Summit Shred Swap — Community Standards

Version 0.1 — DRAFT for attorney review — September 17, 2026

Why we have standards

Summit Shred Swap only works if a stranger can hand you their touring setup in the Frisco grocery lot and know it's coming back. These standards are the deal we all make with each other. They apply to every Member in the Community — Summit County today, and any community we expand to later — and breaking them has consequences (see the end).

1. Everyone is verified

Every Member — Lender and Renter — has proven their identity with a government ID and a live selfie. No exceptions, no "my buddy will pick it up." The person on the booking is the person at the handoff. If the person who shows up isn't the verified Member, don't hand over the gear; message us.

2. Only locals list gear

Lenders live in the Community. We check the address on your ID, and a person on our team approves every Lender by hand before their first listing goes live. Second-home owners and seasonal workers can qualify through a manual review with proof of property or housing. Renters can come from anywhere. If you're a visitor, welcome — you'll be verified, you'll keep a card on file, and you'll earn the same trust as everyone else through completed rentals.

3. Honest listings

List gear you own. Describe it the way you'd want it described to you: real photos of the actual item, the true size and year, every included accessory, every known flaw, and an honest replacement value — what it would really cost to replace, not a number to scare renters or pad a claim. If it needs a shop check, say so. If it's been recalled, don't list it.

4. Prohibited items

Some things never belong on Summit Shred Swap — not listed, not requested, not rented, swapped or sold on the side:

Firearms of every kind — handguns, rifles, shotguns, receivers and frames, suppressors, ammunition and reloading components, and anything that needs a federal firearms license or a background check to transfer. Air rifles and BB guns are out too, to keep the line simple. Archery gear (bows, crossbows, arrows) is fine.
Fireworks and explosives.
Anything stolen, or anything you can't show you own or have permission to rent.
Recalled or unsafe gear.
Controlled substances and drug paraphernalia.
Motor vehicles that need registration for road use. Snowmobiles, side-by-sides and UTVs, ATVs and dirt bikes are the only motorized categories we support — off-road use only, in-person handoff, and the license and age rules in the Rental Agreement.

List one or ask for one and the listing comes down and the account is suspended. Try again and you're banned, and we report it where the law requires.

5. Safety first

We don't inspect gear, and neither the Lender nor the Renter is a shop. So:

Lenders: hand over gear that's clean, complete, maintained and safe for what it's built for. Tell the Renter anything they'd want to know.
Renters: inspect before you use it. Check bindings, brakes, straps, inflation, batteries. If it's not right, refuse it at handoff, with photos.
Everyone: helmets, PFDs, beacons, shovels and probes are your responsibility. Wear them. Test rented beacons at the trailhead. Know the avalanche forecast. Match the gear and the terrain to your ability.
Motorized gear (sleds, side-by-sides, ATVs, dirt bikes) and backcountry gear come with extra acknowledgments at booking. Read them. They're serious.

6. Meet in public

Lenders propose the meeting options on their listing — a named public spot from our list, the trailhead, lot or marina where the gear is used, a "swing by" pickup at a place and time window the Lender chooses, delivery for a fee, or an opt-in lockbox — and the Renter picks one at booking. We recommend public spots, in daylight. You never have to give out your home address. Both sides confirm the pickup and return windows in the app; we record them. Bring your phone and take your four photos at every handoff. Lockbox handoffs are limited to gear categories we allow, and never for a first rental, motorized gear or high-value gear.

7. Keep it on the platform

If you found the gear — or the Renter — on Summit Shred Swap, the rental goes through Summit Shred Swap. No cash deals, no "Venmo me and skip the fee," no "text me directly next time." Off-platform deals leave both of you without verification, deposits, the condition record, protection plans and our help, and they get accounts closed. Phone numbers and emails are masked until a booking is accepted for exactly this reason.

8. Honest reviews

Review only rentals you were part of. Say what happened. Don't write or buy fake reviews, don't review your own gear from a second account, don't trade five stars, and don't pressure anyone to change a review. We don't pay for reviews, we don't remove reviews for being negative, and we remove reviews only when they break these standards — evenly, for everyone. That's what the FTC's 2024 Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule and the Colorado Consumer Protection Act require, and it's also just how neighbors treat each other. Your Shred Score comes from your completed rentals and reviews, so honesty is the only path to a good one.

9. Respect

Treat people the way you'd treat them in a lift line. No harassment, threats, slurs, unwanted contact after a rental, or discrimination because of who someone is. Harassment is one strike. Report it and we'll act.

10. Take care of borrowed gear

Use it for what it's built for. Don't lend it on. Don't modify it. Lock it up; never leave it visible in a car overnight. Bring it back clean. Normal wear is fine — that's renting. Break it beyond normal wear and you fix it: the actual repair cost, or the depreciated replacement value up to the listed value. Missing accessories are charged at their listed value. Photos at pickup and return are the record, and claims go in within 48 hours.

11. Return on time

Two-hour grace. After that, a full extra day is charged automatically — from your deposit first, then your card. Running late? Message the Lender in the app before the return time and ask for an extension — that's a courtesy, not a late return.

12. Theft is theft

Gear not returned within 48 hours after the return date, with the Renter not responding, is treated as stolen. We take the replacement value from the Renter's deposit and then their card, file a police report using the Renter's verified identity, and permanently ban the account. Every Member agreed to this when they joined. Bringing the gear back later doesn't undo the report or the ban.

13. Consequences

Depending on what happened and whether it's happened before, we may: warn you; lower your Shred Score; limit you to in-person handoffs or lower-value gear; hide your listings; suspend your account; or ban you permanently. Fraud, theft, non-return, fake accounts and harassment get a permanent ban on the first offense. We'll tell you what we did and why unless doing so would put someone at risk. Money you owe survives a ban.

14. Report and block

Every profile and every message thread has Report and Block. Blocking stops all contact and hides you from each other. Reports go to a person, not a bot, and we follow up. For anything urgent or dangerous, call 911 first, then tell us at [safety@summitshredswap.com].