Acceptable Use Policy

Last updated: 25 October 2026

1. About this policy

1.1 This Acceptable Use Policy sets the standards everyone must follow when using trustedgaragenetwork.com, our apps and related services (the Platform). It applies to every visitor, registered motorist and garage.

1.2 The Platform is operated by RMCMS Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales, trading as Trusted Garage Network (we, us).

1.3 This policy forms part of our Consumer Terms of Use and our Garage Member Terms & Conditions. By using the Platform you agree to follow it, in spirit as well as in letter.

2. Using the Platform responsibly

You must:

• be at least 18 years old to register an account;
• use the Platform lawfully, honestly and only for its intended purpose: finding, comparing and contacting Verified Garages, managing your vehicles and reminders, and leaving genuine reviews;
• give accurate information about yourself, your vehicle and, for garages, your business;
• keep your login details secret and not share your account; and
• treat other users, garages and our staff with courtesy and respect.

3. Prohibited uses

You must not use the Platform:

• in any way that breaks UK or international law or regulation, or for any fraudulent purpose;
• to harm, or attempt to harm, children in any way;
• to create fake, duplicate or impersonated accounts, or to misrepresent who you are or who you are connected with;
• to send fake, speculative or bulk Booking Requests, or to make bookings you do not intend to keep;
• to send unsolicited advertising, spam, chain messages or other solicitations;
• to harass, threaten, intimidate or abuse any person;
• to collect or harvest other users' personal data;
• to copy, scrape, reproduce, resell or commercially exploit any part of the Platform or its data, including garage listings and reviews, without our written permission;
• to promote businesses, products or services that are not listed on the Platform; or
• to give the impression that you, or your content, are endorsed by us when that is not the case.

4. Content standards

These standards apply to everything you contribute: reviews, review replies, garage profiles, photos, offers and messages (Contributions). Every part of a Contribution must meet them.

4.1 Contributions must:

• be accurate where they state facts, and genuinely held where they state opinions;
• relate to your own genuine experience (for reviews, a real job carried out by that garage within the last 12 months, with valid vehicle and contact details given to us for verification); and
• comply with UK law, including consumer protection and advertising rules.

4.2 Contributions must not:

• be defamatory, or make allegations of crime presented as fact;
• be obscene, offensive, hateful, discriminatory or inflammatory, or promote violence or illegal activity;
• contain personal data of others, such as full names of staff, phone numbers, addresses or registration numbers;
• infringe copyright, trade marks, database rights, confidentiality or privacy;
• be misleading, or be written, paid for or incentivised by a garage, its staff or a competitor;
• contain advertising, spam, links to external websites or social media; or
• be likely to deceive, alarm or cause needless distress to anyone.

4.3 Moderation. Reviews are never published automatically. Every review is verified and moderated before it goes live, whether it is positive or negative. We may also moderate other Contributions using automated tools and human moderators. We may edit Contributions for length or to remove personal data, and we may decline or remove any Contribution that breaks this policy.

5. Additional rules for garages

Garages must also not:

• write, buy, commission or incentivise reviews, or ask staff, family or friends to post them;
• pressure, threaten or harass a motorist about a review;
• describe their verified status or our badge as a guarantee, or as meaning we stand behind their work;
• publish prices, offers, accreditations or photos that are false, out of date or not their own;
• use motorists' contact details for anything other than dealing with their Booking Request, or add them to marketing lists without valid consent;
• try to claim a listing for a business they do not control; or
• manipulate rankings, for example by creating duplicate listings or fake engagement.

The Garage Member Terms & Conditions set out further obligations and the sanctions that apply.

6. Security and technical misuse

You must not:

• upload or transmit viruses, trojans, worms, spyware, ransomware or any other harmful code;
• attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Platform, its servers, databases or any other user's account;
• interfere with, damage or disrupt the Platform or any network, equipment or software used to provide it, including by denial-of-service attacks;
• use bots, scrapers, crawlers or other automated tools without our written consent; or
• probe, scan or test the Platform's vulnerabilities, unless we have given you written permission (report suspected security issues to security@trustedgaragenetwork.com).

Breaching this section may be a criminal offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. We will report any such breach to the relevant authorities and cooperate with them, including by disclosing your identity.

7. Reporting misuse and enforcement

7.1 Reporting. If you see content or behaviour that breaks this policy, use the report button on the page or email support@trustedgaragenetwork.com. We review reports promptly and take proportionate action.

7.2 Our response. A breach of this policy is a material breach of our terms. Depending on how serious it is, we may:

• give you a warning;
• remove or decline the Contribution concerned;
• temporarily or permanently suspend your account or Profile;
• remove a garage's verified status under the sanctions process in the Garage Member Terms & Conditions;
• take legal action to recover our costs; and
• share information with the police or other authorities where we reasonably consider it necessary.

7.3 Fairness. Unless there is a safety, security or legal reason not to, we will tell you what action we have taken and why, and give you a chance to respond or appeal.

8. Changes and contact

8.1 We may update this policy from time to time. We will tell registered users about significant changes by email or on the Platform. The version shown here applies from the date at the top.

8.2 Questions about this policy: support@trustedgaragenetwork.com. Trusted Garage Network is operated by RMCMS Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales.

Version 1.0, effective 25 October 2026.