only be sold to persons of legal age – effective verification of the Buyer’s age on delivery is required (e.g. by a courier checking proof). Alcohol should be shipped locally if the law prohibits shipping abroad. The sale of domestic alcohol without excise duty, spirits above the permitted limits or illegally spiked alcohol is prohibited. In addition, the promotion of alcohol offers may not be directed at minors or encourage excessive consumption.

          -Products 18+ (erotic content and accessories): This category includes legal products intended exclusively for adults, e.g. erotic gadgets (sex toys), BDSM articles, erotic literature and films (non-pornographic or authorised on the market), clothing of a fetishistic nature, etc. Such products may be offered provided that: (a) their sale does not violate the law (e.g. the product complies with hygiene requirements, does not present illegal content); (b) the offer is clearly labelled as 18+ and is not available in the preview for non-logged-in underage users; (c) the buyer declares at the time of purchase that he or she is of legal age. However, any pornographic content involving minors or illegal content (see point 2 above), as well as companion ads or offers of sexual services are not allowed – these remain prohibited.

          -Dietary supplements and pseudo-medical products: Dietary supplements (vitamins, minerals, herbs etc.) are allowed to be sold as long as they are legally permitted in the country of sale (declared to the competent health and hygiene authorities) and do not contain prohibited substances. The seller must ensure that the offer is not misleading – in particular, it is prohibited to attribute medicinal properties to supplements that have not been officially confirmed. Any health claims must be truthful and in line with the list of permitted claims (in accordance with EU health claims legislation). Pseudo-medical products (e.g. ‘miracle cures’ not recognised by medicine, devices supposedly treating serious diseases) may be considered misleading and their sale will not be allowed. In case of doubt, RefSpace may require the Seller to provide documents proving the marketing authorisation of the supplement in question or the veracity of the claims in the description.

          -Cosmetics and household chemicals: The sale of cosmetics and household chemicals is permitted, provided that they comply with the applicable regulations – e.g. the EU Regulation on cosmetic products. Cosmetics must be original, have the required labelling (in the language of the country of sale, with INCI ingredient list, expiry date or PAO symbol). It is prohibited to sell cosmetics that have been withdrawn from the market due to harmfulness or contain prohibited substances (e.g. certain parabens exceeding limits, mercury, etc.). Chemical products (detergents, cleaning products) must bear the required labelling (e.g. hazard pictograms where applicable). The vendor is responsible for product compliance with REACH and CLP chemical standards.

          -Products requiring special permits: Certain goods may only be sold by entities with specific authorisations or licences. We conditionally allow them on RefSpace when the Seller provides proof of such authorisation and complies with the sales restrictions. This applies to e.g.: medical devices and medical equipment (requirement of CE Medical certificate, notification to URPL in Poland, etc.), biocidal products (e.g. professional disinfectants – registration required), food requiring authorisations (e.g. supplements with new ingredients, fortified food). If the sale of a particular product is age or quantity restricted (e.g. tools requiring 18 years of age, restrictions on the purchase of OTC medicines with pseudoephedrine), the Merchant must implement controls before the transaction is finalised.

4 Unauthorised content and activities in UGC (User-Generated Content): In addition to the products themselves, RefSpace’s policy prohibits the publication of certain content by users within any form of communication on the platform (product descriptions, reviews, comments, profiles, news, videos, etc.). Prohibited content includes:

          -Incitement to hatred, discrimination or violence: It is forbidden to post content that advocates or praises violence, hatred, discrimination based on race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, gender, disability or any other legally protected characteristic. This includes symbols and emblems associated with hate groups. Zero tolerance for hate speech on the platform.

          -Drastic, obscene and pornographic content: Users may not publish pornographic or extremely vulgar material. In particular, content depicting the sexual abuse of children (which will be immediately reported to law enforcement authorities) or scenes of bestiality is absolutely prohibited. In addition, it is not permitted to upload images or videos of drastic violence, animal cruelty or other content that is widely regarded as shocking or distasteful without a legitimate context (e.g. documentary).

          Fake -news and misinformation: It is prohibited to spread fake news, intentionally false or misleading information which may cause harm to users or mislead them about important issues. This includes, for example, the dissemination of unverified “sensational” news intended to cause panic, the publication of false information about products (e.g. miraculous properties not scientifically proven) or conspiracy theories containing allegations against specific individuals or groups without proof. Content posted by Creators should be honest – if something is your subjective opinion, please indicate this.

