Community Rules (Updated: 20 October 2026)

The Independent Philippine BYD Owners Community

Applies to: all members, visitors, vendors, partners, moderators, administrators, and other platform participants.

Community in a Nutshell (TL;DR)

Before diving into the full details, here are the non-negotiable rules of our community:

• Be respectful: Disagreement is fine; personal attacks, harassment, and hate speech are not.
• Safety first: Do not post instructions that encourage dangerous high-voltage modifications or bypass safety systems. If you break your car following advice here, you are solely responsible.
• No disguised ads: Vendors and businesses must disclose their affiliations and use authorized channels for promotion.
• Protect privacy: Do not post sensitive personal information, unredacted vehicle documents, or precise locations without permission.
• Be honest: Do not falsify vehicle registration, Digital Service Book records, or marketplace listings.
• Earn recognition fairly: Contributor points and badges reward genuinely helpful contributions. Trading "Thanks", using extra accounts or posting for points alone does not count and may lead to moderation.

1. Our Community and Purpose

BYDPH.org is an independent online community dedicated to BYD vehicle owners, prospective owners, and enthusiasts in the Philippines.

Our objectives are to:

• Encourage meaningful discussions and knowledge sharing about BYD vehicles.
• Help owners understand vehicle operation, maintenance, charging, fuel and battery consumption, and ownership costs.
• Share useful experiences involving dealerships, service centers, charging stations, accessories, and related services.
• Maintain trustworthy owner-contributed technical information and community knowledge.
• Support vehicle ownership documentation through the Digital Service Book.
• Facilitate responsible buying, selling, and ownership transfers where supported by the platform.
• Build a respectful, informative, and reliable community.

BYDPH.org is an independent community and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or officially operated by BYD or its authorized Philippine distributors, unless a specific relationship is expressly disclosed.

Membership does not establish any official relationship with BYD.

2. The Golden Rule

Respect other members, contribute honestly, and do not intentionally harm the community.

Members are expected to exercise reasonable judgment even where a particular behavior is not expressly prohibited.

Disagreement, debate, constructive criticism, and negative ownership experiences are welcome. Personal attacks, deliberate deception, and disruptive behavior are not.

The absence of an explicitly written prohibition does not automatically make harmful conduct acceptable.

Moderators may consider the circumstances, severity, evidence, and impact of conduct when enforcing these rules.

3. Membership, Registration, and Accounts

3.1 Age Requirement

Members must be at least 18 years of age, or the legal age of majority in their jurisdiction, to create an account. This is strictly required to participate in marketplace features, vendor subscriptions, and ownership transfers.

3.2 One Personal Account

Each natural person may maintain one personal BYDPH.org account unless an administrator grants an exception for a legitimate reason.

Creating additional accounts to bypass suspensions, manipulate discussions, vote repeatedly, inflate engagement, or misrepresent community support is prohibited.

3.3 Accurate Account Information

Members must provide truthful registration information and keep required account details reasonably current.

False ownership claims, fabricated identity information, impersonation, and fraudulent supporting documents are prohibited.

3.4 Account Security

Members are responsible for protecting their account credentials and must not knowingly share access with unauthorized persons.

Suspected account compromise should be reported promptly.

3.5 Invitations and Verification

Registration may operate through open registration or invitations, depending on platform settings.

Invitation privileges are not transferable for sale, and members must not distribute invitations through fraudulent or misleading arrangements.

Email verification and vehicle ownership verification are separate processes. An email-verified account is not automatically a verified vehicle owner.

3.6 Personal and Commercial Accounts

Commercial activities must use the appropriate authorized account or vendor permissions.

A business must not use ordinary personal accounts to evade vendor registration, disclosure, approval, or subscription requirements.

4. Respectful Communication

Members must communicate respectfully. The following behavior is prohibited:

• Harassment, bullying, stalking, threats, or intimidation.
• Discrimination or hate speech directed at protected characteristics.
• Publishing another person's private information without authorization.
• Personal insults intended primarily to humiliate or provoke.
• Repeatedly targeting or following members across discussions to antagonize them.
• Sexually explicit, exploitative, or otherwise unlawful content.
• Encouraging violence, self-harm, or illegal activity.
• Impersonating another member, company, dealership, moderator, or public official.

