The Mistake After months of grinding, I finally broke my 650 plateau and hit a 675 on an official mock. I was thrilled, wrote a quick debrief on GMAT Club, and shared the link in my college
WhatsApp group.
My friends clicked the link and upvoted the post to show their support.
The Fallout Within hours, GMAT Club’s automated anti-fraud system flagged my account for
"Kudos Inflation." I received an immediate, permanent ban.
Because GMAT Club treats Kudos as currency (they unlock free test subscriptions), their algorithm is absolutely ruthless against what it perceives as a coordinated upvoting ring.
What I Lost- My Error Log: Months of meticulously categorized mistakes and notes vanished overnight.
- My Paid Subscription: I was instantly locked out of my active, weekly Forum Quiz subscription.
- My Access: Appeals for kudos inflation are strictly denied, with a mandatory 6-month wait before you can even request a review.
My Advice to You- Keep an Offline Error Log: Never rely 100% on a website to store your vital study data. Use Excel or Google Sheets. If a site goes down or your account gets flagged, your prep survives.
- Never Share Links for Upvotes: Let your forum posts gain traction organically. Do not share them on external social media or group chats.
Don't let a silly mistake derail your prep. Protect your data, ignore the forum clout, and just focus on the real exam.