| What to Do When You Can’t Properly Check an Item for Defects | |
Remember, buying items on Kijiji are never guaranteed by Kijiji or other third parties. We always recommend that every item be checked out for defects before purchase, so if you don’t do an inspection, you are taking a chance.
At Kijiji, we recommend that you always meet up in a neutral public place for your transactions. We also recommend that you thoroughly test, inspect, or try out any items you are purchasing, especially when it comes to electronics, cars, and other items that might break or malfunction in ways that might not be immediately noticeable. In most cases, both of these conditions can be met, but what about the times when you can’t do both? Some things you might not be able to test, or a test might not reveal potential issues – for example, a disconnected dishwasher, a slow cooker (who has 8 hours to hang around to test a product?), or a vacuum (turning it on for more than a minute is not always possible, and not all neutral public places have outlets). Here are some ideas to get around issues that you might not be able to test for.
- Ask the seller if it is in good working order. Sure, you can’t verify that they will tell you the whole truth, but you may be surprised at how forthcoming people can be. If it has minor issues that you might not notice they tell you about right up front, they are likely an honest person. Try rephrasing the question a few different ways during conversation and see if you get a different answer.
- Ask the seller why they are selling it. Maybe they have multiples of the same object, maybe they are moving, maybe they are renovating – check out their “Posters Other Ads” page, as it will likely verify what you have been told.
- Ask for a video of the product in use. If you are meeting outside a local coffee shop and can’t plug in the item in question, ask them to upload a video of the item in good working order. A video demonstrating that the blender blends will ease your mind going into the transaction.
- Get it in writing. Most private sellers will not give you a money back guarantee, but a simple contract stating that in their best knowledge, the product is in good working order gives you some documentation just in case.
Remember, buying items on Kijiji are never guaranteed by Kijiji or other third parties. We always recommend that every item be checked out for defects before purchase, so if you don’t do an inspection, you are taking a chance.
