Avoiding Scams and Prohibited items

The agricultural and rural community is full of honest and hardworking people, where their word is their bond and a handshake is generally all you need to seal a deal. This ethos has been taught and followed and resemble the Cowboy Ethics derived from the book "Cowboy Ethics" by James P. Owen:

  1. Live each day with courage.
  2. Take pride in your work.
  3. Always finish what you start.
  4. Do what has to be done.
  5. Be tough, but fair.
  6. When you make a promise, keep it.
  7. Ride for the brand.
  8. Talk less, say more.
  9. Remember that some things are not for sale.
  10. Know where to draw the line.

We hope the Farmapper community will similarly be a place where its citizens act ethically and responsibly, but initiating business online does carry a certain set of risks where you don’t personally know all the neighbors. Farmapper Channels is intended only to allow users to present certain information and to initiate first contact between interested parties. The following best practices will enable people to get to know their counterparties and jumpstart communication.

  • Always deal face to face before sending goods or money
  • Do not wire funds ever
  • Perform due diligence, use a lawyer or accountant, escrow company to structure transaction, write bill of sale, contracts, etc.
  • Be extremely cautious with personal information, tax identification numbers, bank account information, background checks, etc.

Some of these scams can be avoided with common sense, but some are very creative. Though, with no affiliation to Farmapper, many examples of scams can be found Craigslist.

Farmapper Channels are meant to be narrow and targeted to specific areas in the agricultural community. Posting erroneous or irrelevant listings in Farmapper Channels will be grounds to have the listing pulled and potentially the Farmapper account deactivated. If you notice listings that break the spirit, please send an email to support@farmapper.com with the listing title and Channel so that it can be flagged.

Examples of Prohibited Items that are not allowed and not relevant to Farmapper Channels are

  • Weapons and ammunition; firearms/guns and components
  • recalled items; hazardous materials; body parts/fluids; unsanitized bedding/clothing
  • prescription drugs, medical devices; controlled substances and related items
  • alcohol or tobacco; unpackaged or adulterated food or cosmetics
  • pornography; bestiality; offers or solicitation of illegal prostitution
  • endangered, imperiled and/or protected species and any parts thereof, e.g. ivory
  • false, misleading, deceptive, or fraudulent content; bait and switch; keyword spam
  • offensive, obscene, defamatory, threatening, or malicious postings or email
  • anyone’s personal, identifying, confidential or proprietary information
  • food stamps, WIC vouchers, SNAP or WIC goods, governmental assistance
  • stolen property, property with serial number removed/altered, burglary tools, etc
  • ID cards, licenses, police insignia, government documents, birth certificates, etc
  • US military items not demilitarized in accord with Defense Department policy
  • counterfeit, replica, or pirated items; tickets or gift cards that restrict transfer
  • lottery or raffle tickets, sweepstakes entries, slot machines, gambling items
  • spam; miscategorized, overposted, cross-posted, or nonlocal content
  • postings or email the primary purpose of which is to drive traffic to a website
  • postings or email offering, promoting, or linking to unsolicited products or services
  • affiliate marketing; network, or multi-level marketing; pyramid schemes
  • any good, service, or content that violates the law or legal rights of others