Code of Conduct

Member Code of Conduct

In addition to the Network Rules, by which Members agree to abide, Polygon’s Code of Conduct provides guidelines under which Members are expected to operate. The goal is to promote fair and ethical business practices amongst members and with others in the industry

GENERAL

Members ensure that they are operating or an employee of a legally constituted business in the gem & jewelry industry, and that they are truthfully and accurately representing all contact and business information. Members agree that they will keep all information about the business and any other content listed on the Site – for example, inventory listings – up to date and accurate. Should any information on the company or content change, or should the member no longer be able to meet their financial obligations, Members must inform Polygon immediately.

Members ensure that access to their Polygon account is kept confidential and not shared with anyone outside of the company.

Members also agree to use the site in good faith usage. No content or information on the site or any other of Polygon’s services should be shared outside of Polygon without Polygon’s explicit written consent. Member content and information, including but not limited to company contact details, cannot be used for anything other than the benefit of the business entity that registered and was approved by Polygon for membership.

In their business dealings, Members agree to act in an ethical manner, and abide by all applicable local, state, federal and international laws.

FORUMS & ONLINE PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS

Members agree that they will engage in respectful, professional discussions. Debate is welcome, but personal discriminations, attacks, insults, defamatory, libelous, obscene, violent, scandalous, unlawfully or otherwise threatening, or unlawfully or otherwise harassing posts will not be tolerated. Insults – racial, ethnic, gender, politically-based or otherwise – are also not tolerated. Content or comments that have the intent of being inflammatory or provoking arguments or like responses are not allowed. Likewise, profanities, sexual content, or anything deemed to be inappropriate or unprofessional is not allowed. Personal information is not to be published in public locations, such as but not limited to Polygon’s forums or Facebook page. Members must also ensure that any content posted to the Site or any other Services operated by Polygon is legal, does not contain warez or links to illegal sites, is truthful and accurate, and that any copyright, patent, trademark, or other intellectual property rights are respected.

BUYING & SELLING ACTIVITIES

Though no transactions are completed directly on Polygon, Polygon does allow members to list items for sale and to request items to purchase. Therefore, it is important that buying and selling guidelines and best practices are followed to encourage smooth and transparent transactions.

Members agree that all items posted for sale on Polygon or through any Polygon Service be accurately described and all origins, treatments, materials or any other information relevant to the nature and value of the item be fully disclosed. Certificate information should be listed when available, along with images or online copies of the document. All images need to be of the item actually being sold. Members also agree to post, buy and sell items in accordance with the most current Federal Trade Commission guidelines, including those for the Jewelry Industry and the Guide Against Deceptive Pricing.

Accurate descriptions and disclosure should be included on all transaction documents, including a memorandum or bill of sale. It is also advisable to capture in writing the details of a transaction before the sale is concluded, including not only an accurate and detailed description of the product(s) sold/purchased, but also of the terms and shipping.

Members ensure that they are the authorized representatives for any items posted for sale on Polygon or through any of Polygon’s services.

Members are expected to uphold their financial commitments. Memoranda terms are also expected to be respected, and it the consignee’s responsibility to ensure this and that all items received on memo, if returned, are returned in the same condition as they were received, within the agreed timeline. Memo terms should be detailed on the memo document. All transactions and agreements to purchase are binding.

Members agree that they will not abuse the Site’s for sale channels by posting advertisements or flooding the channels.

In the diamond database, all EGL-USA lab diamonds are allowed to be listed in the Certified database. All other EGL International labs such as EGL Israel and EGL India are not permitted to be listed as certified stones. Members agree to fully disclose information about all diamonds listed, and grading should be done per GIA standards.

DISPUTES

Members can open a dispute case with Polygon in the event of a dispute between 2 or more members, provided that: (i) Members have attempted to resolve the issue themselves first, (ii) The dispute is between Members for a transaction that happened on Polygon; (iii) The issue occurred within the last 12 months; (iv) Documentation is provided. Polygon will attempt to resolve the dispute, but cannot guarantee the outcome of the case will be satisfactory to any of the parties involved. Final recommendations and sanctions are at the sole discretion of Polygon, and may include temporary or permanent suspension of the Member’s subscription. Polygon may also publish any non-personal details and the results of a dispute to the rest of the Membership. Members agree that they should avoid disputes as much as possible by always ensuring items are properly described and transactions clearly documented. It is the responsibility of Members to do their due diligence when doing business with other Polygon Members.

BREACHES & ENFORCEMENT

It is at Polygon’s sole discretion to determine if there is a breach to any part of these rules, to the Code of Conduct, or to any of General Terms & Conditions. Sanctions, which are to be determined at Polygon’s sole discretion depending on the severity of the breach, can include limiting, restricting or removing access temporarily or permanently to Polygon’s Site and Services. Polygon may also publish Member details and information about the breach when deemed by Polygon to be helpful for the Community.

Generally, Polygon will operate on a three strike policy for violations: The first time, a written warning will be issued. The second time, a 5-business day restriction could be placed on the Member’s access to the Site and/or any Services. The third warning could result in a temporary or permanent membership suspension. If the Member willfully violates any rules, continues to breach the Code of Conduct, Network Rules of any of the Terms and Conditions, or if the violation is deemed serious enough even on a first time violation, Polygon may, at its sole discretion, immediately revoke, suspend, or terminate the membership and/or ban the Member. While the Code of Conduct, Network Rules and Terms and Conditions cover the most common situations, they cannot anticipate everything. Consequently, Polygon reserves the right to take any actions deemed appropriate in order to ensure the smooth management and security of the network.

In addition, Member posts, content and any other information may be edited or removed by Polygon without notice.

Polygon reserves the right to randomly check a member’s business standing. Any bankruptcy filings, arrests, convictions for fraud or other crimes, may lead to that member’s expulsion from Polygon.

Polygon’s Code of Conduct, Network Rules and Terms and Conditions may be updated or changed from time to time, the current versions of which will be published on the Site (www.polygon.net).