New Section 3 Rule: 3.15 Restriction of Contact Information

[PetraAnn]

Thanks for the clarification. In that case, you can remove TG, Teams etc from subsequent post but you can allow Website and email contact because both website URL and email address can't be created exactly similar by the scammer. 99% of scammers/scams happens on/due to TG. By removing it, it will solve the issue and by allowing website/email contact, it will help sellers significantly. This is a more balanced approach to solve this scam menace.

We're monitoring the situation and will make adjustments as needed. For now, we're going with all outside contact info.

 

[cloaker4ads]

Every problem has a solution.
The important thing is whether they can reach a consensus.
The cost will be borne by the client.

True

It would help battle the scammers who upgrade with Crypto, promote Cloaking and BH Ads services, use aged bhw accounts to scam, and so on.

I agree. Stay alert, and always do business with trusted members

This is getting dangerously close to selling outside of the marketplace.

Ah yeah I forgot that rule

 

[ttshe4ka]

From safety point of view, it's a good move But from sellers point of view, this will hurt their sales a lot. Most of the traffic from BHW comes from the last post links only. No one checks the opening posts.

And I am perplexed that if contact information is allowed in Opening post, signature etc, then why it is forbidden in the last post? The visitor or the buyer will get the contact information anyway. So I didn't get it. Kindly clarify this point.

As someone else said above, BHW traffic is not the same as it used to be. It may be due to various reasons like unregistered users can't see the WTB section, numerous members are getting banned on daily basis, old members have left etc. Whatever the reason, this new rule will further decrease the sales.

As a seller, it's my humble request to reconsider it.

We want to confirm your words. The number of visits to the site, new registrations and payments has decreased significantly recently. Most people came to our site from the last (or last few) posts in the topic. Unfortunately, the situation with new traffic is not the best right now

 

[ryu11]

I got it thank you

 

[keomut500]

From safety point of view, it's a good move But from sellers point of view, this will hurt their sales a lot. Most of the traffic from BHW comes from the last post links only. No one checks the opening posts.

And I am perplexed that if contact information is allowed in Opening post, signature etc, then why it is forbidden in the last post? The visitor or the buyer will get the contact information anyway. So I didn't get it. Kindly clarify this point.

As someone else said above, BHW traffic is not the same as it used to be. It may be due to various reasons like unregistered users can't see the WTB section, numerous members are getting banned on daily basis, old members have left etc. Whatever the reason, this new rule will further decrease the sales.

As a seller, it's my humble request to reconsider it.

I offered many solutions,
but in response, they only considered the economic aspect.
They only adjusted the rules to make things difficult for traders.
And the service fees haven't decreased at all?
I've noticed the number of customers using their services is decreasing every day.

 

[SMMSHIBA]

To be honest, i think some marketplace mods have never actually sold anything themselves, so some of the rules feel quite unrealistic in practice.

Fixed price as in post #1:

SMM website like us is like a supermarket selling fresh produce, prices constantly fluctuate depending on suppliers, proxies, phone codes, coin prices,.. and overall market conditions.

It’s impossible to keep every products at the exact same price as yesterday, and we also need flexibility to run promotions. We’re not scamming anyone, and customers rarely complain.

Yet our thread was closed 4 times in 1,2 months. Each time we had to wait ~ 20 – 48 hours for a reply, and nearly a week to get it fully resolved. One mod reviews and approves it, then another closes it again for the same old reason.Thousands of $ spent on a sticky thread completely wasted.

Now, No external links rule:

If I announce that Product A is on discount but I’m not allowed to attach a direct link, customers are forced to manually search through thousands of products on the website. That’s simply making things harder for buyers and causing sellers to lose customers.

Suggestion:
Instead of only allowing Jr VIP members to sell, please require sellers to have a proper website (not just a Telegram account) and maintain an active thread in the marketplace. That would be more professional and much easier to manage.

I just want to run my business peacefully. But every time the rules change, I end up receiving warnings because the regulations are unclear and hard to interpret. Luckily, I haven’t been banned yet.

 

[dwhs]

That's fair, keep it clean The worst part about forums is the convoluted rule set, managed by overzealous mods.

