
last updated (4/17/2026)
Helios Policy Center
Enforcement, Appeals & Account Actions Policy
Helios may take action when it reasonably determines that a user, account, listing, file, transaction, pattern of conduct, or other activity violates Platform rules or creates unacceptable risk to users, the Platform, payment systems, legal compliance, or marketplace integrity.
This user-friendly version organizes the policy into collapsible sections so users can understand possible account actions, temporary restrictions, payment-related controls, appeals, and reconsideration expectations.
Who this policy applies to
This Policy applies to all users of Helios, including experts, companies, students, vendors, suppliers, associations, partners, customers, service providers, and any other person or entity using the Platform.
Related Helios policies
This Policy should be read together with the Helios Terms of Service, Trust & Safety Policy, Code of Conduct, Marketplace Integrity & Anti-Fraud Policy, Restricted Activities & Prohibited Transactions Policy, Reporting, Investigations & Evidence Policy, Privacy Policy, Payments and Payout policies, and any category-specific rules published by Helios.
How to use this page
Expand the section that matches your concern. Each section includes policy language, violation examples, and practical guidance for users and internal policy reviewers.
Policy Overview
This page explains how Helios may protect the marketplace through warnings, corrective action, content restrictions, account limitations, transaction reviews, suspensions, terminations, referrals, and appeals handling.
Typical enforcement journey
Helios receives a report, detects suspicious activity, or identifies risk through review.
Temporary controls may be applied while facts, records, payments, files, or account history are reviewed.
Helios may warn, require correction, restrict activity, suspend access, terminate an account, or refer the matter externally.
Where permitted, users may request reconsideration and may need to complete corrective or verification steps.
Policy Foundation
01PurposeThe goals of the Enforcement, Appeals & Account Actions Policy.
The purpose of this Policy is to:
- Explain the enforcement tools Helios may use to protect users and the Platform
Establish how Helios may respond to policy violations, fraud risk, payment abuse, unsafe conduct, restricted activity, or other platform risk
- Describe temporary controls, account actions, transaction actions, and other administrative measures
- Explain when and how users may seek reconsideration of certain decisions
- Support fair, risk-based, and operationally effective trust and safety enforcement
Violation examples
A user asks why a listing was paused after a suspected fraud signal. This section explains that Helios may use enforcement tools to protect users while the matter is reviewed.
02General Authority to ActWhen Helios may take protective or enforcement action.
Helios may take enforcement or protective action where it reasonably determines that:
- A user has violated the Terms or any Helios policy
An account, listing, transaction, or file creates fraud, safety, legal, payment, privacy, export-control, sanctions, or reputational risk
- Required information is missing, inaccurate, misleading, inconsistent, or unverifiable
- A user is engaging in restricted, prohibited, deceptive, exploitative, or abusive conduct
- Payment providers, financial institutions, legal authorities, or regulators require or expect action
- Immediate action is reasonably necessary to prevent ongoing harm, preserve evidence, protect users, or maintain Platform integrity
- Helios may act with or without prior notice where permitted by law and reasonably necessary under the circumstances.
Violation examples
A seller uploads technical files that appear export-sensitive and refuses to provide supporting documentation. Helios may restrict access while reviewing legal and platform risk.
03Types of Enforcement ActionsThe enforcement tools Helios may use depending on severity, urgency, risk type, and evidence.
Helios may take one or more of the following actions, depending on the circumstances:
- Issue a warning
- Require corrective action
- Remove or limit content, files, reviews, or listings
- Reduce listing or profile visibility
- Limit messaging, file-sharing, or account features
- Pause listings, offers, or marketplace activity
- Restrict category access
- Require identity, business, tax, or compliance verification
- Delay, freeze, reverse, deny, or review transactions
- Delay, hold, reserve, reverse, or deny payouts
- Suspend account access temporarily
- Terminate account access permanently
- Block future re-registration
- Report conduct to payment providers, financial institutions, service providers, regulators, or law enforcement where appropriate
- Helios may use different combinations of measures depending on severity, urgency, risk type, and available evidence.
