Since Used.ca was established in 2003, we’ve tried our best to ensure that you feel safe browsing online classifieds with your family. The Internet is a pretty huge playground that isn’t always family friendly, so we empower a group of volunteers and employees that we call our Moderation Team to sort out what belongs on our websites and what doesn’t. It may sound like a walk in the park, but consider this: 288,530 ads were posted across all of our Canadian sites for the month of May (about 7,500 per day). We hope you’re satisfied with the service thus far, but to be sure, we want to empower you to turn UsedVictoria into YourVictoria, UsedOttawa into YourOttawa, or UsedWhatever into YourWhatever. Just follow these steps:

1) You Can Moderate
Look at 5 ads a day. It’s not only easy to browse, it’s fun. Take a look at your favorite category and click on a few ads. Then, read the description and put on your Sherlock Holmes hat. Is the ad suspicious? Do you find something in the ad offensive? If something’s not right, then click on the “Report Ad” button (It’s right next to the seller’s contact information). If everyone looked at 5 ads a day and reported what they saw, scams and offensive postings would be virtually nil.

2) Know How It Works
Our Moderators govern what’s allowed and what’s not based on our Terms of Use. Despite being lengthy and verbose, it’s a pretty handy document. If you’re an avid Used.ca user it’s worth a read (or even a skim). Once you understand the foundation of our Moderation protocol, you’ll be able to spot out of place ads pronto.

3) Be Your Own Moderator
Make a Facebook group about your favorite Used site or create a discussion topic on our Facebook Page. The online classifieds network thrives on community, and there are a lot of like-minded buyers and sellers out there who would love to have a chat about online buying and selling.

Feel empowered? If you still want more, email nick@used.ca with the subject heading “I want to moderate.” Have a great Monday!