Strong criticism of a product, company, policy, service, or public commercial activity is permitted when expressed responsibly.

Criticize the issue, product, or service, not the personal identity of the person discussing it.

5. Language and Communication Standards

English and Filipino are welcome. Cebuano and other Philippine languages may also be used where moderators can reasonably review the content.

Members should communicate clearly enough for others to understand the discussion.

Where practical, technical posts should use understandable terminology, accurate units of measurement, and sufficient context.

Posts that cannot reasonably be moderated may be held for clarification or translation.

Deliberately misleading translations or selective quotations intended to misrepresent another person's statements are prohibited.

6. Posting, Discussions, and Questions

6.1 Relevant Topics

Posts should relate to BYD vehicles, vehicle ownership, transportation, charging, batteries, maintenance, automotive technology, insurance, regulations, road safety, or other subjects appropriate to the selected category.

General-interest topics may be permitted in a designated off-topic category.

6.2 Use the Correct Category

Members should post in the most appropriate category or vehicle-model group.

Moderators may relocate or reorganize discussions for clarity.

6.3 Avoid Duplicate Discussions

Before creating a new topic, members should search for existing discussions.

Repeatedly opening substantially identical topics without a meaningful reason is prohibited.

6.4 Descriptive Titles

Titles should clearly identify the subject.

Misleading titles, excessive capitalization, repetitive symbols, excessive emoji, and sensationalist clickbait are discouraged and may be moderated.

6.5 Stay on Topic

Replies should meaningfully contribute to the original discussion.

Extended unrelated arguments may be moved, separated, or closed.

6.6 Questions and Accepted Answers

Answers should attempt to address the question accurately.

An accepted answer indicates that it was selected as helpful; it does not constitute certification by BYDPH.org, the vehicle manufacturer, or a qualified technician.

7. Technical Information, Vehicle Safety, and Advice

Technical discussions are welcome and encouraged, but vehicle safety must take priority.

7.1 Distinguish Facts From Experience

Members should clearly distinguish:

• Personal experience.
• Independent testing or observations.
• Information from vehicle manuals.
• Information received from dealerships or technicians.
• Unverified reports or speculation.

Members must not knowingly represent assumptions or rumors as confirmed facts.

7.2 Dangerous Instructions

Instructions that recklessly encourage unsafe driving, bypassing critical safety systems, disabling vehicle protection, tampering with high-voltage components, or circumventing security features may be removed.

Technical discussion of modifications, diagnostics, repairs, or known vulnerabilities may be permitted where the purpose is legitimate, responsible, and safety-conscious.

7.3 High-Voltage and Battery Systems

Members should not encourage unqualified persons to perform dangerous work on high-voltage electrical or battery systems.

Appropriate training, protective procedures, and professional assistance should be emphasized where necessary.

7.4 Warranty and Modifications

Claims about warranty coverage, warranty cancellation, battery degradation, software updates, and modifications should identify their basis.

Members must not claim that a modification is manufacturer-approved, warranty-safe, or legally permitted without reasonable support.

7.5 Recalls and Safety Notices

Official recall notices and confirmed manufacturer advisories should be distinguished from community-submitted safety reports.

A report appearing on BYDPH.org does not automatically establish that BYD, a regulator, or an authorized distributor has confirmed the reported issue.

BYDPH.org may label information as a community warning or confirmed information according to its evidence and review procedures.

8. Reviews, Complaints, and Ownership Experiences

Members may share positive or negative experiences involving vehicles, dealerships, service centers, charging stations, products, or businesses.

Reviews must reflect genuine experience or clearly identify information obtained indirectly.

The following are prohibited:

• Fabricated reviews or ratings.
• Reviews made in exchange for undisclosed benefits.
• Coordinated review manipulation.
• Deliberately false allegations presented as established facts.
• Posting sensitive personal details about employees or customers.
• Threatening a business or individual to obtain compensation.
• Presenting an unresolved allegation as a confirmed legal finding.

Constructive negative reviews are allowed, including criticism of service quality, cost, delays, workmanship, warranty handling, or customer support.

