Home, Classified info, Classified ad guidelines

About our classified guidelines

Our classified ad guidelines are designed for quality assurance, to avoid SPAM and scamming. We edit our ads to comply with these guidelines (and our print format), if they don't comply with these guidelines, they are rejected.

Individual or business?

We define a "business" as anyone who makes their living selling what they are advertising. The individual designation is for everyone else.

General guidelines

A word is considered anything with a space before or after it. Punctuation is free. Phone numbers with area codes are considered 1 word. Prices and email addresses are 1 word.
All ads require phone number or email address at the end of the ad. (Garage sales and employment ads are the exception.)
No website addresses in classified ads however, email addresses are okay.
Online photos MUST be of actual item. No recognizable faces in the photos.

About classified advertising

The Classified section is set up for the sale of tangible items, real estate and employment.

Our classified department does not accept ads that offer SERVICES with the exception of:

Child and nursing/education
1-on-1 tutorials/music lessons
Animal stud service
Baby/pet/house sitting
Dog walkers
Sewing/alterations out of the home

Service advertisers are better off advertising with our Display department. However. if a customer is offering a service that relates directly to the item being advertised, it is acceptable.

Example: GE REFRIGERATOR: $150 with warranty. (713)555.2122

The price ($150) includes item and warranty and is an actual tangible item. The ad is ACCEPTABLE.

Example: ELECTRICIAN: ANYTIME, reasonable rates. (713)555.2122.

This ad is unacceptable! A service is being offered, there is no tangible item.

For service advertising, see our Display products.

Display only categories

The following sub-categories are reserved for display advertising ONLY. All other categories are open to classified and display advertising.

Education

Information Publications
Schools

Entertainment

Calendar
Around Town
Singles
Tastes of Town
Travel/Lodging

Home Services

A/C Heating
Cleaning Service
Contractor/Handyman
Doors & Windows
Electrical Services
Fences/Patios/Decks
Flooring/Tile/Carpeting/Wood
Foundations
Home Inspections
Lawn & Garden
Concrete/Masonry
Moving, Hauling/Storage
Painting/Wallpaper
Pest Control
Plumbing Services
Pool Service/Supplies
Roofing & Siding
Security Services

Merchandise

Communications

Professional/Business Services

Credit/Financial
Insurance
Legal Services
Resume Services
Tax Service

Transportation

New
Services

Everything else

Real Estate Agents/ Brokers REQUIRE both size, price plus the location or description of the property in the text of each ad.
Auto dealers, furniture/ appliance stores and all other businesses require SPECIFIC ITEM and PRICE OF ITEM in the text of each ad.
NO AIRLINE TICKETS or vouchers. These are non-transferable!
No mail order ads or ads asking for money to be sent in the mail.
No 24 hour recordings or (900) numbers in classifieds.
No occult or biorhythm ads.
No adult oriented businesses or products.
No libelous copy - (ads that slander another person or company).
No employment ads asking for people to work in their own home.
No ads with the word "Stolen."
No pawn tickets.
No employment ads for models or topless dancers or massage parlors.
No ads for halfway houses or room rental by the day or hour.
No ads written entirely in foreign languages. If ad required Spanish text, both English and Spanish must be included in the ad.
No illegal firearms (machine guns, etc.) or handguns/pistols at all.
No vending machine SERVICES or businesses wanting to sell A ROUTE CONTRACT.
No condom/birth control or any sexual oriented products of any kind.
No astrology, fortune telling or palm reading ads.
No ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. Vitamins, acupuncture, or aromatherapy advertisers must advertise with Display ads.
No adoption ads.
No counseling ads.
No essay contests that charge a fee to win prizes.
No controversial ads (political/religious persuasion or propaganda).
No Freon ads.
No cable boxes/ descramblers or video programming chips/cards.
No processing mortgage refunds.

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Last Updated 05.06