Community Guidelines

RouteBook provides tools for people to discover and coordinate long-distance travel with others. These Community Guidelines set the standard for how we expect users to conduct themselves on the Platform: in route postings, in messages, in reviews, and in interactions that originate from RouteBook.

Violations may result in warnings, temporary suspension, or permanent removal. These Guidelines supplement our Terms of Service.

1. Be Accurate

Route postings and profile information exist so users can make informed decisions about who to travel with.

• Post routes you actually intend to drive
• Accurately represent your vehicle (make, model, year)
• Use a genuine photo that clearly shows your face
• Use your real legal name — your profile name must match the name on your government-issued ID, as required by our identity verification process
• Do not misrepresent your location, route, departure time, or available seats
• Do not submit fraudulent documents during identity verification
• Do not create multiple accounts or impersonate another person

Deliberately misleading other users through false postings or profiles may result in permanent removal.

2. Communicate Respectfully

RouteBook's messaging feature is for coordinating travel arrangements. All communication through the Platform must be respectful and purposeful.

You must not use Platform messaging to:

• Harass, threaten, or intimidate another user
• Send unwanted romantic or sexual messages
• Use hate speech or language that degrades anyone based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or any other personal characteristic
• Spam users with repeated unwanted contact
• Solicit money, goods, or services unrelated to travel coordination
• Promote external businesses or distribute advertising

Violations of these standards will result in account action up to and including permanent removal.

3. Respect Other Users' Decisions

Users on RouteBook are not obligated to accept or respond to any invitation, request, or message. You must respect when someone declines, does not respond, or removes themselves from a conversation.

• Do not repeatedly contact a user who has not responded or has declined your invitation
• Do not retaliate against a user for declining or for leaving a negative review
• Do not pressure or coerce another user into any arrangement

4. Use the Platform for Its Intended Purpose

RouteBook is a discovery and communication tool for coordinating long-distance travel. It is not a commercial transportation service.

Do not use RouteBook to:

• Operate or advertise an unlicensed commercial transportation or for-hire vehicle service
• Solicit payment through the Platform (RouteBook does not process payments)
• Recruit users for multi-level marketing, pyramid schemes, or unrelated commercial ventures
• Collect user data for external use
• Use automated bots or scrapers to interact with the Platform

5. Identity Verification and Safety

RouteBook requires all drivers and riders to complete government ID verification via Stripe Identity before posting routes or requesting seats. Verification confirms that a user's ID document and selfie were matched by Stripe at the time of submission and that their profile name matched their government ID. No visible badge or indicator is displayed to other users — verification is a platform access prerequisite only.

Verification confirms identity — it does not screen for criminal history, driving record, sobriety, insurance, or vehicle condition. Verification is not an endorsement or guarantee of safety. RouteBook does not perform background checks of any kind.

Users are solely responsible for evaluating who they choose to travel with. We encourage all users to:

• Exercise your own judgment before agreeing to travel with anyone
• Share your travel plans with a trusted contact before departing
• Verify details shared by other users independently if they are important to you
• Trust your instincts — you are never obligated to proceed with any arrangement

6. Write Honest Reviews

Ratings and reviews help the community make informed decisions. They are only valuable if they are genuine.

• Only review users you have actually interacted with or traveled with through RouteBook
• Write reviews that reflect your honest experience
• Do not fabricate positive reviews for yourself or negative reviews for others
• Do not use reviews to harass, defame, or retaliate against other users
• Do not offer or accept anything of value in exchange for a positive review

We may remove reviews that appear to be fraudulent, retaliatory, or in violation of these Guidelines, but we have no obligation to do so.

7. Reporting

If another user's conduct violates these Guidelines or makes you feel unsafe, report it. If you are in immediate danger, contact 911 first.

To report within the app: tap the user's profile or a specific message and select "Report." Provide as much detail as you can.

To contact RouteBook directly: safety@routebook.us

We will review all reports and take action we determine to be appropriate, which may include removing content, suspending accounts, or referring matters to law enforcement. We will not disclose the identity of reporters except where required by law.

8. Enforcement

RouteBook reserves the right to determine, in its sole discretion, whether a violation of these Guidelines has occurred.

Users who believe a suspension or removal was made in error may appeal by contacting appeals@routebook.us. We will review appeals within 10 business days. All enforcement decisions are final at RouteBook's discretion.

Questions? Contact us at community@routebook.us.