Businesses may respond professionally, but must not intimidate reviewers or pressure them to remove legitimate criticism.

BYDPH.org may request clarification or evidence when serious factual allegations are disputed.

Legal Exposure: Members remain personally and legally responsible under applicable Philippine laws (including R.A. 10175 / Cybercrime Prevention Act) for statements made regarding third-party businesses, dealerships, or individuals.

9. Verified Owners and Vehicle Information

9.1 Ownership Verification

Verified-owner status indicates that the platform has accepted supporting evidence under its verification process.

It is not a government-issued certificate, legal determination of ownership, or guarantee of vehicle condition.

9.2 Accurate Vehicle Registration

Members must register only vehicles they are authorized to register and must provide accurate identifying information.

Registering another person's vehicle without proper authority is prohibited.

9.3 Vehicle Identifiers

Plate numbers, conduction stickers, VINs, chassis numbers, engine numbers, and similar identifiers must not be publicly disclosed without appropriate authorization.

Members should remove or conceal identifying details from publicly shared photographs and documents where disclosure is unnecessary.

9.4 Ownership Disputes

Duplicate registration, disputed ownership, or vehicle handover issues must use the platform's confidential dispute or verification procedures.

Members must not publicly disclose another party's verification documents or use community discussions to intimidate a person involved in an ownership dispute.

BYDPH.org may restrict affected vehicle functions while a dispute is under review.

The platform's administrative determination concerns platform records and access rights; it does not replace lawful ownership determination by competent authorities.

10. Digital Service Book and Ownership Records

The Digital Service Book is intended to help owners maintain an organized record of vehicle maintenance, repairs, inspections, charging, fuel use, and other supported transactions.

10.1 Record Accuracy

Members must enter information honestly and as accurately as reasonably possible.

Intentionally falsifying mileage, service history, maintenance costs, repairs, inspections, or supporting documents is prohibited.

10.2 Supporting Evidence

Receipts, invoices, photographs, and service documents must be genuine and relevant.

Members must not upload manipulated documents to misrepresent a vehicle's condition or service history.

10.3 Corrections and Audit History

Finalized records may be subject to the platform's linked correction procedures rather than silent alteration.

Members must not attempt to circumvent correction, audit, or transaction integrity controls.

10.4 Provenance of Records

Owner-recorded, document-supported, and provider-confirmed entries carry different evidentiary meanings.

A self-reported entry must not be described as provider-confirmed without the required verification.

10.5 Mileage, Charging, and Fuel Consumption

Mileage, battery charging, fuel consumption, energy usage, and computed vehicle-efficiency figures should reflect actual observations or clearly identified estimates.

Members must not deliberately fabricate readings to manipulate vehicle history, performance comparisons, or resale information.

10.6 Smart Dashboard Scanning

Automated OCR results may contain errors.

Owners are responsible for reviewing and confirming recognized values before they become accepted service or usage entries.

Submitting another person's dashboard photograph without appropriate authorization or manipulating readings to mislead the platform is prohibited.

10.7 Record Confidentiality

Private vehicle documents, service records, ownership history, and related evidence must not be disclosed or redistributed without proper authorization.

Access to shared documents must respect the platform's purpose, recipient, expiration, and revocation controls.

11. Vehicle Marketplace and Ownership Transfers

Where marketplace features are available, members must act honestly and transparently.

11.1 Vehicle Listings

Sellers must accurately describe the vehicle and must not knowingly conceal material facts or make false representations about:

• Ownership or authority to sell.
• Vehicle identity and registration.
• Mileage and service history.
• Accident or flood damage.
• Battery condition or major defects.
• Outstanding financing, liens, or material encumbrances.
• Warranty coverage.
• Availability or selling price.

11.2 Listing Eligibility

Only vehicles eligible under the platform's verification, membership, and ownership rules may be listed.

Listings associated with restricted, disputed, or frozen vehicles may be withheld or removed.

11.3 Prohibited Listings

Stolen vehicles, fraudulent documents, misleading listings, illegal products, and offers the seller is not authorized to make are prohibited.

11.4 Communications

Buyers and sellers must communicate professionally.

Unsolicited repeated messages, harassment, impersonation, fraudulent payment instructions, or attempts to manipulate another member are prohibited.