 

[NKLordSlime]

Ok, thanks

 

[Vektor T13]

Lets hope this will make a lot less scams through Telegram...

 

[keomut500]

Lets hope this will make a lot less scams through Telegram...

I used Telegram from 2014 to 2025.
And my account was hacked. I contacted Telegram support,
but ultimately received no response from them. I feel terrible.
I think I should delete Telegram from the app and install another app.

 

[BulkCloudStore]

Noted. Thanks for the update about the new rule.

 

[Martinjones]

Its really good to see, you guys are working hard to keep this place safe for all of us, as a buyer and seller both. Thank you BHW team!!

 

[Vektor T13]

And my account was hacked. I contacted Telegram support,
but ultimately received no response from them. I feel terrible.
I think I should delete Telegram from the app and install another app.

Their support is just volunteers.
Better to find a media person who can push your request.

Sorry for being a little offtopic.

 

[sntg07]

Honestly just run make a category on market place where people can received feedbacks reputations and have an option to use an escrow via web( this should not be a moderator and must be not be a seller in market place).

thats would be really nice. i lost a very good account and now im starting from the bottom..

 

[ryanbrosas]

I'm all for it! since scammer want to move outside of BHW!

 

[infosconseil]

Today we are adding a new rule to Section 3 of the Terms and Rules as stated in the BHW Change Log:



Why is the New Rule Being Implemented?

If you watch what comes through the Dispute Forum, the most common element to a lot of Disputes is users were taken off BlackHat World to Telegram and then the entire conversation was deleted. Unless they were taking screen shots of the conversation every time it was updated, the accuser suddenly doesn't have enough proof to put a Dispute through.

We also get a lot of Disputes where someone just happens to run across someone's contact information and decide to contact them. In fact, we just had a Dispute last week where the accuser found someone's contact information off a very old, very locked Sales Thread and decided to contact them anyways.

We're doing our best to set both our buyers, but also our sellers, up for success. If that means that we no longer can allow everyone to share their off site contact information publicly? Then that's what we're going to do.

And, of course, all through 2025 we had several threads initiated in Forum Suggestions & Feedback asking for an outright ban or restriction on Telegram:

• Feb 25, 2025: https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/ban-the-mention-or-use-of-telegram-on-bhw.1690124/
• April 30, 2025: https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/allow-telegram-using-only-clickable-links.1714671/
• Oct 24, 2025: https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/telegram-ban-on-forum.1766427/
• Oct 29, 2025: https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/improve-dispute-rules-marketplace-safety-regarding-telegram-contact.1767939/
• Nov 27, 2025: https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/suggestion-prohibit-telegram-and-social-links-in-signature.1775239/
• Jan 13, 2026: https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/a-warning-message-on-bsts-wtb-haf-threads-about-using-telegram.1785986/

There's likely more, but these are the main ones that stood out.

What Does Rule 3.15 Actually Mean?

Don't worry, the meme and youtube video threads in The BHW Lounge are still safe. As is linking any articles from credible news sources. Here's an explanation of what is or isn't allowed.

1.) Sales Threads: Jr. VIPs and Marketplace Sellers ARE allowed to post their outside contact information in the 1st post of their Sales Thread. However, what is no longer allowed:

• Adding the contact information for a thread bump (sorry, you'll have to figure something else out that refers users back to the 1st post).
• Asking the sales thread owner to contact you via your Telegram or other off site contact info (you can ask them to DM you with the information you want from them).

2.) Signatures: upgraded users can still put their off site contact information in their signatures.

3.) Via DM: all users can trade off site contact information via DM.

• Unsolicited DMs are still not allowed.
• If you are contacting someone that posted a HAF/WTB thread, make certain you're remembering the Seller rule where you need to link the thread in your DM. This way the OP knows that the DM was actually solicited and if they report you, there won't be warnings handed out.

https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/rules-posting-in-hire-a-freelancer.951769/
https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/rules-posting-in-want-to-buy.951771/



Please note, this section isn't exhaustive on what you can and can't do. If you're not certain something you're going to post will violate BHW Rule 3.15. A good rule of thumb is, if it's not in the first post of a sales thread or in a signature, it doesn't belong in a public area.

