Accessible Customer Service Policy and Plan: Providing Services to People with Disabilities

1. Our Mission

eBay Canada Ltd.’s mission, along with Kijiji Canada Ltd. (“eBay Canada”), is to be the world’s favourite destination for discovering great value and unique selection.

At eBay Canada Ltd., we give sellers the platform, solutions, and support they need to grow their businesses and thrive. Kijiji Canada Ltd. is Canada’s largest classifieds site with millions of live ads in a wide range of categories – cars, housing, jobs and everything in between. 

We’re proud to offer Canadians fun and easy ways for people in the same area to buy, sell, trade, and even help each other with goods, cars, entertainment, services, housing, or jobs.

2. Our Commitment

In fulfilling our mission, eBay Canada strives always to provide services in a way that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. We are committed to giving people with disabilities the same opportunity to access our services and allowing them to benefit from the same services, in the same ways as other customers.

3. Providing Service to People with Disabilities

eBay Canada is committed to excellence in serving all users including people with disabilities, and we will carry out our functions and responsibilities in the following ways:

3.1 Communication

We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that consider their disability.

We will train staff who communicate with customers on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities.

3.2 Telephone Services

We are committed to providing fully accessible telephone service to our customers. We will train staff to communicate with customers over the telephone in clear and plain language and to speak clearly and slowly.

We will offer to communicate with customers by email, or via online customer service chat, as applicable, if telephone communication is not suitable to their communication needs or is not available.

3.3 Assistive Devices

We are committed to serving people with disabilities who use assistive devices to obtain, use or benefit from our goods and services. We will ensure that our staff members are trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our goods or services. Our employees stand ready to assist users with disabilities or special access needs to access and enjoy the services we offer, taking into consideration and respecting the dignity and independence of the individual.

We will also ensure that staff members know how to use the assistive devices and methods which may be made available for customers.

3.4 Billing

We are committed to providing accessible billing and payment methods to all our users. For this reason, invoices, billing and fee schedules will be provided in the following formats: online documentation (suitable for enlarging, printing or downloading to a convertible format) as applicable, and email. Automatic payment methods such as PayPal, Pre-Authorized Direct Debit and Credit Card are also available as applicable, subject to our seller and buyer policies.

We will answer any questions customers may have about billing or fee schedules (as applicable) by email or telephone.

3.5 Accessible Services

We work hard to ensure that everyone who wants to use our services can do so and have a positive experience.  We do this in various ways, including: Providing online verification via CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computer and Humans Apart) in both audible and visual formats on our websites.​

  • Making links on our website descriptive and providing alternative text to help people using assistive technology such as screen reader software.​
  • Increasing the contrast between fonts and backgrounds to make pages on our website easier to read.
  • Making our website easier to navigate without using a mouse.
  • Considering accessibility when we design features or pages on our websites.​​

4. Use of Service Animals & Support Persons

We are committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal on the parts of our premises that are open to the public and other third parties. We will also ensure that all staff, volunteers and others dealing with the public are properly trained in how to interact with people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal. To the extent that users with disabilities are invited on the company’s premises, a service animal may accompany such users always during their visit, unless otherwise prohibited by law.

We are committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person. Any person with a disability who is invited onto our premises and is accompanied by a support person, will be allowed to enter our premises with his or her support person.  At no time will a person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person be prevented from having access to his or her support person while on our premises.

Fees are not charged for support persons for admission to our premises.

5. Notice of Temporary Disruption

eBay Canada will provide customers with notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption of our services usually used by people with disabilities or special access needs, subject to the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. This notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration, and a description of alternative services or workarounds, if available.

Such notices will be posted conspicuously on our applicable company websites. To the extent that the disruption pertains to our physical locations accessible to customers, notices will be placed at all public entrances.

6.Training for Staff

eBay Canada will provide training to all employees, volunteers and others who deal with the public, or third parties on our behalf, and all those who are involved in the development and approvals of customer service policies, practices and procedures. Individuals in the following types of positions will be trained:

  • All regular, part-time and temporary employees and volunteers, including third parties who deal with the public on our behalf.

The goal of the training will be to ensure that our employees interact and communicate appropriately with individuals with various disabilities. This training will be provided within ninety (90) days of date of hire or transfer into a position dealing with the public, and annually thereafter.

Training will include:

  • The purposes of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, and the requirements of the Customer Service Standard;
  • How to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities;​
  • How to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person;
  • How to use assistive devices that may help with providing services to people with disabilities;
  • What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing eBay’s or Kijiji’s services.
  • eBay Canada’s Customer Service Policy

Employees will be trained on policies, practices and procedures that affect the way services are provided to people with disabilities.  Staff will also be trained on an ongoing basis when changes are made to these policies, practices and procedures.

Records of all training provided under this Policy will be retained by each company’s Human Resources and/or Legal departments.

7. Feedback Process

The goal of eBay Canada is to meet and surpass customer expectations while serving customers with disabilities. Comments on our services regarding how well those expectations are being met are welcome and appreciated.

Feedback regarding the way eBay Canada provides goods and services to people with disabilities can be made by accessing the Contact Us link available on our websites. Customer feedback methods include online Live Chat, telephone, email or mail. Customer service representatives stand ready to assist those with special access needs in relation to any feedback or complaints they may have.

All feedback will be directed to Customer Service. If necessary, the feedback may be referred to designated individuals within the Customer Service Department or to other employees who will work with the user to address the concerns and improve our service.

Complaints will be addressed according to established customer complaint management policies and procedures.

8. Modifications to This or Other Policies

We are committed to developing customer service policies that respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. Therefore, no changes will be made to this policy before considering the impact on people with disabilities. Any policy of eBay Canada Ltd. and Kijiji Canada Ltd.  that does not respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities will be modified or removed.

9. Questions About This Policy

This policy exists to achieve service excellence to customers with disabilities. If anyone has a question about the policy, or if the purpose of a policy is not understood, an explanation should be provided by, or referred to Customer Service.

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