11.5 Ownership Handover

Platform handover procedures must be followed where applicable.

A platform handover changes supported BYDPH.org vehicle custody and access records. It does not by itself replace official vehicle registration or transfer requirements.

11.6 Marketplace Responsibility

BYDPH.org is not automatically a party to transactions between members and does not guarantee a vehicle's condition, title, payment, delivery, or performance.

Members should perform appropriate independent checks before completing transactions.

12. Vendors, Service Providers, and Commercial Participation

Commercial participation is permitted only within applicable platform rules.

12.1 Commercial Disclosure

Vendors, dealers, service providers, employees, agents, influencers, and other commercially interested participants must disclose relevant commercial relationships when discussing or recommending their own products or services.

Disclosure is required even where a recommendation is technically accurate.

12.2 No Disguised Advertising

Businesses must not create false customer testimonials, fabricated independent recommendations, or coordinated promotional discussions.

Using personal accounts or third parties to conceal commercial involvement is prohibited.

The inclusion of undisclosed affiliate marketing links, referral codes, or monetized e-commerce tracking links (e.g., Shopee, Lazada, or third-party storefronts) in ordinary forum posts, reviews, or comments is considered disguised advertising and is prohibited.

12.3 Advertising and Promotions

Advertisements, sponsored content, offers, giveaways, and promotional activities must use approved channels and obtain prior approval where required.

Participation in ordinary discussions does not grant unrestricted advertising rights.

12.4 Vendor Verification

Vendor verification or platform approval indicates that the applicable platform onboarding requirements were met. It is not an unrestricted guarantee of workmanship, product quality, financial reliability, or regulatory compliance.

12.5 Vendor Subscription

A vendor's right to maintain active commercial listings depends on its applicable authorization and subscription status.

Expired, suspended, or unauthorized vendor listings may be hidden.

12.6 No Unauthorized Solicitation

Repeated unsolicited promotional private messages, recruitment, direct selling, lead harvesting, and attempts to bypass advertising controls are prohibited.

13. Parts, Accessories, and Related Products

Listings and recommendations for parts and accessories must be accurate and relevant.

Sellers should identify meaningful compatibility restrictions and must not knowingly advertise counterfeit items as genuine manufacturer products.

Claims such as "original," "OEM," "BYD-approved," or "warranty-compatible" must have a reasonable factual basis.

Unsafe, unlawful, stolen, or fraudulently represented products may be removed.

Members are responsible for independently confirming compatibility before purchasing or installing parts.

14. Charging Stations, Dealerships, and Directories

Members may contribute useful location details, availability reports, reviews, operating information, and corrections for supported directories.

Information must be submitted honestly and should be reasonably current.

Members must not intentionally:

• Add fake charging stations, dealerships, or service centers.
• Report false charger availability or pricing.
• Falsely claim to operate or represent a listed establishment.
• Manipulate business locations or contact information.
• Add private residences or restricted sites without appropriate permission.
• Publish another person's precise home location or vehicle location.

Members-only charging spots are privately owned chargers that their owners share with verified members. They may be listed only by the owner or with the owner's permission, are visible only to verified members, and must not be shared outside BYDPH.org. Follow the host's access rules and arrange your visit before going.

Community-reported operational status must not be misrepresented as official operator confirmation.

A directory listing does not constitute BYDPH.org endorsement.

15. Groups and Model-Specific Communities

Model-specific communities and member-created groups must follow platform-wide rules.

Group owners, administrators, and moderators must exercise their authority fairly and responsibly.

Group-level rules may supplement but may not override platform-wide protections.

Groups must not be used to organize harassment, fraud, spam, illegal activities, coordinated manipulation, or circumvention of platform restrictions.

Private or approval-based group membership does not guarantee absolute confidentiality.

Platform administrators may intervene where required for legitimate enforcement, security, privacy, or legal reasons.

16. Polls and Surveys

Polls and surveys must be conducted fairly.

Members must not manipulate results through duplicate accounts, automation, coercion, or coordinated deceptive voting.

Polls and surveys must not be used to judge, publicly rank, or expose individual members inappropriately.