Violation examples
An account that posts misleading credentials may receive a warning and be required to correct the profile; an account linked to payment fraud may face payout holds and suspension.
Protective Measures & Account Actions
04Temporary Protective MeasuresShort-term controls Helios may apply while risk is being reviewed or contained.
Helios may impose temporary measures while a matter is being reviewed or where risk containment is reasonably necessary.
Temporary measures may include:
- Listing pauses
- Account review status
- Feature restrictions
- Messaging limitations
- Upload restrictions
- File-access restrictions
- Payout holds or delays
- Transaction freezes
- Reserve requirements
- Reduced profile or listing visibility
- Temporary suspension of certain or all Platform access
Temporary measures do not necessarily mean Helios has reached a final conclusion, but they may remain in place until Helios determines the matter is resolved or sufficiently reviewed.
Violation examples
A project with disputed delivery evidence may be placed under transaction freeze while Helios reviews messages, files, and milestone records.
05Transaction and Payment-Related ActionsPayment and payout controls tied to fraud, chargebacks, compliance risk, or policy violations.
Where Helios offers payment or payout functionality, Helios may take transaction-related or payout-related enforcement action in response to fraud, payment abuse, compliance risk, safety concerns, chargebacks, restricted activity, or policy violations.
Such action may include:
- Delaying or reviewing payouts
- Holding funds or imposing reserve requirements
- Freezing or reversing transactions where permitted by policy or law
- Restricting transaction functionality
- Requiring documentation before funds are released
- Denying payout access
- Offsetting or recovering amounts owed under applicable policies or agreements
- Helios may coordinate with payment processors or other providers in connection with such actions.
Violation examples
An expert submits inconsistent banking details and receives multiple chargeback complaints. Helios may delay payout and request documentation before release.
06Listing, Content, and File RestrictionsWhen Helios may remove, hide, disable, or require changes to platform content.
Helios may remove, disable, hide, restrict, or otherwise limit:
- Listings
- Profiles
- Reviews
- Public posts
- Comments
- Uploaded files
- CAD files
- Technical documents
- Images, videos, manuals, or other materials
This may apply where Helios reasonably believes the material violates Platform rules, creates confusion, creates fraud or safety risk, involves restricted activity, misuses private information, or exposes Helios or other users to harm.
- Helios may also require modification or correction of content as a condition of reinstatement.
Violation examples
A listing claims AS9100 certification without evidence and includes copied CAD drawings. Helios may hide the listing and require correction before reinstatement.
07Account SuspensionWhen temporary full or partial account suspension may apply.
Helios may suspend an account temporarily where:
- A review is ongoing
- Risk appears credible and unresolved
- A user fails to cooperate with a legitimate review
- A user appears to be evading rules or controls
- The account presents fraud, payment, compliance, security, privacy, or safety concerns
- Temporary removal is reasonably necessary to prevent further harm
- A suspension may be full or partial and may affect all or only certain Platform features.
Violation examples
A user repeatedly refuses verification after credible impersonation reports. Helios may temporarily suspend messaging, listings, or account access during review.
08Permanent Account TerminationWhen Helios may permanently end account access and block future use.
Helios may terminate an account permanently where it reasonably determines that:
- A serious policy violation occurred
- Conduct was fraudulent, deceptive, exploitative, or unlawful
- A user repeatedly violated Platform rules
- A user poses continuing risk to users, transactions, or the Platform
- A user engaged in severe payment abuse, counterfeit activity, restricted activity, identity fraud, or manipulated evidence
- The account was used in connection with sanctions risk, export-control violations, or labor exploitation concerns
- Helios reasonably believes trust cannot be restored or that continued access would create unacceptable risk
- Permanent termination may include blocking future re-registration or restricting related accounts.
Violation examples
A user submits forged verification documents, manipulates delivery evidence, and continues the same conduct after warnings. Helios may permanently terminate the account.
