Help

Need a hand with FIMBY? Start here. We keep support simple and human.

FIMBY is not an emergency service.

If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 or local emergency services.

If the concern is about something inside FIMBY, use the report button where possible or email help@fimby.com. Safety reports are reviewed as a priority.

Account & profile

I cannot log in
Check that you are using the same email address you used for FIMBY. If you expected a login email and did not receive it, check your spam or junk folder. If you are still stuck, email help@fimby.com and tell us the email address you are trying to use.
I need to change my name, photo, or neighbourhood
You can update some profile details inside FIMBY. Neighbourhood changes may need review because neighbourhood is the trust boundary in FIMBY. Email help@fimby.com if your neighbourhood is wrong.
I want to delete my account
In the app, go to Settings → Delete my account. If you cannot log in, email help@fimby.com from the email address on your FIMBY account with the subject Delete my account. The full deletion explanation is at /delete-account.
How old do I have to be?
FIMBY is for adults 19 or older (BC age of majority). 19+ is a hard eligibility requirement, not a suggestion. Sign-up requires you to attest that you are 19 or older and able to agree to the Terms; we do not collect a full date of birth by default.

Notifications & messages

I did not get a notification
Check notification settings in FIMBY and on your device. Push notifications depend on your device, Apple or Google notification services, and your internet connection. If something important seems missing, open FIMBY directly and check your notifications or messages there.

Safety & reporting

I want to report a post, message, or neighbour
Use the report button on the post or message if you can. That gives us the clearest context. For urgent safety concerns inside FIMBY, we review reports as a priority. We do not commit to a specific number of hours, but safety reports come before everything else. When we act, we use the lightest step that addresses the problem — that might mean removing the content, giving a warning, temporarily pausing someone’s account, or in serious cases, ending it. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 or local emergency services.
I need to block someone
Use the block tools in FIMBY where available. Blocking is there to help you avoid unwanted contact. If you cannot find the block option, email help@fimby.com.

Helping others & community groups

I am helping someone else use FIMBY
Supporters can help approved supportees use FIMBY, but supporters cannot silently consent for them. If a supportee cannot use the app directly, they may be able to consent by signing a paper form. FIMBY may verify that consent directly where contact details allow it. If the supportee cannot understand or consent, FIMBY is not the right fit right now unless we build a separate legal-representative process later.
I represent a Community Group
Community Groups can use FIMBY through an organization identity. The admin who creates or claims the organization must accept the Community Group Agreement and confirm they have authority to act for the organization. See the Community Group Agreement.

Library — items & skills

I have a question about lending, borrowing, or returning an item
Check the item page, messages, and notifications first. The Library also lists skills — standing help you can request via Ask for Help (message thread, not a timed loan). If an item is overdue or something went wrong, message the other neighbour if it is safe and appropriate. If you need help, email help@fimby.com with the item name and what happened.
The library says I need to be vouched. What do I do?

Vouching applies to borrowing items. Tap the Request a vouch button on the library page (or on any borrow button). Enter the name and email of a neighbour in your area — or the name of a community group / church that introduced you to FIMBY. They will get a message asking them to vouch for you. Once they accept, item borrowing opens up. The Skills filter does not show the vouch banner.

If you do not know anyone yet, email help@fimby.com and we will put you in touch with a moderator who can help.

Someone asked me to vouch for them. What does that mean?

Vouching is a small “I know this person.” It is how neighbours have always introduced each other — one person saying to another, “they belong here.” On FIMBY, vouching is what opens up the lending library for new members.

You will see a vouch request as a direct message with two buttons: Vouch for them or Decline. If you do not know the person, choose Decline and pick the reason that fits — it stays private; they only see that you declined. If you do know them and are comfortable saying so, vouch.

You are not on the hook for what they do later in everyday ways. Only if multiple people you vouched for are revoked for serious reasons do we quietly pause your vouching ability and check in with you privately.

My vouching has been paused. What does that mean?

If two of the people you vouched for in the past year have had their library access revoked for a serious reason, we automatically pause your ability to vouch for new people while a moderator reviews. You are still a full FIMBY member — this only affects vouching.

We never make this public. If you want to talk about it, email help@fimby.com and a moderator will reach out.

Privacy & legal

I have a privacy question
Our Privacy Policy is at /privacy-policy. To reach our Privacy Officer (Stephen Rathjen), email privacy@fimby.com (or help@fimby.com — both reach monitored FIMBY support channels) to ask what information we have about you, correct information, withdraw consent for optional features, or make a privacy complaint.
I want to report copyright or other IP infringement
If you believe content on FIMBY infringes your copyright or other intellectual property rights, email help@fimby.com with the URL or in-app location of the content, a description of the work being infringed, your contact information, and a good-faith statement that the content is infringing. We may remove or restrict allegedly infringing content while we review the complaint. See /terms-of-service for the full notice-and-takedown wording.

Supporting FIMBY

I want to support FIMBY financially — how?
FIMBY itself isn’t a donation platform. Strathcona Vineyard Church operates FIMBY and covers most of its costs. If you’d like to help with that, the Donate link on www.fimby.com is an outbound link to Strathcona Vineyard Church’s PayPal donation page — donations go to Strathcona Vineyard Church and are processed by PayPal under their terms.

You may also receive an occasional email from Strathcona Vineyard Church about how FIMBY is funded. Those emails are strictly about FIMBY’s operating costs (never about other Strathcona Vineyard Church programs), they identify the sender, and they include a one-click unsubscribe link. You can also turn them off any time in Settings → Notifications under “Updates about FIMBY itself” — turning them off does not affect your FIMBY account.

How quickly we reply

What response times can I expect?
For general help, we reply as quickly as we can. For safety reports, we review as a priority — we do not commit to a specific number of hours, but safety reports come before everything else. Non-urgent requests may take a little longer.