stats.fm enforces rules to keep the platform trustworthy and fair for everyone. This article covers what can lead to a ban, what happens when an account is banned, how to appeal, and how refunds work.
Why accounts get banned
The most common reasons for bans are:
- Stream fraud — faking streams to inflate counts or game leaderboards, including importing manipulated data files
- Abusive behavior — sending harassing or abusive messages to other users
- Abusive profile content — using offensive imagery or text in your profile picture, username, or bio
Our system has automated detection for some patterns (for example, listening time that's physically impossible across a day), but bans are reviewed before being applied. We try not to ban users wrongfully — if you believe your ban was a mistake, you can appeal.
What happens when an account is banned
When an account is banned:
- All streams associated with the account are removed from the platform
- The account goes into lockdown mode
- You won't be able to sign in until the account is unbanned
The account itself isn't deleted — your data stays with us, but it's not visible or accessible while the ban is active. If the ban is later reversed through an appeal, your account is restored.
How to appeal a ban
If you believe your account was banned by mistake, submit a ticket under the "I want to be unbanned" category. Include:
- Your stats.fm username (or the Spotify profile linked to your account)
- Any context you'd like our team to consider — for example, if your listening patterns look unusual because you share an account, use multiple devices, or have other circumstances worth knowing about
A few things to know about appeals:
- Reviews can take some time. Our moderation team reviews every appeal but the queue is shared with other moderation work. Sending multiple follow-up messages won't speed up the process and can slow things down for everyone.
- Your account stays in its current state until the review is complete. We can't temporarily restore access during the review.
- We can't always share the specific reason for a ban. For privacy and to protect the integrity of our detection systems, we may not be able to give you exact details about what triggered the ban, even when we explain the outcome.
Refunds for banned accounts
As stated in our terms of service, refunds are not issued when an account is banned. This applies to both subscription purchases and lifetime purchases.