Decision Factors & Evasion
09Factors Helios May ConsiderFactors used to decide the appropriate action.
When deciding what action to take, Helios may consider factors such as:
- The seriousness of the conduct
- Whether the conduct was intentional, repeated, coordinated, or deceptive
- The risk of harm to users or the Platform
- Whether payment, legal, compliance, privacy, or safety concerns are involved
- The credibility and quality of available evidence
- Account history and prior warnings or enforcement
- Whether the user cooperated honestly with review requests
- Whether the issue appears remediable
- Whether legal, payment-provider, or regulatory obligations influence the response
- Helios may weigh these factors differently depending on the nature of the case.
Violation examples
Two users post inaccurate listing details. One corrects the mistake immediately; the other repeats the claim and submits false evidence. Helios may treat the cases differently.
10No Requirement to Use Progressive DisciplineWhy Helios may take stronger action without first issuing a warning.
Helios may choose to use escalating measures, but it is not required to provide a warning, temporary suspension, or intermediate action before taking stronger enforcement measures where circumstances justify immediate action.
In serious cases, Helios may immediately remove content, freeze activity, suspend access, terminate accounts, or notify relevant third parties without first issuing a warning.
Violation examples
A user attempts to sell counterfeit safety-critical components. Helios may remove listings and suspend the account immediately rather than issuing a warning first.
11Related Accounts and EvasionRules against bypassing enforcement through related or new accounts.
Helios may consider relationships between accounts when enforcing Platform rules.
Users may not evade enforcement by:
- Creating new accounts after suspension or termination
- Using affiliated or coordinated accounts to continue restricted activity
- Shifting activity to alternate profiles, organizations, or entities for the purpose of avoiding review or enforcement
- Concealing ownership or control of related accounts
Helios may restrict or terminate related accounts where it reasonably believes they are used to evade enforcement or continue abusive conduct.
Violation examples
A suspended vendor opens a new company profile under a related entity to continue the same restricted activity. Helios may restrict the related account.
12Recordkeeping and Internal Case ManagementRecords Helios may retain for enforcement, fraud prevention, compliance, and appeals.
Helios may retain records relating to enforcement decisions, investigations, user communications, supporting evidence, account history, transaction history, verification materials, and other relevant information for purposes including:
- Trust and safety operations
- Fraud prevention
- Platform integrity
- Legal and compliance obligations
- Appeals and review
- Dispute handling
- Payment-provider requirements
- Prevention of repeat abuse
- Retention may continue after suspension or termination where reasonably necessary.
Violation examples
A terminated account later attempts to re-register. Prior case notes, evidence, and verification records may be used to evaluate repeat abuse.
Practical guidance
Case records should be retained only as reasonably necessary and handled consistently with applicable privacy and retention requirements.
Appeals & Reconsideration
13Appeals and Requests for ReconsiderationWhat users should include when asking Helios to review certain enforcement decisions.
Where Helios permits reconsideration, a user may submit a request for review of certain enforcement actions.
Helios may decline to reverse or narrow an action where payment-provider, legal, compliance, or fraud-control requirements continue to apply, even if the affected user disputes the decision.
A reconsideration request should include, where applicable:
- The user’s account information
- The decision being challenged
- A clear explanation of why reconsideration is requested
- Any supporting records, clarifications, or corrective information
- Any remedial steps already taken
- Helios may set time windows, formatting requirements, or channel-specific requirements for reconsideration requests.
Violation examples
A user whose listing was removed submits updated certification evidence and a corrected listing description. Helios may review the new information for possible reinstatement.
14Limits on AppealsWhen Helios may decline, limit, or close reconsideration requests.
Helios may decline, limit, or close reconsideration requests that are:
- Repetitive
- Abusive
- Clearly unsupported
- Bad-faith
- Inconsistent with prior verified evidence
- Lacking material new information where such information is needed
- Helios is not required to provide multiple rounds of review or ongoing debate regarding the same decision.
Violation examples
A user repeatedly submits the same appeal without new evidence and uses abusive language toward support. Helios may close the reconsideration request.
