Every Loot user is a real, verified Ontario student. Here's how we keep it that way — and what happens when something goes wrong.
You can only create a Loot account with an email from a recognized Canadian university or college. We maintain a live whitelist of 45+ Ontario .ca domains. Gmail, Hotmail, and personal addresses are blocked.
After signup, we send a confirmation link to your .ca email. Your account isn't activated until you click it. This confirms that you actually have access to that inbox — not just knowledge of the address.
Your profile shows your university — not your email. Other users see "McMaster University" or "University of Waterloo." They know you're a real student there without knowing who you are off-campus.
Verify once at the start of your degree — you're in for as long as your .ca email is active. No annual re-verification, no re-uploading IDs. Verification happens in real time, not 24 hours later.
Every listing, user profile, and chat has a Report button. Tap it, select the issue (no-show, item not as described, harassment, fraud), and add details. Reports go directly to our team.
Our team reviews every report. We look at chat logs, listing history, ratings, and past reports. Both parties may be contacted for their account of events.
Depending on severity: we issue a warning, suspend the listing, temporarily restrict the account, or permanently ban the user. Permanent bans are tied to the .ca email — ban evasion is not possible without a new institutional email.
Even before a formal report, the rating system surfaces bad actors naturally. Users who ghost, misrepresent items, or behave poorly accumulate low ratings that are visible to everyone. The community self-polices.
Library lobbies, student centres, dining halls, building entrances. Avoid meeting in dorm rooms, parking lots, or off-campus locations — especially for larger transactions.
For transactions over $100, bring someone with you. It's not paranoid — it's smart. The other person almost certainly doesn't mind.
Check the item matches the photos and description before handing over money. If it doesn't match, you're under no obligation to complete the sale. Walk away and report the listing.
Especially for your first transaction. Campus buildings are open and staffed — use them. Most Loot meetups take less than five minutes.
Report it immediately. Our team reviews every report, every day.
Report an issue → safety@lootapp.ca