Lock
Locks, usually mistakenly called "Bans", are disciplinary actions that may be placed on a PokéFarm account for any length of time. A user with a locked account will not be able to access certain parts of the site.
Reasons
Staff members must provide a reason for an account lock; no account is locked without reason. Account locks are given for very serious issues or for multiple instances of breaking Site Rules. Account locks may also be given if a user has ignored a moderator who has asked for a response to finish discussing the situation.
Public Locks
Usually, Account Locks are treated as private matters between the staff and a user and are not disclosed to the general public. The ModWatch page allows users to see when users get locked but does not show a user's username or the specific reason for their lock. Locks are only made public in extreme circumstances, such as to defend against serious accusations where all other attempts at reconciliation have been unsuccessful. Locks may also be made public in cases of public security risk, such as if many accounts are being maliciously accessed and stolen from.
Users may choose to speak about their own Account Lock publicly but are not allowed to discuss other users' Account Locks. If locked users choose to spread false information regarding their locks, the user may be Site Locked to discuss the situation. [1]
What to do when your account is locked
If a user discovers they are locked, they are encouraged to send in a support ticket at the Support Centre. User accounts may be unlocked when their allocated lock time runs out, or if the issue can be worked out with a moderator. Users should ensure they do not break the rule again and should be respectful to moderators when discussing the issue.
Types of Locks
There are five types of locks that may be placed on a user's account: Site, Forum, PM, Trade, and Chat. Users may also have specific privileges removed, such as not being able to apply for clans or make contests.
Site Lock
A user with a Site Lock will not be able to play on PokéFarm for as long as the lock is in place. Publicly available information (e.g. the Public Forums and the Lab) will still be available for viewing, but anything requiring an active PFQ account will be unavailable.
Forum Lock
A user with a Forum Lock will not be able to post or edit posts on the Public Forums. A user with a Forum Lock will still be able to view and read the forums, except for the (15+) Forums. Communication with other users can be done through the use of Personal Messages.
Trade Lock
Users with Trade Locks cannot participate in any kind of trades with this lock in place. This includes Wonder Trades and receiving Gifts from other users.
PM Lock
PM (Personal Message) Locks prohibit a user from sending messages, though they are still able to receive and read messages. Users with a PM Lock are still able to message staff members for communication.
Chat Lock
A Chat Lock prevents the user from using the PFQ Discord Server.
