// ACCOUNT & SECURITY
Blocking a user
Blocking is your personal off switch for unwanted contact. It stops someone messaging you and takes their listings out of your view, quietly and without telling them. Here's how it works, and where its limits are.
Why block someone
Block a user when you want them out of your space: someone who keeps messaging after you have said no, is being abusive, or is just someone you would rather not deal with. Blocking is a personal setting, separate from reporting. Reporting flags a problem to our team, blocking simply cuts one person off from you.
How to block someone
Blocking is a first-class action, so you can do it from several places:
- From their profile: tap the menu (the three dots) in the top-right, then choose Block user.
- From a message thread: tap the menu (the three dots) in the top-right of the conversation, then choose Block user.
- Straight after reporting: when you report a user or a message, TradeSoft offers to block them as a follow-up.
You'll get a quick confirmation before anything happens, so you can't block someone by accident.
What blocking does
Once you block someone:
- Messaging stops both ways. Neither of you can send new messages. Your existing conversation stays readable, but the message box is disabled with a note explaining why.
- They can't ask questions on your listings. Public questions and answers between the two of you are shut off.
- Their listings disappear from your view. You won't see the blocked user's listings in browse, search or anywhere else.
- Their profile becomes unavailable to you. When you visit it you'll see a banner reminding you that you've blocked them, with a one-tap unblock.
- They are not notified. There is no "you've been blocked" message. This is deliberate: it reduces retaliation.
What blocking does NOT do
Blocking has clear limits, and it's worth knowing them:
- It doesn't hide your listings from them. Your listings are a public storefront, so a blocked user can still see and browse them. They just can't message you or ask questions. This keeps your gear in front of every possible buyer.
- It isn't a full privacy wall. Public profiles and listings are viewable by anyone, so blocking is about stopping contact, not making you invisible.
- It doesn't touch feedback. This one matters, so it has its own section below.
Unblocking someone
Blocking is always reversible. Go to Settings > Blocked users to see everyone you've blocked, and tap Unblock next to a name. You can also unblock straight from the person's profile or your message thread with them. Unblocking restores messaging and visibility for both of you.
Block, report, or both?
If someone is breaking the rules, the strongest move is to do both: report them so our team can act, and block them so they can't reach you in the meantime. Blocking on its own doesn't alert us, so please report anything that others should be protected from too.
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