It is a place to put users who have violated the Rules & Guidelines. Users in the penalty box can still log in, but with limited capabilities.

Penalty box placement can be temporary or permanent; it is dependent on the offence type and/or number of past offences.

You can click on the user's username, and “In Penalty Box” will be printed under their name in the popup box. It will also be shown in their user profile page, along with a penalty expiration if the user is only in the penalty box temporarily.

For users in the penalty box, you cannot:

• Post or edit deals, competitions or forum topics
• Post comments
• Vote for/against deals, competitions and comments
• Submit reports
• Upload files to the media file uploader
• Send private messages

Currently the expiration date of the penalty box will be shown on your user profile page, i.e. clicking on your username at the top of the page.

Your user profile page will show that you are currently in the box and when the penalty will expire. Note that if your account is permanently banned an expiry date will not be shown.

Ensure you have both checked your private message inbox and clicked the 'reason' link on your penalty box notification as further information will often be detailed there. If you still do not understand why you have been put in the penalty box, you can use the Talk With A Moderator forum to ask for clarification. However, as moderators follow standard penalty durations depending on the number of past offences, in most cases no negotiation will be entered into regarding shortening or lifting the penalty.