Kijiji seller profiles and reviews: what to check

Enlarge diagram

Where do you find the seller profile?

Kijiji’s profile guide explains that you can open the seller’s name on an ad and see profile information alongside conversations. Available fields can differ between website and app.

The documented profile fields include a display name, optional photograph, response time, account age and active listings. Kijiji separately lists email-verification status as information that may appear in its mobile app. An email-verification indicator does not verify the seller’s ownership of the item.

Use the profile connected to the actual ad. A similar display name found elsewhere is not enough to establish that you are looking at the same seller.

Review the information shown without turning an absent field into a warning by itself. Some people sell rarely or choose not to use a profile photograph.

What can account and response information tell you?

Account age provides context about how long the account has existed. Response indicators can help set expectations. Active listings can show whether the person is offering a household clear-out, a collection or repeated similar products.

None of those establishes that the current item belongs to the person or works as described. A long account history can coexist with a poor listing; a new account can belong to an honest occasional seller.

Use the information to decide what to clarify. If the seller has several identical items, ask about the specific unit you will receive and whether the photographs show it.

How should you read reviews?

Kijiji’s review policy says you may receive a review invitation after a transaction. Reviews use a one-to-five-star rating with selected reasons, and the feature is currently limited to non-business users. Users cannot edit or remove reviews themselves. Kijiji distinguishes removing policy-violating reviews from withdrawing a rating on request, and says it does not mediate review disputes.

Look for repeated, specific patterns relevant to your purchase. A comment about scheduling matters differently from a comment about undisclosed damage. One vague complaint without context is weaker evidence than several consistent accounts of the same problem.

Do not use ratings as a reason to skip inspection. Nor should a lack of reviews become a blanket accusation.

Which questions are most useful?

1. Confirm the exact item. Ask for model, size or other identifying details.
2. Clarify condition. Focus on visible wear and any untested function.
3. Confirm included parts. Name accessories rather than saying “everything.”
4. Agree inspection. Ask to see the functions that matter before payment.
5. Confirm collection terms. Keep the time, place and price in the conversation.

The photo-request guide helps turn uncertainty into a specific evidence request.

What if the story changes?

Pause when material details change: the item is elsewhere, the price excludes accessories, a different person wants payment or the seller suddenly refuses the agreed inspection.

Ask for one clear explanation. If the terms remain uncertain, decline without trying to prove wrongdoing. The purchase only needs to fail your requirements; it does not need a legal verdict.

Kijiji’s safety guidance supports inspecting before payment and protecting sensitive information. Do not exchange identification documents simply to make an ordinary household purchase feel more certain.

How should you leave a review afterwards?

If Kijiji invites a review and you choose to leave one, describe your actual experience accurately. Separate facts from interpretations: “The item had a crack not shown in the photos” is more useful than an unsupported accusation about the seller’s character. The published policy says your review, username, available profile photo and the listing category become public.

Read before submitting because the platform limits editing and removal. Do not use a review threat as bargaining pressure.

Keep the review proportionate to the transaction and avoid sharing private contact details. A helpful review informs future buyers while your own purchase record retains any details needed for a dispute.