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Frequently Asked Questions

Category

This Place looks great! How do I join in?

Joining the ECF community couldn't be easier, and will take you less than a minute. Here's what you need to do...

In the top right of the forum click "log in or sign up" and the registration window will appear. There are 4 ways you can join - email, or through your Facebook, Twitter or Google+ accounts.

To register via your email, simply enter your email address in the box, and then choose "No, create an account now" and click "sign up".

Once you've signed up, as with most other websites, we need you to verify your email address before you can start posting. Once done, you are free to post - we do insist that you make your first few posts in the New Members area, as this is the best way to prevent spam: it's nothing personal, and makes the forum better for everyone.
#2

ECF Community Rules

Our community is inclusive, helpful, intelligent and respectful. The standards of behavior we insist on have developed over many years, and are very straightforward. Enforcing them is what makes ECF completely inclusive for everyone, and one of the "best run forums on the web (tm)"

These are the Golden rules.

1. Please behave decently and respectfully to all members.
2. Do not attack, flame or harass our moderators or admins
3. Respect our freedom of expression. This is a privately owned website, and we are exerting our freedom of expression when we insist on high standards of behavior.
4. Some topics are off limit on ECF. We support your fundamental rights to have these conversations, but not in our house. These include: Sexually explicit topics, hate speech of any kind, discussions of illicit drug use.
5. Be humorous, helpful, respectful and enjoy yourself.
6. If you have a commercial interest of any description (what we call a "supplier"), there's a different set of rules you must to adhere to. Please see the "suppliers" FAQ section for more details.

We are open and transparent about how we enforce our rules. You may, if you wish, read our moderation decision tree here. If you feel you have been unfairly moderated, you may contact our administrators via the support system.
#3

How do I change my username?

#4

How do the classifieds on ECF work?

The ECF classifieds are a free service provided to all Verified members of ECF.

Verification provides some level of confidence to sellers and buyers, but it is not a failsafe and anyone using the classifieds or co-ops must take full responsibility for the purchase or sale they make. ECF cannot be held responsible in disputes between buyers and sellers - we provide this service "as is", and all due diligence must be taken by the parties involved in the transaction. Buyer Beware!

We instituted a "verified membership" system to add an extra layer of security. This system is not designed to be a failsafe, but it has reduced the level of fraudulent transactions significantly. To take part in the classifieds, you must become ID verified.
#5

How do I become an ID verified member?

The verifications system is run by our moderator J0ker. He has provided this service, for free, to ECF members for a number of years, and manually processes each verification.

There are currently 4 different ways to become verified:

  1. Paypal - via your verified paypal email address
  2. Vouching ECF Member
  3. eBay
  4. Notarization
Please see the relevant FAQ below to get verified. If you have any ideas on other ways we could do the verifications, please let @j0ker know
#6

Paypal verification

The vast majority of Verified members are verified through their Paypal account. You must have a verified Paypal account to use this method.

If you need to become Paypal Verified first, click here for instructions (via Google).
If you're not sure whether your email address is already Paypal Verified, please copy this URL and add your email address at the end of it: Error - Login United States - PayPal <-----type your email address after the equal sign

Please note, that your Paypal verified email addresses must be the email address you used to register on ECF. If it's not the same as the one you usually use for Paypal, don't worry, you can add more than one email address in your Paypal account: Just add the one you used for ECF.

Do note that once confirmed, our moderator J0ker has to manually confirm this. Usually this takes no longer than a few days.
#7

eBay verification

Members may be Verified using their eBay feedback.
Requirements:
  1. Must have a minimum of 20 posts on ECF.
  2. eBay feedback rating should be 98% or above.
  3. No negative feedback within the previous 6 months.
  4. Must have been a eBay member for more than 1 year.
  5. eBay must have more than 20 feedbacks.
What we will be looking for: (underlined and circled)

[​IMG]

Please follow this process exactly
  1. Click "eBay Feedback Request Form".
  2. Fill out the form and submit it.
  3. J0ker will verify your eBay feedback meets the above requirements.
  4. He will PM you instructions including a phrase (e.g. "So, how are you doing?") and a link to my eBay contact page.
  5. Member will click my eBay contact link provided in the PM, then via eBay send the phrase to my eBay account.
  6. Once I receive the phrase in my eBay inbox, the member will be considered "Verified"
This process might seem a little strange but will prevent J0ker's eBay account from being closed for spamming. Members seeking verification will only be sending one message, so their account will be in no danger.
#8

Verifying through Notarization

This method was introduced for those members who cannot or do not want to use the online methods in place. If you wish to use this system, you must:
  • Have been an ECF member for more than 30 days.
  • Have made at least 20 posts.
The process is pretty simple, if labor intensive, and has been tested. It does require original notorized documents (not scans or photographs) - You will need to
  1. Submit the form linked below.
  2. Then, print this form out and fill it in - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...it?usp=sharing
  3. Take the completed form to a notary, along with 2 forms of proof of residency (see below), and have the form notarized.
    **Acceptable proofs: bills to your current address (electric, water, gas, phone, cable), driver’s license, bank statement, and /or official tax documents.**
  4. PM J0ker for his mailing address and mail the notarized form to him. (Do not mail the proofs of residency nor page 1 of the form you printed)
This method of verification, like all others available, is in no way an attempt to accept responsibilities for any loss due to unfavorable buys or sells. The purpose of this verification is to only provide ECF the information needed to make attempts to help members recover from a loss. By submitting this form you not only are confirming your identity and current residence but also accept the ECF Classifieds and CO-OP section as a “buyer beware” and understand the risks this implies.
#9

I'm a Supplier - what's my place in the ECF community?

Suppliers are an integral part of the E-Cigarette Community, and it's fair to say that ECF has been the platform for a great many successful businesses to develop.

Over the years we have developed an excellent balance that allows suppliers to engage on ECF, but places certain limitations so that the community is not overrun with commercial interests.

We are very strict about enforcing these limitations, so it's important to understand them before you start posting.
#10

How do I get one of those "sponsored forums"?

We have a limited number of sponsored forums which we offer primarily on a first-come first-served basis, as and when spaces arrive. If you wish to participate, you must first become a registered supplier and then apply by contacting our Supplier manager directly.

Please bear in mind, these places are entirely at our discretion, and no guarantees are provided as to whether we can offer them. Occasionally, we will invite suppliers we believe add exceptional value to the community to take up a place.
#1

What does “ECF registered advertiser” mean?

All suppliers who are registered on ECF or who purchase advertising through our site go through a simple process in which their business is looked at by our full-time suppliers’ administrator.

Obviously there are limits to what we can insist on, but we believe it’s our responsibility to our visitors to insist on certain elements - mainly that excessive health claims are not being made.

This process is a great expense to us, and we’ve done it consistently for nearly seven years, examining thousands of businesses that have applied to register on our site. In fact, we consider the process to be of benefit to suppliers, as it has helped many remove content that might have had them fall foul of existing regulations (although, obviously, we don’t give legal advice!!).

If you are a supplier and wish to be registered on ECF, or to advertise with us, please click here to get in touch with the suppliers administrator - it’s a very straightforward process, and most businesses are up and running in very short order.
#11