Reviews & Ratings

Category: Community Last updated: 2026-07-15

Reviews and ratings help build trust on Owning. After completing a transaction, buyers can leave a rating and optional comment on the seller's listing. These reviews appear publicly on the listing page and on the seller's profile, helping future buyers make informed decisions.

How reviews work

Every listing on Owning can receive reviews from buyers. A review consists of:

• A rating from 1 to 5 stars — required
• A written comment — optional, up to 500 characters

Reviews are public. Anyone visiting the listing or the seller's profile can see them, along with the reviewer's name and the date the review was posted.

Who can leave a review?

To leave a review, you need to:

1. Be logged in — reviews require authentication. You need an Owning account.
2. Have an API key with write permission (if using the API) — see Account & API Keys for how to generate one.
3. Not be the listing's seller — you can't review your own listing.

Each user can leave one review per listing. If you've already reviewed a listing, you'll get a conflict error if you try to submit another.

How to leave a review

On the web

1. Open the listing you want to review.
2. Scroll to the reviews section.
3. Click "Write a review".
4. Select a star rating (1–5) and write an optional comment.
5. Submit — your review appears immediately.

Via the API

Send a POST request to the reviews endpoint:

curl -X POST https://api.owning.pro/api/listings/{listing_id}/reviews \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "rating": 5,
    "comment": "Great seller, item exactly as described. Quick response and smooth pickup."
  }'

Response (201 Created):

{
  "id": "rev_01JXK...",
  "listing_id": "lst_01JXJ...",
  "reviewer": {
    "id": "usr_01JXK...",
    "name": "Alex Rivera"
  },
  "rating": 5,
  "comment": "Great seller, item exactly as described. Quick response and smooth pickup.",
  "created_at": "2026-07-15T12:30:00.000Z"
}

If you've already reviewed the listing, you'll receive a 409 Conflict:

{
  "error": {
    "code": "conflict",
    "message": "You have already reviewed this listing"
  }
}

Viewing reviews

Reviews on a listing

Anyone can view reviews for a listing — no authentication required:

curl https://api.owning.pro/api/listings/{listing_id}/reviews?page=1&limit=10

Response:

{
  "results": [
    {
      "id": "rev_01JXK...",
      "listing_id": "lst_01JXJ...",
      "reviewer": {
        "id": "usr_01JXK...",
        "name": "Alex Rivera"
      },
      "rating": 5,
      "comment": "Great seller, item exactly as described.",
      "created_at": "2026-07-15T12:30:00.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "pagination": {
    "page": 1,
    "limit": 10,
    "total": 1,
    "pages": 1
  }
}

Reviews on a seller's profile

You can also view all reviews a seller has received across all their listings:

curl https://api.owning.pro/api/users/{user_id}/reviews?page=1&limit=10

Aggregate seller rating

To get just the average rating and total review count for a seller:

curl https://api.owning.pro/api/users/{user_id}/rating

Response:

{
  "seller_id": "usr_01JXK...",
  "average_rating": 4.7,
  "total_reviews": 23
}

This data also appears on the seller's public profile and on their profile via the API:

curl https://api.owning.pro/api/users/{user_id}

What makes a good review?

A helpful review is honest and specific:

• Be accurate — rate based on your actual experience, not on factors outside the seller's control (shipping carrier delays, for example).
• Be specific — mention what went well or what could have been better. "Item as described, seller responded quickly" is more useful than "Good."
• Be fair — if the seller resolved an issue, acknowledge it. A 3-star review with a note about a problem that was fixed is more trustworthy than a silent 1-star.
• Don't include personal information — never share phone numbers, addresses, or payment details in a review.

Can I edit or delete my review?

Currently, reviews cannot be edited or deleted through the web UI or API. If you need a review removed (for example, if it contains sensitive information by mistake), contact support and explain the situation.

What if I receive an unfair review?

If you're a seller and believe a review is unfair, fraudulent, or violates community standards:

1. Don't retaliate — posting a negative review in response escalates the situation and doesn't help.
2. Respond professionally — if the review is public and you have a different account of what happened, you can note it in future listings or communications.
3. Report it — if the review contains personal attacks, threats, or clearly false information, report it through the platform. Our moderation team reviews reports and may remove reviews that violate community guidelines.

Learn more

• How to Buy — the complete buying guide
• How to Sell — managing inquiries and closing deals
• User Profiles & Verification — what appears on your public profile
• Safety Tips — staying safe during transactions