Know the Market

It’s important to know what the average cost of the vehicle you’re looking for is in comparison to the ad you’re viewing. If it’s hundreds or even thousands less than similar vehicles, be careful. Fraudsters often post a once-in-a-lifetime deal to pull in as many people as possible. The common saying stands: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is!

When speaking to individuals online, it’s important to be cautious when giving out information. Never give out your identification or banking details unless you are 100% sure that you’re speaking with the real company. Note: Kijiji’s customer service team will never ask for your identification, passwords, or banking details.

A Fraudster’s greatest tool is that online translations are anonymous. Don’t provide any money until after you’ve met them in person and had a chance to inspect the vehicle. We recommend that you meet in a busy, public location like the parking lot of a coffee shop.

Do Your Research

When buying any vehicle, it’s important to know as much about it as possible. A CARFAX Canada report can confirm the vehicle's current condition, as well as reveal information about what has happened to it in the past. You will also want to ensure that it has recently passed Air Care, Drive Clean, or your province’s equivalent. Alternatively, taking the vehicle to a mechanic together to have it inspected can settle any concerns.

Make sure that you know what is required of both you and the seller to make the transfer of ownership legal in your province. Don’t pay for the vehicle until you’re able to officially take ownership.

Choose Safe Payment Methods

Many forms of money transfer can be faked or hard to reverse should anything go wrong. If you can’t use cash, please consider choosing your preferred third party, secure cashless payment method.

Trust Your Gut

Sometimes a sale just seems off. If anything isn’t sitting right with you, don’t be afraid to walk away. You are not obligated to follow through with a transaction even if you’ve already agreed to a price.

Note:

• Kijiji Autos is a local classifieds web site and not all ads are reviewed before going live to site.
• Kijiji does not offer any sort of protection programs for Kijiji items. Any emails or web sites that talk about such systems are scams, even if they may have the Kijiji logo. If you receive any emails promoting these services, please forward the message to us.

This article is intended to serve as a quick overview of online safety. For more in-depth information, please browse our full Safety section.