Who may list

Submitters must be 18 or older and own the item or be authorized to advertise the service. Identify whether you are a private seller or a business. Listings must be relevant to Ottawa and its surrounding communities.

Accurate listings and prices

Use a truthful title, current photos and an accurate description. Disclose defects, condition and important limitations. Enter the actual asking price in Canadian dollars; prices such as $50, $100 and $200 are accepted. Use $0 only for a genuinely free item. For a service quoted individually, leave the price blank and say “quote required.” Business advertised prices must include all mandatory fixed non-government fees. Clearly explain applicable sales taxes and any variable or optional charges; do not advertise an unattainable price. Before agreement, disclose the business identity and contact details, what is supplied, total cost and payment, delivery or performance terms, and cancellation, return and refund terms. Businesses must meet applicable Ontario consumer-contract disclosure and agreement-copy requirements and honour statutory cancellation, refund and warranty rights; an “as is” statement or these marketplace rules cannot remove rights that cannot legally be waived. Do not use misleading teaser prices or false credentials. Service providers are responsible for any required licences and insurance.

Photos

Upload up to three photos using the separate fields, one photo in each. JPG, PNG or WebP only; up to 5 MB per photo. Use images you own or have permission to publish. Avoid faces, licence plates, addresses and other personal details unless you have permission to disclose them.

Prohibited listings

Eye on Ottawa does not accept illegal, stolen, counterfeit, recalled, banned or unsafe goods; weapons or ammunition; drugs, cannabis, tobacco, vaping products or alcohol; prescription medicines; adult or sexual services; financial products, loans, investments or cryptocurrency offers; animals; personal data; or fraudulent, discriminatory, hateful or misleading content. No spam, duplicate listings, unlawful services or requests for payment to obtain a job. This marketplace currently accepts general items and business services, not housing or employment listings. Sellers must check Canadian product safety requirements and recalls before listing.

Review and removal

All submissions are reviewed before publication. We may ask for clarification, decline or remove listings that do not meet these rules. Review is not a verification of the seller, product or service. Tell us promptly when an item is sold or details change. To request an update, report a listing or appeal a removal, email info@eyeonottawa.ca with the listing title or URL and your concern. Do not send identity documents or bank details.

Contacting a seller

Buyers and sellers can exchange private messages through My messages after creating an account and signing in. Sellers must provide their account username and matching account email when submitting; the team verifies the account before connecting the approved listing to its message button. Buyers can use the listing’s message button, or start a conversation using the seller’s account name shown in the listing. Include the item title. A listing may alternatively show contact details only if the seller expressly asks us to publish them. The form email is private and is not automatically published. Do not post a home address. Use contact details only for genuine listing enquiries, not unsolicited marketing, harassment or collection of contact lists.

Messaging privacy and conduct

Messaging is for adults 18 or older. Your account display name and message content are visible to the recipient. Messages are stored in the site database; authorized administrators can access them for administration, safety and complaints. Messages are not end-to-end encrypted. Do not send identity documents, passwords or banking credentials. Optional email alerts may include message content; enable or disable these in your messenger settings. Report or block unwanted contact using the conversation controls. Deleting a conversation from your view may not remove the recipient’s copy or backups. For access, correction, erasure or other privacy requests, email info@eyeonottawa.ca. No scams, spam, harassment, threats, unlawful content or unsolicited marketing. Keep messages relevant to the listing; save transaction records you may need. Accounts may be restricted for misuse.

Transactions and safety

Buyers and sellers arrange payment, collection, delivery and disputes directly. Eye on Ottawa does not process marketplace payments, hold deposits, provide escrow or guarantee transactions. Inspect items before paying, meet in a safe public place, verify payments in your own banking app and reject overpayments or requests to pay a fee to receive money. Never disclose passwords, security codes or banking credentials. Business purchases and private sales may have different legal protections; these rules do not limit any rights provided by law.

How your information is used

Eye on Ottawa receives and stores your submitted name, email, listing details and photos to review, contact you about and administer your listing. Approved listing content, photos and only contact details you expressly designate for publication may be publicly visible and indexed or copied by others. Your form email is not automatically published and this form does not subscribe you to marketing. Provide a neighbourhood rather than a home address. Contact info@eyeonottawa.ca to request access, correction, removal or withdrawal of publication consent. Removal from our site cannot guarantee deletion of copies held by search engines or other people. For privacy questions or complaints, contact the Eye on Ottawa team at info@eyeonottawa.ca. Personal information must only be retained as long as needed for the stated purpose or applicable legal obligations; request deletion of information no longer needed. Records may be retained when needed for complaints or legal obligations.

Legal rights and complaints

Ontario and applicable Canadian laws take priority over any conflicting listing policy. These rules do not require anyone to waive statutory consumer rights or prevent a complaint to a regulator or a court claim. For business-purchase complaints, contact the seller first and seek guidance from Consumer Protection Ontario. Report suspected fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and local police where appropriate; contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada about unresolved privacy concerns within its jurisdiction. Sector-specific legal requirements may apply even when a listing is approved.

Official guidance

• Ontario: safe online shopping
• Health Canada: second-hand product safety
• Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: merchandise scams
• Privacy Commissioner: meaningful consent