          Fraud-, spam and manipulation: Users may not use the platform for fraudulent activities – e.g. posting phishing links, impersonating RefSpace administration, offering off-platform “get rich quick” schemes or financial pyramid schemes. Any attempts to defraud other users of their personal data under false pretences, publishing mass unsolicited advertising content unrelated to the platform’s subject matter (spam) or artificially boosting one’s own ratings and reviews are also prohibited.

          -Violation of privacy and personal rights: It is not permitted to publish personal data of third parties without their consent (e.g. disclosure of someone else’s address, telephone number, image) and content that is defamatory, slanderous or violates the good name of other persons or entities. This also applies to other Recommenders and brands present on RefSpace – criticism of products is allowed, but not insulting or slandering.

RefSpace reserves the right to moderate and remove content that violates the above rules, as well as the right to take appropriate measures against users committing such violations (ranging from a warning, to a restriction of function, up to and including account removal). If you see content or offers on the platform that you believe violate this Policy, please report it to us via the “Report Violation” function or contact support – each report will be reviewed.

5 Compliance with EU and UK regulations (product requirements): All permitted products sold on RefSpace must comply with applicable safety, quality and labelling standards and regulations – both under European Union law and equivalent UK regulations (post Brexit). Responsibility for the compliance of products with legal requirements rests with Suppliers. In particular:

          -Products placed on the market in the EU/UK must carry the required CE or UKCA marking, if provided for the category. This includes toys (compliance with the Toy Safety Directive), electronic equipment (EMC Directive, RoHS, etc.), machinery, medical devices, personal protective equipment and many other products. The seller should have a CE/UKCA declaration of conformity and the required certificates for the goods offered.

          -Chemicals and products containing them (e.g. cosmetics, detergents, plastic products) must comply with REACH and related regulations on hazardous substances. If you sell a product containing certain chemicals, you may be considered an importer under REACH and obliged, among other things, to provide information on SVHCs to your customers, prepare a safety data sheet, etc.[17]. Products that do not meet the chemical safety criteria (e.g. containing banned phthalates in toys, lead above the standard in jewellery) cannot be offered.

          -Food products (if allowed to be sold on RefSpace at all) must comply with food regulations. In particular: appropriate labelling (ingredients, allergens, expiry date), market authorisation in the respective market (e.g. some food supplements or CBD products may be legal in one country and prohibited in another), preservation of transport conditions (we do not offer temperature-controlled foods unless the Seller provides appropriate logistical solutions).

          -Children’s products (toys, school supplies, clothes, prams, car seats, etc.) – must meet specific safety requirements. E.g. toys should have the CE mark and age-appropriate information, instructions in the language of the country of sale; they must not contain small parts for children <3 years (unless in accordance with the standard and warning). Textile articles and equipment for children must be free of harmful substances (e.g. OEKO-TEX certification welcome) and comply with standards (e.g. prams – EN 1888 standard).

          -Electronic and electrical equipment: In addition to CE/UKCA labelling, these products must comply with the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Disposal) and RoHS (restriction of hazardous substances, e.g. lead, in electrical equipment) directives. They must have the required markings (crossed-out bin symbol, etc.) and operating instructions in Polish/English depending on the market.

          -Specialist products: Each industry may have additional regulations – e.g. cosmetics require product registration on the European CPNP portal and a safety assessment; building materials are subject to harmonised standards; clothing and textiles must be correctly labelled with their raw material composition; jewellery must not release nickel above standards. The seller is obliged to know and comply with these regulations for its goods.

RefSpace may request the Supplier to provide documents proving that the product complies with the above requirements (certificates, declarations of conformity, approvals). Failure to comply with such requests, or the product is found to be in breach of the legal requirements, will result in the removal of the offer and, in the case of serious violations, additional sanctions. We would like to remind you that, acting as a marketplace platform, we facilitate the contact between the Seller and the Buyer, but it is the Seller who bears the legal responsibility for his/her goods (the product must meet all the requirements for approval in the respective market).

6 Final provisions: Suppliers should keep abreast of changes in regulations affecting their product range. The introduction of a new regulation on the market (e.g. tightening of safety standards, addition of substances to the banned list) means that, as of its entry into force, it must also be strictly adhered to within RefSpace. The Prohibited Products Policy may be updated by RefSpace as the legal environment or moderation experience changes – we publish any changes on this page and communicate significant updates to users (e.g. by email to Users).

If you have concerns about the acceptability of a planned product or content, please contact us before publishing it – we will help verify compliance with the rules and regulations. Together, let’s ensure that RefSpace remains a safe and legal place to sell and recommend products.

(RefSpace Prohibited Products Policy – version effective from 1 October 2025 )