• Don't put it in your avatar.
• Don't put it in the about section on your profile (yes, you may need to edit your About section).
• Don't put it in a post.
• Don't try for subliminal messages.
• Don't put it in the meta data of media uploads.

Etc and so on.

Enforcement of New Rule 3.15

So, what happens if you slip up and bump a thread using your old template, or slide your TG into a public conversation because you've done it 100x before?

Like with all of the previous rules changes, we're not going to go in full force. We're going to give everyone time to read all of the material regarding the new rule and changes and will be putting out plenty of information to attempt to set everyone up for success.

• There's this extensive thread with the ability to engage in conversation with the Community Team about it.
• We have the https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/change-log-behind-the-scenes-at-bhw.1268318/post-20475459,
• There will be a site wide notice at the top of the forum linking to this thread and the change log.
• We're forcing everyone to accept the https://www.blackhatworld.com/help/terms/ so they KNOW there's a change.
• We'll be mentioning it in the Newsletter through the month of March.

On top of all of this, we've created a new Warning called "Outside Contact Info Violation." For the time being, this warning will start out as a way to convey to people who haven't managed to read anything that there's a Rule Change. So the first few times will be a "hey, there's a rules change, you might want to stop and read the new rules to understand what you can and can no longer do!".

Removal of Social Media Fields & Implementation of Sales Thread Fields

One last thing to talk about!

As you might have already noticed, we removed the social media fields on the "About" tab on your profiles. However, we added something back that we think those of you with Sales Threads might like! The ability to put up to 5 of your sales threads on your profile.

We wanted to give our Sellers a way to showcase their Sales Threads and for buyers to find a favorite Sellers threads a little quicker!

• Everyone, regardless of subscription type has these fields on their profiles.
• While it's meant for sales thread, any BHW thread can be added.
• Only BHW threads can be added into these fields.
• Please don't report users who have non-sales threads in the sales thread fields. It's the user's choice if they want to showcase Sales Threads (if they have them) or not.

Conclusions About the New Rule

We're very well aware that some of you aren't going to like this new rule and that's ok. Change is always hard, especially if it was something you did regularly. However, at the end of the day, we're hoping that this helps reduce the amount of scamming and spamming that has gone on in the past.

If you have questions, comments or concerns, feel free to address them below in this thread. We welcome the conversation but please remain respectful.

Thanks for the clarification and the detailed explanation.


Honestly, this rule makes sense considering how many disputes happen after conversations move to Telegram or other external platforms. Keeping the initial contact on the forum should help both buyers and sellers maintain proper records.


It’s also good to see that contact info is still allowed in sales threads and signatures, so legitimate sellers still have a way to share their details.


Appreciate the transparency from the team about why this change was implemented.

---

 

[proxygo]

I'm all for it! since scammer want to move outside of BHW!

if it looks to good to be true then be careful.

 

[vakage]

Honestly this was bound to happen sooner or later.
Half the disputes I’ve seen in the last year were basically “he said / she said” situations because the deal moved to Telegram and then all the messages magically disappeared.
Keeping negotiations inside the forum at least leaves a trail. Not perfect, but way better than screenshots of cropped Telegram chats.

I get why sellers like Telegram, but from a dispute/moderation perspective it’s a nightmare.

 

[Lopa Shrivastava]

It would be great if the administrators could consider making the onboarding process more welcoming—for example, by providing a beginner guide, allowing limited posting for new members, or creating a dedicated section for introductions and beginner questions.

 

[BassTrackerBoats]

That said, it would be great if the administrators could consider making the onboarding process more welcoming—for example, by providing a beginner guide, allowing limited posting for new members, or creating a dedicated section for introductions and beginner questions. This would help new members feel more comfortable while still maintaining the forum’s quality standards.

Those are already in place.

New members get a DM sharing the newbie guide location and we have an introduction subforum as well.

https://www.blackhatworld.com/forums/newbie-guide.242/

https://www.blackhatworld.com/forums/introductions.24/