These policies are intended to ensure that all Olio users feel safe and respected while sharing and communicating on the Olio app.
We reserve the right to warn and ban users who are disrespectful to our Community Experience team.
🔴 Which offensive conduct should I report to Olio?
Threatening language & swearing | The directed use of any language that could threaten another user or staff member |
Bullying | The repetitive, intentional hurting of one person by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological. It can happen face-to-face or online. |
Discrimination & hate speech | Any language or behaviours exhibited that discriminate against another user and/or staff member based on their identity |
Trolling (in a public forum) | Intentionally and repeatedly targeting another user with derogatory or insulting comments over time |
Sharing personal information without consent | Sharing another user’s personally identifiable details, e.g. full address, contact information |
Inciting a hostile environment | Participating in or encouraging other users to maliciously gang up against an individual/group |
Using Olio for dating or romantic advances | Olio is a food-sharing and community app — using it to pursue romantic or sexual relationships is not permitted |
🔴 What should I do if I have received offensive messages ON the Olio app?
Please use the flag within the app Messages themselves to report any offensive messages.
Keep in mind that disagreeing with a post or a message is not a reason to report it. This slows down our ability to remove content that is truly offensive. Continued reports of messages that do not break our Offensive Conduct policy may result in the reporting user being banned.
🔴 What should I do if I have received offensive messages OUTSIDE the Olio app?
We will not review any reports outside the app. This is because even if you provide screenshots from other platforms (e.g., Whatsapp conversations, Facebook posts), we won’t be able to consider them valid proof as we don’t have the means to verify their authenticity, especially given how powerful AI is today.
Incidents that occur outside the Olio app, for example, in person at a partner store, or via external messaging apps, are assessed by our team on the basis of available evidence, including screenshots, and whether the behaviour would breach our community guidelines.
The existence of a Crime Reference Number or police report does not change our enforcement process.
For serious incidents involving harassment, threats, or abuse, we strongly encourage you to report the matter to the police. If an active investigation is underway and you have a named detective handling your case, please share their contact details with us and we will cooperate fully.
🔴 What should I do if I need to report multiple incidents together to prove repeated offensive behaviour (e.g. trolling, inciting a hostile environment)?
FWHs can get in touch using a FWH Issue Report which you can find in the Volunteer Hub, in My Collections tap ‘Report an Issue’.
If it does not concern another FWH, please use the “Need help” button on our FAQs.
Please provide screenshots of any in-app communication in question, as this will help us investigate more quickly.
🔴 Incidents reported by a government official or business partner
Olio will immediately warn or remove volunteers from the app / FWH programme if they are reported to us by a government official (e.g. a food safety official reporting a health hazard at a user’s home) or by a business partner (e.g. a store manager reporting rude behaviour towards store staff).
This is because such reports can jeopardise Olio’s ability to continue running the FWH Programme. As Olio doesn’t have the resources and authority to investigate incidents involving other third-party staff (e.g. a store’s manager), we will act according to the report received from our partners.
🔴 What happens when someone is reported for offensive conduct?
Olio will open an investigation into the claims made in the complaint.
Recording complaints: Olio may record complaints made by community members on a user’s profile in cases where accusations are made but without significant supporting evidence. No action will be taken, however, Olio reserves the right to escalate into a formal penalty if multiple complaints of a similar nature are received.
Warning: This is like a yellow card. Olio may issue a warning to a user in cases where behaviour can be corrected. The first warning will be issued to a user via email or Olio Little Helper message. A second warning will result in a suspension or ban of the user’s Account.
Suspension: Suspension means that the user will be unable to use the core functions of the App for a 30-day period or 1-year period. This includes adding or requesting listings, as well as commenting or posting in the forum.
Account/User Ban: This is like a red card. For serious or repeated breaches of the rules, Olio has the option to permanently block a user’s account in the App. In this case, Olio will retain part or all of the user’s data to ensure that a particular user cannot sign up to the App again.