Individual responses must not be disclosed contrary to applicable privacy controls and consent requirements.

17. Contributor Recognition and Rewards

BYDPH.org recognizes verified owners whose contributions genuinely help the community: answers that solve problems, original guides, published knowledge base articles, accurate directory updates, useful issue reports, and Thanks from fellow owners.

17.1 How Recognition Works

Helpful contributions earn contributor points, levels, and badges. Points are recorded in a permanent history that members can review on their My contributions page; corrections are added as new entries and are never made silently.

Quantity alone does not earn recognition. Views, follows, sign-ins, dashboard scans, votes, uploads of private records, and selling a vehicle do not earn points. Repeated, promotional, or commercially motivated posts do not earn points.

17.2 Who Can Take Part

Only verified owners in good standing earn contributor points. Activity before verification does not earn points retroactively. Vendor and business accounts may take part in discussions under these rules but do not earn contributor rewards.

17.3 Fair Play

Members must not:

• Trade, sell, buy, or request Thanks or points.
• Thank their own content through another account, or coordinate with others to exchange Thanks.
• Create duplicate topics, copied content, or low-effort posts to collect points.
• Present AI-generated or copied material as their own original experience or work.
• Use private records, another person's documents, or personal information to gain recognition.

Contributions that look unusual, such as frequent mutual Thanks between the same members or activity from linked accounts, may be held for a routine review. A hold is not an accusation. Safety-related answers about batteries, charging, and vehicle safety are reviewed before they earn higher recognition.

Points are reversed when the contribution behind them is withdrawn, hidden, removed, archived, or found to break these rules. Members can see the reason on their own page, and reasons are never shown publicly. Decisions can be appealed through the process in section 25.

17.4 Premium Pass and Honorary Premium

Exceptional, sustained contributors may be considered for a one-time Premium Pass or a 12-month Honorary Premium membership. Meeting the published requirements makes a member eligible for review; awards are made with the whole community in mind, guided by contribution data and the year's available places, so eligibility is not a guarantee.

Complimentary rewards carry the normal Premium features, never require payment, and never convert into a paid membership. A reward does not shorten a membership a member already holds; it begins afterward. When a reward ends, the member returns to any other valid membership or to Free under the usual rules, and their records and earned recognition are kept.

Rewards may be suspended or withdrawn if they were obtained unfairly or if the member's standing changes, consistent with sections 24 and 25.

17.5 What Recognition Means

Levels, badges, accepted answers, and rewards reflect community contribution only. They are not a mechanical, electrical, safety, technical, or manufacturer certification, and they do not represent BYD endorsement.

Contributor points, levels, badges, and rewards are non-monetary community privileges. They possess no cash or monetary value, are non-transferable, and cannot be redeemed, sold, or exchanged for currency, goods, or services.

Recognition does not grant moderation rights, special treatment in disputes, or access to other members' information.

Members choose which badges appear on their public profile, and appear on the public leaderboard only if they opt in.

18. Knowledge Base and Member Contributions

Members are encouraged to share guides, technical explanations, ownership tips, and useful documentation.

Contributions must be original, properly licensed, or used with appropriate permission.

18.1 Source Attribution

Where reasonably available, members should cite manuals, official notices, technical references, or other supporting sources.

18.2 Copyright

Members must not upload entire copyrighted manuals, paid materials, photographs, software, or proprietary documentation without appropriate rights or authorization.

18.3 Accuracy and Review

Knowledge Base publication or approval does not automatically make information infallible.

Corrections and updates may be necessary when new evidence, regulations, or vehicle information becomes available.

18.4 Commercial Influence

Sponsored or commercially influenced technical contributions must be clearly disclosed.

18.5 Content License

By submitting content (including text, photographs, data, and technical guides) to BYDPH.org, members grant the platform a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, and worldwide license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute that content within the platform.

19. Events and Community Activities

Members participating in platform-organized or member-organized events are expected to act responsibly.

Event organizers must provide truthful information about dates, locations, capacity, conditions, fees, and sponsors.

Unsafe driving competitions, reckless public-road demonstrations, fraudulent registrations, or unauthorized use of venues are prohibited.

Members must not distribute another participant's private contact details or event registration information without appropriate authorization.

