If you find an advert on suchen.expert that may breach our General Terms of Use or Usage Policies, you can report it using the designated reporting function.
A report does not automatically mean that a breach has actually taken place. It simply informs the relevant team that an advert should be reviewed. You should therefore describe your observation objectively and as specifically as possible.
When should I report an advert?
Reporting an advert is appropriate if you have a specific reason to believe that it breaches the rules of suchen.expert.
This may be the case, for example, if:
- the advert offers prohibited or unauthorised goods, services or content,
- key details are obviously false, contradictory or misleading,
- an unrealistic price or another presentation may be used as bait,
- there are grounds to suspect fraud, phishing or identity misuse,
- the advertiser asks you to enter passwords, security codes or payment details on a suspicious external website,
- offensive, discriminatory, threatening or otherwise prohibited content has been published,
- images or text may have been used without authorisation,
- other people’s personal data has been published for no apparent reason,
- the same or virtually identical advert has been posted multiple times,
- the advert has clearly been assigned to the wrong purpose, advert type or an inappropriate category,
- the actual content differs significantly from the title, price, images or description,
- an offer that is no longer available is still being presented as available,
- the advert redirects to another website and displays a substantially different offer there.
Only report content that you have actually seen. State assumptions as such and do not present them as proven facts.
Further safety guidance is available in How can I protect myself from fraud on suchen.expert? and Tips for combating fraud.
When is a report normally not required?
The reporting function is intended for potential breaches of the rules and security issues. It should not be used simply because:
- the price seems too high to you,
- the provider does not agree to your suggested price,
- you have not received a reply or have received a delayed reply,
- someone else secured the offer before you did,
- you personally do not like the item on offer,
- you disagree with an opinion expressed politely,
- the advert contains a simple spelling mistake,
- the offer has already been sold, given away or otherwise taken, with no further indication of a rule violation.
If you have questions about the offer, you can contact the provider through the messaging function. Remain factual and, where possible, keep important arrangements within the platform.
If it is your own advert, do not report it. Instead, open ‘My Adverts’ and use the edit, deactivate or delete functions available there.
What should I check before reporting an advert?
First, check that you have opened the correct advert.
Pay particular attention to:
- title,
- images,
- advert ID,
- name or profile of the provider,
- price or reward,
- description,
- advert type and category,
- location,
- publication status,
- external links,
- the specific content you wish to report.
Read the full description and check whether any information that is initially unclear is explained elsewhere. Report the advert nonetheless if the explanation does not resolve the potential breach or if there is a security risk.
Do not open any suspicious external links, do not download any unknown files, and do not enter any login details or payment information simply to investigate a suspicion further.
How do I report an advert?
Follow these steps:
- Open the advert in question.
- Check again to make sure it is the correct advert.
- Scroll down to the section below the description.
- Select the ‘Report this advert’ button.
- Select the reason that best fits your report.
- If possible, add a brief and factual description.
- Check your details before submitting.
- Submit the report.
- Once submitted, the date and time of the report will be displayed, if applicable.
Do not submit the report until you are certain that you have selected the correct advert and the appropriate reason.
Which reason should I select?
Choose the reason that most accurately describes the potential breach you have identified.
If you have noticed several issues, select the most important reason and explain the other observations in the text field provided. Do not select an inappropriate reason simply because its description seems particularly serious to you.
If none of the reasons displayed fits exactly:
- select the option that is factually closest,
- describe the specific circumstances in the text box,
- specify the relevant part of the advert,
- avoid general statements without clear details.
The person making the report does not make the final decision as to whether a breach has occurred. The selection helps the relevant team to categorise and investigate the report correctly.
What information helps with the investigation?
A helpful report explains briefly and clearly what the potential problem is.
Where possible, please state:
- which statement, image or link is affected,
- where the relevant information is located in the advert,
- why you consider the information to be problematic,
- which details contradict one another,
- when you saw the problematic content,
- whether the content has changed since you first viewed it,
- whether you have received any additional contradictory information via the messaging function,
- whether you were asked to make a payment, move the conversation outside the platform or provide personal data,
- whether the same or a virtually identical advert appears multiple times,
- the advert ID or the full link to the advert.
Please use specific wording.
Example:
- Helpful: “The price field shows €50, but the description asks for €500.”
- Helpful: “The external link leads to a page asking for the password for my suchen.expert account.”
- Less helpful: “That looks odd.”
- Less helpful: “The provider is definitely a fraudster.”
Describe observable facts and avoid insults, threats or unsubstantiated accusations.
What information should I not include in the report?
Do not submit any information that is not required for the investigation.
This includes, in particular:
- passwords,
- one-time codes,
- security codes,
- session cookies,
- full activation or reset links,
- full credit card or bank account details,
- copies of identity documents,
- private documents,
- full addresses of uninvolved individuals,
- medical or other highly personal information,
- login details for email, payment or user accounts.
If you send a screenshot to support, remove or obscure any unnecessary personal data, payment information, QR codes, barcodes and login details.
Should I contact the provider before reporting the issue?
You do not need to contact a provider first if you have identified a possible breach of the rules or a security risk.
It may be advisable to seek clarification if only a factual detail is unclear and there is no danger. Where possible, use the messaging function on suchen.expert for this.
Do not contact the provider further if:
- you are being threatened or insulted,
- pressure is being exerted to make a quick payment,
- you are being asked to disclose passwords or security codes,
- a suspicious external payment method is being requested,
- the communication makes you feel unsafe,
- the contact is clearly intended solely to direct you to another platform.
