As a former moderator on the site, I can, unfortunately, confirm the reports that have been filed regarding the violation of members' privacy that is taking place.
The admin and owner can and do read Private Messages. My own experience is one example. There are others. I was suspended from my moderator duties based solely on the contents of what I presumed were Private Messages.
In a "PM", I was critical of another staff member to a friend, who was not a staff member. This violated a moderator rule, though I was unaware of it.
Apparently my Private Messages were being monitored (unbeknown to me) and this criticism of another staff member via Private Messaging led to my suspension.
Prior to this incident I was a "super moderator" and member in good standing with both membership and staff. My removal was based SOLELY on the contents of my Private Message.
What you say in Private Messaging is not private. Admin and Owner will not hesitate to read them and take disciplinary action based on what you say in a Private Message. There were several occasions of members being banned with no explanation given other than statements by the owner such as "He's a douchebag." We moderators were left wondering, "what???". There were no public posts to support the supposition. In retrospect, it would seem PM's were being used to make judgments to ban members.
The board has lost at least three moderators and an unknown number of members over this issue in recent weeks. I would suggest starting a topic on the board to discuss the issue without excessive moderation, so the air could be cleared and intent of the owner regarding the presumption of privacy in Private Messaging could be ascertained. But several attempts by long-time members to do just that have resulted in immediate bans.
The legality of monitoring the service labeled "Private Messaging" is in question due to the "Presumption of Privacy". The Terms of Service agreement do not contain a clause which would alert members that Private Messaging is not Private.
I made an attempt to discuss this issue with the owner prior to filing this report but my e-mails went unanswered.
The thread which the board owner referenced as a defense in another complaint was heavily edited and moderated, shutting down dissent. Complaints were deleted, posts edited, posters banned, and the thread was locked. He who controls the flow of information controls the outcome of the argument in his favor. Caveat Emptor. Or in this case, Member Beware.
Why file a report here? Ripoff Report is a permanent record! Other complaint sites copy our content then remove reports for money.