Event attendance, reservations, waitlists, and check-ins must not be manipulated.

Organizers are responsible for making appropriate operational and safety arrangements for their activities.

20. Spam, Automation, and Platform Abuse

The following conduct is prohibited:

• Mass posting or repetitive promotional content.
• Automated creation of discussions, reactions, messages, or accounts without authorization.
• Scraping private member information or protected platform records.
• Artificially inflating views, votes, Thanks, reviews, contributor points, or rankings.
• Circumventing rate limits, verification, access restrictions, or subscription entitlements.
• Attempting unauthorized access to other accounts or platform systems.
• Distributing malware or malicious links.
• Using BYDPH.org infrastructure for phishing, credential theft, or fraud.
• Deliberately disrupting platform availability or security.

Authorized integrations, accessibility tools, and administrator-approved automation may be permitted.

Security vulnerabilities should be reported privately rather than exploited or published with instructions that create immediate risk.

21. Privacy, Data Protection, and Personal Information

The collection, processing, and storage of user data on BYDPH.org are strictly governed by Republic Act No. 10173 (Data Privacy Act of 2012) of the Philippines. For complete details on how your data is protected, please review our official Privacy Policy.

Members must respect the privacy of other persons. Without proper authorization, members must not disclose:

• Personal mobile numbers, email addresses, or residential addresses.
• Government identification documents.
• Vehicle registration documents containing personal information.
• Payment details or financial information.
• Private messages or confidential correspondence.
• Private vehicle locations or travel history.
• Confidential ownership verification evidence.
• Private photographs or recordings obtained in circumstances where disclosure would violate another person's rights.

When sharing photographs of vehicles or incidents, members should conceal unnecessary personal details, including identifiable plate numbers and faces where appropriate.

Content visibility settings and access controls must be respected.

A member's decision to share a document for one purpose does not automatically permit reuse, redistribution, or publication for another purpose.

22. Personal Messages and Private Communications

Private messaging is intended for legitimate community interactions.

Members must not use it for spam, harassment, threats, scams, or unwanted repetitive solicitations.

Private correspondence should not be published without an appropriate basis, such as necessary disclosure to moderators, lawful authorities, or other circumstances permitted by law.

Members may report abusive private messages to platform moderators.

23. Politics, Religion, and Unrelated Controversies

BYDPH.org primarily concerns vehicles, ownership, automotive technology, and related Philippine transportation issues.

Political and regulatory discussions are permitted where directly relevant to road transport, electric vehicles, taxation, public infrastructure, consumer protection, energy policy, or automotive regulation.

Unrelated partisan campaigning, political recruitment, religious confrontation, and deliberately divisive discussions may be restricted.

Members may criticize government policies and regulations constructively without attacking other members for their personal beliefs.

24. Moderation and Enforcement

BYDPH.org uses moderation to preserve community safety, trust, and usefulness.

Moderators and administrators may review reported content, request clarification, apply restrictions, hide or remove content, or take other reasonable enforcement action within their authorized roles.

24.1 Possible Actions

Depending on the circumstances, enforcement may include:

• Guidance or informal correction.
• Formal warning.
• Content hiding, removal, or discussion locking.
• Temporary posting or messaging restrictions.
• Temporary account suspension.
• Permanent account ban.
• Restriction or revocation of specific platform privileges.
• Escalation of serious matters to appropriate authorities where warranted.

24.2 Serious Violations

Immediate restrictions or permanent bans may be applied without prior warnings for serious misconduct, including fraud, credible threats, significant privacy violations, account compromise, deliberate security abuse, or severe harassment.

24.3 Moderation Reasons

Where content is hidden or removed, the platform should provide an appropriate reason, subject to privacy, security, and legal considerations.

Moderators must not secretly rewrite member statements to alter their meaning.

24.4 Moderator Conduct

Moderators must act responsibly, avoid misuse of privileged access, and manage conflicts of interest.

Members must not harass moderators or administrators in response to an enforcement decision.

Criticism of moderation decisions is permitted when expressed respectfully through appropriate channels.

25. Reporting Violations and Appeals

Members may report suspected violations involving content, users, marketplace listings, vendors, events, directories, and private messages.