15What Helios May Consider on ReconsiderationFactors Helios may review when deciding whether to affirm, modify, narrow, or reverse a decision.
When reviewing a reconsideration request, Helios may consider:
- Whether new relevant information has been provided
- Whether prior evidence was incomplete or misunderstood
- Whether the user has taken meaningful corrective action
- Whether the risk has been reduced or resolved
- Whether legal, payment-provider, or compliance constraints still apply
- Whether reinstatement would create renewed risk to users or the Platform
- Helios may affirm, modify, narrow, or reverse a prior decision in its discretion.
Violation examples
A user provides proof that a suspicious login came from a compromised device, changes credentials, and completes verification. Helios may consider whether the risk has been reduced.
16No Guarantee of Restoration or ReinstatementClarifies that reconsideration does not automatically reverse enforcement or restore access.
A reconsideration request does not guarantee:
- Reversal of an enforcement action
- Restoration of a listing, file, or review
- Release of held funds
- Reinstatement of payout access
- Full restoration of account functionality
- Restoration of a permanently terminated account
- Helios may condition reinstatement on additional verification, documentation, corrective steps, or ongoing restrictions.
Violation examples
A user appeals a payout hold but provider-level fraud controls remain active. Helios may keep restrictions in place even after reviewing the appeal.
After Enforcement & Cross-Policy Controls
17Cooperation After EnforcementSteps users may need to complete after an enforcement action.
After an enforcement action, Helios may require users to:
- Correct inaccurate information
- Remove or modify problematic content
- Complete verification
- Provide documentation
- Adopt additional safeguards
- Comply with category restrictions
- Refrain from repeat conduct
- Acknowledge or accept new limitations on Platform access
- Failure to comply with reinstatement conditions may result in continued or escalated restrictions.
Violation examples
A user can regain listing access only after removing unsupported claims, completing identity verification, and accepting category restrictions.
18Referral to Third Parties and AuthoritiesWhen Helios may share relevant information with providers, regulators, authorities, or affected parties.
Where appropriate and legally justified, Helios may share relevant information with:
- Payment processors
- Financial institutions
- Fraud prevention providers
- Hosting or platform service providers
- Regulators
- Legal authorities
- Affected counterparties or rights holders
Such referrals may occur where Helios believes they are reasonably necessary to protect users, comply with obligations, investigate wrongdoing, or respond to legal or payment-related risk.
Violation examples
A counterfeit listing involving payment fraud may be referred to a payment processor and affected rights holder where legally justified.
19Cross-Policy EnforcementHow one case may trigger multiple Helios policies and controls.
Conduct that results in enforcement under this Policy may also violate multiple Helios policies. Helios may enforce those policies together rather than separately.
For example:
- Fraud may trigger payout restrictions, suspension, and anti-fraud enforcement
- Privacy misuse may also trigger trust and safety, confidentiality, and account restrictions
- Counterfeit or infringing listings may trigger removal, transaction review, and IP enforcement
- Restricted transactions may trigger compliance review, category bans, and payment controls
Violation examples
A user uploads copied CAD files and sells them through a listing. The case may involve copyright, trust and safety, payment review, and listing removal.
20Provider ComplianceProvider-driven enforcement or protective measures.
Helios may impose enforcement or protective measures where required or reasonably supported by the requirements, restrictions, review outcomes, or compliance expectations of its payment processors and financial service providers, including Stripe, Inc. and its affiliates.
Violation examples
A payment provider flags a transaction for prohibited activity. Helios may restrict payment features or hold payouts based on provider requirements.
21Policy UpdatesHow Helios may update this policy.
Helios may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, Platform features, risk patterns, operational needs, or payment and compliance requirements.
When Helios updates this Policy, it will post the revised version on the Platform and update the “Last Updated” date above. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of an updated version constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy, except where additional notice or consent is required by law.
Violation examples
Helios updates enforcement rules after a new fraud pattern emerges or a payment provider changes compliance requirements.
