Independent business audits — backed by web-research evidence. See our methodology ›
Review audit ReviewLens
About Methodology
Internet Classifieds Mixed

Dubizzle Review

UAE's dominant classifieds marketplace — beloved by browsers, distrusted by paying advertisers

2.6 / 5 Updated Apr 28, 2026
The thesis

Dubizzle is a tale of two ratings: a beloved, dominant UAE classifieds app with millions of users and a successful (though postponed) IPO, yet hammered with 1-star reviews on every independent rating site for ad rejections, refund refusals, and absent customer support.

Dubizzle Group is a leading online classifieds and digital marketplace operator headquartered in Dubai, originally launched in 2006, that has grown into a regional ecosystem connecting millions of buyers and sellers across real estate, automotive, jobs, and general classifieds, with vertical brands such as Bayut, dubizzle, OLX MENA, and Zameen attracting over 160 million monthly visits across 10+ countries. Yet Dubizzle has a rating of 1.5 stars from 143 reviews on Sitejabber, with reviewers most frequently complaining about customer service, featured ads, and next-day problems, and on ComplaintsBoard it earns a 1.1-star rating from 95 complaints.

The disconnect is stark: the iOS app has an average rating of 4.0 from over 11,000 reviews and the Google Play app holds a 4.8-star rating, while the company's commercial users — paying advertisers — overwhelmingly report a system that 'feels like Dubizzle is shamelessly exploiting its dominant market position. Instead of providing a fair service, the system appears designed to reject ads while still charging customers.'

Trust score
52
Mixed signals
Based on 9 sources: Trustpilot (dubai.dubizzle.com), Sitejabber, ComplaintsBoard, PissedConsumer…
1.5
Sitejabber
143 reviews
2.6
Trustpilot
92 reviews, 100% 1-star on .com
1.1
ComplaintsBoard
95 complaints
4.0
App Store
11,063 ratings
4.8
Google Play
Dubizzle main app
3.9
Glassdoor
264 employees
Quick views

Choose your perspective

Different readers need different signals. Pick the view that matches your decision.

For buyers & users

Should I use or buy from Dubizzle?

Use Dubizzle as a free browser and direct-message tool, the way most of its 18M monthly active users do — but treat any paid feature (boosted ad, Dubizzle Cars success fee, premium listings) as money you may not see again, and never share financial information with counterparties or follow links from SMS/WhatsApp messages claiming to be Dubizzle.

Most-reported concerns
  • Fake/scam listings, especially in property and autos
  • Inspection reports unreliable
  • WhatsApp/SMS phishing targeting users
If you do use them, do this
  • Never pay before meeting in person — Dubizzle never holds funds for buyers or sellers
  • Hide your phone number using the 'Hide my phone number' option when listing
  • Ignore any SMS/WhatsApp claiming to be Dubizzle delivery confirmation — it's phishing
See full buyer perspective →
Security & scam watch

Is it safe?

High scam risk
Active scam patterns
  • WhatsApp/SMS 'confirm delivery' phishing
  • Out-of-country buyer wire scam
  • Phishing for credit card / bank info
  • Fake item-with-Google-photos listings
Breach history

2015 UAE database breach (passwords reset)

Watch for
  • Massive gap between consumer-facing app store ratings (4.0-4.8) and independent review-site ratings (1.1-1.7) suggests the app stores capture browsers while review sites capture paying advertisers
  • Recurring identical complaint pattern across Trustpilot, Sitejabber, ComplaintsBoard and PissedConsumer: pay → ad rejected → refund denied
  • ComplaintsBoard reports a complaint resolution rate of just 2%
Full trust & safety →
For sellers & partners

Worth listing or partnering?

Significant friction reported by sellers.

Top seller concerns
  • Pay-then-reject pattern with no refund
  • Account blocked after payment with no explanation
  • High car-sale 'success fee' surprises
What works
  • Quick reach when listings go live
  • Flagship UAE platform with massive audience
Full seller perspective →
For researchers & journalists

Company snapshot

Recent significant events
  • 2005 — Dubizzle launched
  • 2025 — DFM IPO announced — then postponed
Competitive position

Dubizzle dominates UAE classifieds by sheer audience and category breadth, but on every quality dimension that matters to a paying user — listing verification (Property Finder, Bayut), regional reach (OpenSooq), free posting (Facebook Marketplace), and end-to-end car logistics (Cars24, Al Futtaim) — at least one specialist beats it. Its moat is brand and habit, not service quality.

Regulatory & legal

Dubizzle Group indefinitely postponed its DFM IPO just one day before book-building, citing a desire to 'assess optimal timing for the offering in the future,' while saying it remains focused on growing its UAE business…

Full timeline & news →
The interpretation

The bimodal split is textbook marketplace dynamics: casual browsers and buyers rate the app highly because finding listings is fast and convenient, while paying sellers and advertisers — the people whose money the platform actually depends on — flood independent review sites with complaints about ad rejections after payment, blocked accounts without explanation, and refund refusals. As one reviewer put it, 'Paid additional for more exposure only to get the ad rejected for being in the wrong category which was done by Dubizzle's own AI. The rejection came with a No Refund notification. Trying Facebook Marketplace instead as this is obviously a cash grab scam.'