Trade Safety Policy

Movie Collector includes a peer-to-peer marketplace where collectors can buy, sell, and trade physical media (DVDs, Blu-rays, 4K UHDs, VHS, Steelbooks, Criterion editions, box sets, etc.). This Trade Safety Policy explains how to trade safely and what we do — and do not — do to keep the community protected.

1. Before You Buy

• Inspect the listing carefully. Photos should show the actual item (not a stock image), the spine, the back cover, and the disc itself. Ask for additional photos if anything is unclear.
• Read the condition description. Listings include a condition field (New / Like New / Very Good / Good / Acceptable) plus free-text notes. Confirm case, artwork, and disc condition match.
• Check the seller's profile. Look at how long the account has been active, how many items they've listed, and any past ratings or reviews.
• Verify the price is reasonable. If a sealed Criterion or rare steelbook is priced far below market value, it may be counterfeit, stolen, or a scam listing. Use the in-app Market Pricing feature (Pro) to compare against recent eBay sold prices.
• Ask questions BEFORE paying. Use in-app messaging to clarify condition, region code, pressing edition, and shipping method.

2. Before You Sell

• Describe items honestly. Scratches, cracked cases, missing inserts, ex-rental stickers, and region locks must be disclosed.
• Take real photos in good lighting. Show the front, back, spine, disc, and any damage. Stock images are not a substitute.
• Price fairly. Use Market Pricing to set a realistic asking price.
• Respond promptly to buyer questions — unresponsive sellers are flagged and may have listings hidden.
• Only list items you legally own and have the right to sell.

3. Payment Methods — Safe vs Unsafe

Rule of thumb: If a seller insists on a payment method with no buyer protection, walk away.

4. Shipping Best Practices

For sellers

• Always ship with tracking. Provide the tracking number to the buyer through in-app messaging.
• Use insurance for high-value items (steelbooks, sealed titles, complete box sets, out-of-print Criterion).
• Package carefully — bubble mailers for single discs, rigid cardboard for box sets, tracked-signature service for $100+ shipments.
• Ship within the time window stated in your listing (we recommend within 3 business days of payment clearing).
• Keep the shipping receipt until the buyer confirms receipt.

For buyers

• Ask for tracking before the seller ships if it wasn't mentioned.
• Inspect the package on arrival. Photograph any damage to the outer packaging before opening.
• Record yourself unboxing high-value items if you expect a dispute.
• Confirm receipt only after you've verified the item matches the listing.

5. Authenticity and Counterfeits

Counterfeit and bootleg discs are a real problem in the collector market. Red flags:

• Blurry, low-resolution artwork.
• Misspellings on the case or disc.
• A DVD-R or BD-R (burned disc) being sold as a pressed release.
• "Imported" or "foreign" versions being offered at below-retail prices.
• Missing holograms, UPC codes, or Disney / Warner watermarks where they are expected.
• Case looks like a plain white sleeve or uses inkjet-printed artwork.

Selling counterfeit, burned, or pirated copies is prohibited. Listings that appear to be counterfeit will be removed. Repeat offenders are permanently banned and reported to the appropriate rights-holders.

6. Prohibited Listings

Do not list any of the following:

• Stolen property.
• Counterfeit, bootleg, or home-burned copies of any film.
• Pornographic or sexually explicit material.
• Films that were never released commercially (promo-only screeners, Academy screeners, press copies).
• Region-encoded discs without disclosing the region in the listing.
• Titles that are banned, restricted, or infringe on a living party's intellectual property in the buyer's or seller's country.
• Weapons, drugs, or anything unrelated to physical movie media.

Violations result in immediate listing removal and may result in account suspension or permanent ban.

7. Spotting and Reporting Scams

Common scam patterns to watch for:

• A buyer or seller who pressures you to move the conversation off-platform immediately (Telegram, WhatsApp, personal email).
• A buyer overpaying "by mistake" and asking you to refund the difference via a different method.
• A seller who asks for payment before creating the listing, or refuses to provide a listing link.
• A message with a shortened link claiming to be "payment confirmation" or "shipping details" — these are phishing attempts.
• A new account with zero history offering rare items well below market.
• A buyer who claims non-receipt and then ships back a different (broken or counterfeit) item as a "return."

How to report:

• Tap the three-dot menu on any listing, message, or user profile and choose Report.
• For urgent fraud involving active payment, also contact your payment provider (PayPal, Stripe, your bank) and, for large losses, ic3.gov (US) or Action Fraud (UK).
• Email [email protected] with supporting screenshots — we investigate every report.

8. Dispute Resolution

• Communicate first. Most issues (slow shipping, wrong region code, minor case damage) are honest mistakes that can be resolved with a polite message.
• Give a reasonable window to respond — typically 48–72 hours before escalating.
• If the other party is unresponsive or uncooperative, open a dispute with your payment provider. PayPal, credit cards, and most bank transfers have a formal dispute process with evidence deadlines (usually 180 days).
• Report the user through the in-app Report function. We review every report and take action against users with a pattern of complaints.
• For illegal activity (stolen goods, outright fraud, threats), file a report with local law enforcement. We will cooperate with law enforcement requests in accordance with applicable law.

9. Our Role and Limitations

FlowTasks provides:

• A listing interface so collectors can find each other.
• In-app messaging so buyers and sellers can communicate safely.
• A reporting and blocking system.
• Market pricing data (Pro) to help you set fair prices.
• Review of reports and enforcement action against violators.

FlowTasks does NOT:

• Inspect, verify, authenticate, or test-play any listed item.
• Process payments or hold funds in escrow.
• Mediate private disputes between users.
• Guarantee any transaction, item condition, or shipping outcome.
• Act as a buyer or seller of record for marketplace transactions.

You transact at your own risk. Please see Terms of Service §5, §11, §12, and §13 for the full legal disclaimer and limitation of liability.

10. Children and Minors

The marketplace is not intended for users under 18. Minors should only use the listing features with parental supervision. Do not list or buy age-restricted content (R-rated, NC-17, or Unrated Director's Cuts of titles containing strong content) without verifying the buyer is of legal age in their jurisdiction.

11. Updates

We review this policy periodically and may update it as the community and marketplace evolve. Material changes will be highlighted in-app and dated at the top of this document. Continued use of the marketplace constitutes acceptance of the current version.

12. Contact

Report a scam, ask a trade-safety question, or request clarification:

[email protected]
FlowTasks
movie.flowtasks.io

For urgent safety issues, put "TRADE SAFETY" in the subject line and we will prioritize your report.