MoveMentors connects students with teachers for real, in-person classes. Most interactions on the platform are positive. The rules below are for the edge cases when they are not.
What we expect
From everyone
- Honesty. Profiles, classes, reviews should reflect reality. No fake names, fake claims, fake reviews.
- Respect. Treat every other user the way you would want to be treated at the door of a real-world studio.
- Inclusion. Practices that exclude people on the basis of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected characteristics are not permitted.
- Safety. Teachers should not put students at physical risk. Students should not put teachers or other students at risk.
From students
- Show up to classes you book (or cancel within the policy window).
- Pay promptly via the agreed method.
- Leave honest reviews. Not embellished, not vindictive, not bought.
- Report behaviour that violates these guidelines.
From mentors and studios
- Describe your classes accurately. What students see should match what they get.
- Honour your cancellation policy.
- Issue refunds promptly when they are owed.
- Treat students professionally. No unwanted advances, no discriminatory treatment.
- Verify your training and credentials honestly.
What is not allowed
The following will get you flagged, warned, suspended, or banned depending on severity.
Misrepresentation
Listing yourself as certified by an organisation you are not. Claiming credentials you do not have. Listing classes you do not actually teach. Listing locations that do not exist.
This is treated seriously. Most cases lead to immediate suspension while we investigate. Verified fraud leads to a permanent ban and forfeiture of any held funds (with appropriate refunds to affected students).
Discriminatory practices
Refusing to teach students of a particular race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ability. Adding unstated requirements to filter unwanted students. Classes targeted at the exclusion of protected categories.
There is a distinction between specialised classes (e.g. a women's-only class, a class for pregnant women, a class for seniors) and discriminatory ones (e.g. a class that refuses entry to a specific demographic without a legitimate reason). The first is fine; the second is not. We use judgment on borderline cases.
Predatory or sexual behaviour
Inappropriate advances toward students. Inappropriate physical contact during class (beyond consensual adjustment). Solicitation. Photography of students without consent. Any of these will get you banned permanently and reported to law enforcement if criminal.
We take these reports very seriously. If you are a student who experienced this, report immediately and contact local authorities if a crime has been committed. We will investigate and act fast.
Unsafe teaching
Cues or sequences that put students at clear injury risk. Teaching practices that exceed your credentials in dangerous ways (e.g. claiming to treat injuries you are not trained to treat).
Reports of unsafe teaching get a manual review. Outcomes range from a coaching message to suspension to a ban depending on severity and repetition.
Off-platform redirection
Asking students to book "off MoveMentors to save fees" when there are no fees to save (we do not charge per-booking commissions). This is usually a fraud pattern: the host wants to receive payment without leaving a record, often because they intend not to deliver.
Asking off-platform to discuss logistics ("text me at this number for parking instructions") is fine. Asking to bypass the booking system entirely is not.
Fake reviews
Buying reviews. Coercing reviews. Posting reviews as a host on your own profile via a fake account. Same on the student side: reviews paid for by competitors.
We have detection for some patterns. Reports help with the rest. Detected fake reviews are removed; accounts that author them are warned, suspended, or banned.
Spam and harassment
Repeated unsolicited messages. Threats. Doxxing. Sharing students' personal information.
Banned immediately on detection.
Illegal activity
Anything illegal in the jurisdiction where the class is held. Drug distribution disguised as classes. Unlicensed therapeutic claims. Money laundering.
Reported to authorities. Account banned. Funds frozen while we cooperate with law enforcement.
What is allowed (commonly questioned)
Classes targeting specific demographics for legitimate reasons
Yes:
- Women-only classes.
- Pregnancy / postnatal classes.
- Senior-focused classes.
- LGBTQ+-affirming spaces.
- Classes for survivors of trauma (with appropriate training).
These are legitimate specialised offerings. They are not discriminatory; they serve specific populations.
Strong-language descriptions
Yes. Authentic descriptions of practices that include some swearing or strong language are fine. We do not require sanitised marketing-speak.
Religious or spiritual content
Yes. Many movement traditions have spiritual roots (yoga, qigong, capoeira). Classes can be explicit about that.
What is not allowed: classes that proselytise, demand religious commitment beyond the practice itself, or exclude students who are not adherents.
Strong opinions in mentor bios
Yes. Mentors can have political views, lifestyle stances, and beliefs in their bios. We do not require neutrality.
What is not allowed: bios that explicitly target or denigrate students of certain views.
How we enforce
The funnel:
- Report filed by a user or detected by our systems.
- Triage within 24 business hours by our team.
- Investigation if warranted: reading the report, examining the profile or class, contacting the parties.
- Action: a range of outcomes depending on the violation.
Outcomes
- Coaching message: an email explaining what was wrong, asking you to fix. Most first-time violations end here.
- Class hidden: the specific class is unpublished. You can edit and resubmit.
- Public warning on profile: rare; for cases where students should know about a past issue.
- Suspension: account paused. Cannot host new classes or accept new bookings. Existing bookings continue.
- Ban: account closed. Bookings cancelled and refunded as applicable.
We try to be fair. We try to use the lightest action that addresses the issue. We escalate when the issue is severe or repeated.
Appealing
If you think a decision against your account was wrong, email support with the details. We will reread the case with fresh eyes. Appeals are usually decided within 5 business days.
We do not have a formal multi-tier appeals process. If you remain dissatisfied with the appeal outcome, we can refer you to mediation through an industry body, but this is rare.
Reporting
Anyone can report a class, a mentor, a studio, or another user. See Reporting and moderation.
Common questions
Can I be a teacher AND a student on the same account? No. Account types are mutually exclusive at signup. If you teach professionally AND want to take classes from other teachers as a regular consumer, sign up as a mentor (so your profile exists) and create a separate student account on a different email for taking classes.
Can I list a class that is mostly socialising with light movement? If the bulk of the experience is socialising and the movement is secondary, MoveMentors is the wrong platform. We exist for movement classes. List your event on a general meetup platform.
Can teachers refuse to teach individual students for non-discriminatory reasons (e.g. a student who has been disruptive in past classes)? Yes. Hosts can refuse service for legitimate reasons. Past disruptive behaviour, safety concerns, repeated no-shows are all valid. Hosts should communicate the refusal politely; "we are not able to accommodate you at this time" is sufficient. We do not require teachers to take any student who wants to attend.
What about minors? Students must be at least 18 years old to have a MoveMentors account. Mentors and studios who teach minors can do so via a parent's account (the parent books, supervises, brings the minor to class). Direct minor accounts are not currently supported.
Next steps
- Reporting and moderation: how to file a report.
- Privacy and data: how we handle personal data.
- Account deletion and data export: if you want to leave.