In such cases, end the communication, do not click on any further external links and report the content in question.
What happens after the report is submitted?
The report is forwarded for review. In this process, the reported content, the selected reason, any additional details and other information necessary for assessment may be taken into account.
A report does not automatically lead to the immediate removal or blocking of the advert. First, a check is carried out to determine whether there is a clear breach of the applicable rules and, if so, what action, if any, is appropriate.
Depending on the outcome:
- no further action may be required,
- a further review may be necessary,
- a correction to the advert may be required,
- the visibility of the advert may be restricted,
- the advert may be removed,
- another measure provided for under the rules may be taken.
A specific outcome cannot be guaranteed by the report.
How long does the review take?
There is no generally guaranteed fixed timeframe for processing a report. The time required may depend, amongst other things, on:
- how clear the reported issue is,
- what information is available,
- whether additional checks are required,
- whether further content or processes need to be taken into account,
- how urgent the apparent security risk is.
Please do not resubmit the same report repeatedly simply because no visible change has yet taken place. Submitting multiple identical reports does not automatically speed up the investigation.
Will I receive personal feedback?
After submitting your report, you may see a confirmation, along with the date and time of your report. However, it is not always possible to provide a personal notification regarding the full outcome.
Reasons for this may include, in particular, the protection of personal data, security considerations or internal review procedures. The absence of a personal reply does not automatically mean that the report has not been reviewed.
It may also be the case that an action is not immediately visible publicly, or that the advert remains unchanged after review because no sufficient breach was established.
Can I report the same advert more than once?
A complete and factually substantiated report is normally sufficient.
Do not report the same advert repeatedly using different reasons in an attempt to force a particular decision. Only submit further information if:
- new problematic content has been added,
- the advert has changed significantly,
- you have received a new suspicious message since the first report,
- new facts have come to light that may be relevant to the investigation.
If the reporting function does not allow you to add further details, you can contact support via the contact form. Include the advert ID, the link and the time of your original report.
What should I do if the advert is no longer visible?
An advert may be deleted, deactivated, archived, rejected or otherwise no longer publicly accessible, either following your report or independently of it.
If no further action is required, you do not need to search for it again or report it.
If you need to document the matter because of possible fraud, financial loss or another important issue, keep any documents and evidence that you lawfully possess. These may include:
- the link to the advert,
- the advert ID,
- your own messages,
- payment receipts,
- dispatch receipts,
- the date and time of contact,
- factual notes on the sequence of events,
- redacted screenshots.
Do not publish these documents publicly and only share them with parties who actually require them for processing.
What should you do in the event of problematic messages or agreements?
This help article explains how to report an advert. If the problematic content appears only in a message, document the relevant communication and use the reporting or support options provided for it.
Do not delete important messages too hastily. A clear message history can help you explain the situation to support.
If there is a disagreement regarding price, collection, delivery, timing or the scope of services, first try to resolve the matter objectively within the platform. Report the incident if there is also evidence of a potential breach of the rules, deception, a threat or a security risk.
What should I do if I suspect fraud or financial loss?
End the communication if you are asked to make a suspicious payment or disclose confidential information.
Then check:
- whether the advert should be reported,
- whether your payment service provider or bank needs to be informed immediately,
- whether passwords for any affected accounts need to be changed,
- whether a password used here also needs to be changed for other services,
- whether it is advisable or necessary to report the matter to the police,
- which of your own documents and messages you should save as evidence.
Do not send full passwords, security codes or payment details to support.
What should you do in the event of imminent danger or a possible criminal offence?
The reporting function on suchen.expert is no substitute for the police, emergency services or other relevant authorities.
If people are in imminent danger in Germany, call the emergency number 112, or call 110 if urgent police assistance is required. In the event of possible theft, fraud, a threat or another criminal offence, also report the matter to the police where appropriate.
Do not attempt to investigate a dangerous situation yourself or confront a suspicious person in person.
Can the reporting function be used against other users?
Use the reporting function to the best of your knowledge and only for factual information.
The following, in particular, are not permitted:
- deliberately false information,
- fabricated allegations,
- reports intended to intimidate other users,
- repeated unfounded reports,
- reports made out of frustration over a failed price negotiation,
- reports against competing offers solely because of their visibility,
- attempts to force a deletion without an actual breach of the rules.
A fair report describes the content observed and leaves the final assessment to the relevant team.
What should I do if the reporting function is not working?
If the ‘Report this advert’ button isn’t displayed, isn’t responding or the report cannot be sent:
- check that the correct advert has loaded in full,
- refresh the page,
- try again using an up-to-date browser,
- check your internet connection,
- make a note of the wording of any error message,
- copy the link to the advert,
- make a note of the advert ID,
- contact support via the contact form.
Please include the following where possible:
- advert ID and link,
- title of the advert,
- selected reason for reporting,
- device used,
- browser and browser version,
- time the error occurred,
- steps taken,
- wording of the error message,
- a redacted screenshot, where applicable.
Do not send any passwords, one-time codes or full payment details.
A quick check before submitting
Finally, please check:
- Have I opened the correct advert?
- Is there a specific potential breach of the rules or a security issue?
- Have I selected the most appropriate reason for reporting?
- Have I described the problematic area objectively?
- Have I clearly distinguished between facts and assumptions?
- Have I omitted any unnecessary personal or confidential information?
- Is a single, complete report sufficient?
- In the event of imminent danger, must an appropriate authority also be informed?
By submitting a factual and specific report, you are helping suchen.expert to investigate potential breaches of the rules and to keep the platform clear and secure for all users.