Reports should be made in good faith.

Knowingly fabricated reports intended to harass or penalize another member are prohibited.

Moderators may request additional evidence or clarification.

25.1 Confidentiality

Reports, supporting evidence, and moderation case details may be accessible to authorized personnel and relevant parties according to platform policy.

The identity of a reporter will not ordinarily be disclosed to the reported party, except where necessary and lawful.

25.2 Appeals

A member may submit one formal appeal for a moderation decision through the designated appeal process.

An appeal must be reviewed by an authorized administrator other than the administrator responsible for the original decision.

The appeal process may uphold, modify, or reverse the original decision.

Repeated duplicate appeals or attempts to intimidate reviewers are prohibited.

26. Membership Benefits and Community Privileges

BYDPH.org may provide different features according to Free, Premium, Platinum, or other configured membership tiers.

Members must comply with the restrictions associated with their current tier.

Prohibited activities include exploiting subscription errors, abusing complimentary membership privileges, sharing access inappropriately, or attempting to unlock unavailable features through unauthorized means.

Paid membership does not provide immunity from moderation.

Complimentary memberships, including Premium Pass and Honorary Premium rewards (section 17), are subject to platform review and do not exempt recipients from these rules.

Optional email notifications may depend on active paid or qualifying complimentary membership status.

Essential account and security notifications remain governed by the platform's applicable account policies.

27. Account Restrictions, Closure, and Data Retention

Members may request account closure or deletion through supported account and privacy procedures.

Account deletion may anonymize publicly retained contributions and remove or restrict personal information according to applicable legal requirements and the platform's Privacy Policy.

Members should not assume that deleting an account immediately removes all past discussions, service-related audit history, legally required records, or information already lawfully retained by other parties.

Pursuant to the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (R.A. 10173), BYDPH.org retains limited anonymized audit logs, service history, and transaction integrity records necessary to fulfill legitimate interest, prevent fraud, resolve disputes, and maintain platform security.

Any retention must be subject to applicable privacy requirements.

28. Independence, Disclaimers, and Governing Law

BYDPH.org provides a platform for community discussion, information sharing, and supported ownership services. Community contributions do not automatically represent the views of BYDPH.org.

Technical advice, owner reports, efficiency comparisons, estimated costs, reviews, and marketplace information should be independently evaluated before relying on them for important decisions.

BYDPH.org does not automatically guarantee and is not legally liable for:

• The accuracy of user-contributed information.
• The qualifications of community contributors.
• The condition or ownership of a marketplace vehicle.
• The safety or suitability of a suggested repair or modification.
• Physical injury, death, vehicle damage, or warranty voidance resulting from members following community-provided technical or high-voltage advice.
• The quality of products or services offered by third parties.
• The accuracy or current availability of directory information.

Dispute Resolution: Before initiating any formal legal action or proceeding, members agree to first attempt to resolve any dispute, claim, or controversy informally by contacting BYDPH.org administration for internal review and mediation.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction: These Community Rules and any disputes arising out of your use of the platform shall be governed by the laws of the Republic of the Philippines. Any legal action or proceeding related to the platform shall be brought exclusively in the proper courts of Cebu City, to the exclusion of all other venues.

Nothing in these rules excludes obligations or rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.

29. Updates to Community Rules

BYDPH.org may revise these Community Rules to address new features, changing community needs, security risks, legal requirements, or operational concerns.

The current published version and effective date should be available to members.

Material changes should be communicated through appropriate platform notices.

Continued use of the platform after a revised policy takes effect will be handled according to the applicable Terms of Service and legal requirements.

30. Severability

If any provision of these rules is found to be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable by a competent court or regulatory body, that provision shall be deemed severable from these rules and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.

31. Final Community Principle

BYDPH.org welcomes different experiences, opinions, vehicle models, and levels of technical knowledge.

You do not have to agree with every member, dealership, manufacturer decision, or community discussion.

You are expected to participate honestly, respect others, and exercise reasonable care when contributing information that may affect another person's vehicle, finances, privacy, or safety.

Share what you know. Verify what you can. Respect what belongs to others. Help make BYDPH.org a trusted Philippine BYD community.