(by 12 people)
REJECTIONS AND REFUNDS EXPLAINED. Make sure you're not on this list!
It's okay, we still love you.
We really hope we don't have to decline your SquidOffer.But we might. Because we need to make sure we're offering the best of the best to our lensmasters and the millions and millions of users who stop by Squidoo every month.
So, here are the top 5 reasons your Offer could get rejected. Avoid this list at all costs!
Even better, check out SquidOffers That Rock and see how to make a really great one!
But FIRST... read up on our Refund policy.
When you signed up as a SquidOffer advertiser, you agreed to in good faith create only the most authentic, relevant, and honest offers under the sun. This means you agreed not to spam categories, mislead users, feature offensive or illegal content, impersonate anyone, and more. You also agreed that Squidoo has the right to decline your offer if it doesn't meet our snobby editorial standards. And we're allowed to make some tiny edits to your submitted offers, like fixing typos and removing the 8th exclamation mark in a row. (really, 7 is enough, don't you think?)
Now, since we're all very busy people, we're betting you will do your best to create the best offer you know how, and that you won't waste our time (and worse, yours) with junky offers.
But if, by chance, you do, and we decline your offer, we'll tell you why and give you a refund. Please note that PayPal charges a small fee for every single transaction, including refunds. So, if you submit an offer that isn't quite up to snuff, and we have to decline it, your refund will be less that transaction fee. The minimum SquidOffer purchase is $100, which would be charged a $2-3 refund fee. So when you get $97 back, that's why.
But, like we said: we really don't want to decline your offers, so make 'em great!
Now, since we're all very busy people, we're betting you will do your best to create the best offer you know how, and that you won't waste our time (and worse, yours) with junky offers.
But if, by chance, you do, and we decline your offer, we'll tell you why and give you a refund. Please note that PayPal charges a small fee for every single transaction, including refunds. So, if you submit an offer that isn't quite up to snuff, and we have to decline it, your refund will be less that transaction fee. The minimum SquidOffer purchase is $100, which would be charged a $2-3 refund fee. So when you get $97 back, that's why.
But, like we said: we really don't want to decline your offers, so make 'em great!
Reason 1: Miscategorization
Keep it relevant!
SquidOffers succeed when they're put in front of the right audience. If an Offer interrupts a Squidoo reader with something irrelevant, no one wins.So we're very strict about what SquidOffers run in which categories.
If, for instance, you created an Offer to sell a car, it belongs in the Automotive category. Maybe, depending on content (is it a racing car?) in Sports and Recreation. But not in Tech. Not in Philanthropy. Not in People.
The moral of the story is: If you feel like the category is a stretch for your Offer, we'll probably think so too.
If your Offer makes sense in one category, but we went hogwild and submitted it to a bunch of others, your entire Offer could get declined. Bummer.
(Yup, you get a refund.)
Reason 1.75: Miscategorization of ADULT & MATURE Offers
hey, it's the internet
Yes, Squidoo has an Adult & Mature category, a place for X-rated lenses, as well as lenses with strong language or topics.(Google has Booble, right?!)
Just so, Adult or Mature SquidOffers are allowed. But only in that category.
If you submit an Adult or Mature Offer to any other category, it will be rejected.
Yes, we know. An Offer could be about your directorial movie debut, and seem perfect for the Entertainment category, but if it's got Adult or Mature content, right now it's gotta go in Adult & Mature. Sorry.
(Yup, you get a refund.)
Reason 2: Offensive, Rude, Slanderous, Illegal, Bully Content
Call us old ladies if you like, but if your submitted Offer isn't playing very nice with others, it's out.Offensive, libelous, illegal, bully or just plain four-letter Offers are in violation of our Terms of Service.
Please keep the "safe for all eyeballs and workplaces" principle in mind.
(Yup, you get a refund. This time.)
Reason 3: Terms of Service Violation
Breech in the hole! Alert, alert!
This is sort of a catch-all, including the rest of the reasons on this page.If your offer misbehaves, is mean to children and puppies, lies or cheats or schemes or stinks, well then, chances are it will get rejected.
Read up on the TOS.
(You only get a refund if we determine your Offer to be a TOS-breaker upon submission. If, after you offer was approved, it comes to our attention that you'd changed your landing page or otherwise schemed or tricked, your Offer could get cancelled with no refund. See #6 below).
Reason 4: Hey Spammy Spammy
We're no experts, but if your Offer smells like spam to us, it probably smells like spam to everyone else too.What's spam?
It's a nonsensical SquidOffer that serves you and no one else. You probably wouldn't pay $100 for that though.
So spam also means, for these purposes, the submission of the same SquidOffer to bunches and bunches of irrelevant categories. Strike 2!
See Rejection Reason #1 above.
(You get a refund. This time.)
Reason 5: We're not Vogue, but...
...we do like to stay hip.Not just anyone can run ads in Vogue. You've got to have a killer offering, cool artwork, and your ad has to match the tone of the magazine.
Just so, Squidoo reserves the right to reject Offers sheerly on a matter of taste. There's very limited inventory for Offers right now, so our editorial standards are high. If your Offer was declined, we hope you'll try again with another Offer soon!
And for tips of how to make a good SquidOffer GREAT... see our SquidOffers That Rock lens.
(We'll refund your money, of course).
BONUS Reason 6: Do not pass go, do not collect $200.
After having been approved, your Offer could get cancelled at any time.What?! Really?
Yeah, but we don't ever want to have to do that.
Squidoo reserves the right to cancel SquidOffers that misbehave after posting. This means no swapping out the content on the URL you submitted. No hacking the voting system (it's not possible, but don't try). No creating bots to click on your Offer. The usual.
All these are violations of our Terms of Service. And if we have to cancel an Offer for any of these reasons, even after it was already approved, you won't receive any refund.
But, like we said...we hope we'll never have to do this.
(No refund!)
