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Crystal
Hi! I'm Crystal, your friendly neighbourhood guide!

Feel like talking to someone or need some help? I'm your gal! I enjoy helping people, talking to people on the TNO forums, going on Neopets, and talking to people in general. If you want to chat, go ahead and contact me!
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Find everything here without even asking.
Answer not here? Please tell us, and we'll fix that up lickity split.


: What is a Mall Shop?
: How do I request free items?
: How do I create one?
: What do I do with donations?
: What happens to inactive shops?
: Can I use a theme that's already
  been used?




What is a Mall Shop?
There are two different types of Mall Shops: Official Guild Shops and Member Shops.

Official Guild Shops are run by Council members or Guild staff. They all have the same or similar rules and are treated as official Guild services.

Member Shops are created and run by Guild members other than the Council and staff (yes, you can start one too if you meet the requirements). The owners can do whatever they want with them (rules, what to give out, theme, decor, etc.), but they are also held accountable for everything that goes on in them (stocking, giving out items, etc.).

These shops are there to help foster owners with their jobs. It may also be a good way to find items for Faerie quests.






How do I request free items?
That all depends on the Mall Shop you're requesting from. All you have to do is read the shop description and go from there! Here's what you'll find in the shop description, usually:

+ Requirements to request (certain rank or foster -- some shops have no requirements)
+ Which items you can request and how many
+ How often you can request (example: once a week)

The Official Guild Shops will always require that you be a foster owner and be ranked Glad to Help or higher. But the Member Shops listed below those may not have the same requirements or any at all.

If you're eligible for free items, just neomail the shop owner and you should get your gifts soon! But please read the rules listed in their shop or you could get banned by the shop owner. Sometimes, they ask that you pick the item(s), other times, they'll pick for you -- again, just read the shop description! Find an inactive shop? Please notify us.

Note: Once in a while, you'll run into a shop with a "CLOSED UNTIL ___" sign. That means the owner is currently on vacation and will return on the date posted. Please do not request from shops with a "Closed" sign.






How do I create a member shop?
This is not an easy job to be taken lightly -- we've had too many people abandon their Member Shops in the past, so make sure you can commit to this before applying.

You must be Notably Helpful, able to receive neomail without neofriending, and have at least a size 5 gallery to be a part of the Mall. This is to avoid certain people who either will become inactive quickly or without notice or just want to drive traffic to their shops. Then, you have to pick a title and theme, and stock up. Please read the rest of this FAQ before applying so you understand all the rules.

Your shop must in some way benefit foster members without seeming scam-ish. Please note that simply having a shop with "low prices" does not qualify, since if it were truly low-priced, the items would always be out of stock. You can have one that gives major discounts to members, however. Your shop must be stocked at all times, and you must be active enough to keep it in the Mall, otherwise, you will be warned, and then your shop removed. Most shop owners give items to foster members or members of a certain rank.

An example of how you could show which items are being given away is to make seperate categories within your gallery for Just Hopped On items, Glad to Help items, etc. You can go by specific requests or randomly picking items from your shop (if your shop happens to have a selection). Whatever way you choose, just be sure to write it clearly in your shop description so there's no confusion.

Don't forget to write how often a person can get something from your shop! You don't want the same people constantly draining you of gifts!

Note: The reason we've switched to having our Mall Shops in galleries is because it's much more practical, and you can still sell your own items and make neopoints!

After you have finished reading the rest of this FAQ, and you still want to start a Member Shop, give us a shout. You will be added to the Mall Shopkeepers group and be expected to visit the private Mall Shops forum often.






What do I do with donations?
First, remember to note somewhere in your shop description how members can donate to you (unless you don't want to). When someone donates items or NP to you, post who donated and what it was they gave in the Donations thread posted in the private Mall Shop forum. That way, our Treasurer can keep record of who's been helpful in the guild and have a council member post their names in the Guild News!






What happens to inactive shops?
Shops that have been complained about legitimately will be warned and then removed from the Mall. If you're in a position where you can't operate your shop/take requests for a while (vacation, etc.), you must put up a "CLOSED UNTIL [date]" sign of some sort in your shop description in clear view, so you won't be counted as inactive while you're away and you won't get requests from members. Also, you'll make everyone's life easier if you post on the Going Away thread and note that you're going away. See you when you get back!






Can I use a theme that's already been used?
Sure, ya can! Malls always have competitors. Of course, there are no competitors here -- just more help for our foster members. If there's already, say, a food shop, you can still have a food shop but it has to have a different name. Preferably, you might pick maybe a certain type of food (in this example) to give away, but that's still up to you.


     
     
     





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