What is meant by a product or service substitution?
A product or service substitution occurs when an existing advert is subsequently converted into a different offer. In this case, the original offer is not merely updated, but replaced by a different item or service.
This can mislead interested users because the title, category, situation, location, images, favourites, previous messages and original context no longer match. An existing advert should therefore continue to concern the same essential item or service.
Permitted updates to the same offer
You may update an advert as long as the identity and main purpose of the offer remain unchanged.
Reasonable changes may include, for example:
- correcting a spelling mistake,
- clarifying the description of the same item,
- adding details of a previously overlooked defect,
- uploading more recent photos of the same item,
- adjusting the price or negotiation details,
- clarifying what is included or which accessories are provided,
- updating availability or appointment details,
- explaining the scope of the same service in more detail,
- transparently adding any additional costs that actually apply.
After the change, interested users must still be able to recognise clearly that the advert concerns the same product or the same main service.
When is a new advert required?
Create a new advert if the existing item or service is to be replaced with a different offer.
Examples of a substitution include:
- A smartphone advert becomes an offer for a laptop.
- A bicycle that has been sold is replaced with another bicycle of a different model or condition, or with different items included.
- An offer for a sofa becomes an offer for a cupboard.
- A bicycle repair service is converted into a removal service.
- A language tuition service becomes a cleaning service.
- A wanted advert is subsequently changed into an advert offering an item for sale.
- A local offer is replaced with a different service at a different location.
Even an item of the same general type can constitute a new, standalone advert. For example, two second-hand smartphones from the same manufacturer may differ in terms of model, condition, storage capacity, accessories and price. Do not automatically reuse the old advert for the second device.
You can create a new advert under ‘Place an advert’.
End an offer that is no longer available correctly
If the original product or service is no longer offered, you do not need to restore the offer or make it available again. Instead, end the existing advert in the appropriate way.
Use:
- ‘Deactivate’ if you only want the advert to be temporarily hidden from public view,
- ‘Delete’ if you want the advert to be permanently removed,
- the archive or reactivation function if the standard publication period has expired.
You can find your adverts under ‘My adverts’.
Further guidance can be found in ‘How do I deactivate my listing?’ and ‘How do I delete my advert?’
Before deleting an advert, check whether you still need any text, your own images, advert IDs or billing records. A deleted advert cannot be restored through the regular advert management area.
Pay attention to the fixed basic details
The type, category, situation and location cannot be changed after submission for review. These details must not be circumvented through a conflicting title or description.
A new advert is required if the new offer:
- belongs to a different type,
- requires a different category,
- requires a different situation, such as ‘Sell’, ‘Buy’, ‘Swap’, ‘Wanted’ or ‘Offer’,
- must be assigned to a different collection, service, loss, find or event location.
Further information can be found under ‘Fixed listing details’.
Update product adverts correctly
For example, you may add details of a scratch on the same table, adjust the price or upload new photos showing its current condition. The table remains the same item being offered.
A new advert is required, however, if the table has been sold and a different table is now to be offered. This also applies even if both tables look similar or belong to the same category.
For technical devices, the model, storage capacity, condition or items included must not simply be rewritten to refer to another device. Full serial or IMEI numbers should not be published in publicly visible text or in images.
For a swap, the description of the same offer may be clarified. If the item is then to be sold, the situation changes. A new advert with the correct situation must be created for this.
Update service adverts correctly
For the same service, the scope of services, available dates, pricing structure, working hours or the specific tasks actually included may be described in greater detail.
A cleaning service advert, for example, may be supplemented with a more detailed description of the cleaning tasks already on offer. However, it should not be converted into an offer for repairs, transport or care services.
An extension remains an update only if:
- the original main service remains clearly the focus,
- the same category still applies,
- the same situation still applies,
- the same service location remains correct,
- no new, standalone offer is created.
If a new, separate service is offered, create a separate advert for it. Mention qualifications, authorisations or insurance only if they actually exist.
Present multiple items, sets and variants clearly
Multiple items may be combined in one advert if they are factually related and fall under the same type, category, situation and location. The description must make it clear which items form part of the offer.
Separate adverts are advisable or necessary if:
- the items belong to different categories,
- different situations or locations are required,
- the items are offered independently with their own terms,
- combining them would make the actual price or what is included unclear,
- a component previously included is to be replaced by an item not originally offered,
- individual variants differ, for example in size or colour.
For a fixed set, a component that is no longer available must not be tacitly replaced by another item. Update what is included transparently, provided it remains the same set. If this results in a substantially different offer, create a new advert.
Further guidance can be found under ‘Is it permitted to give away or sell multiple items in a single advertisement on suchen.expert, and if so, under what conditions?’
See also ‘Can I give away or sell the items in a set both together and individually?’ and ‘I have several items that differ only in size and colour. Can I create a single listing for them?’
Do not make artificial changes to circumvent the rules
It is not necessary to artificially alter text or images to make a new advert look different. A new advert should differ in content because it describes a genuinely new offer, not simply because words, sentence order or image sequence have been swapped.
Do not create identical or nearly identical adverts in parallel for the same offer. First check under ‘My adverts’ whether an active, pending, deactivated or archived advert already exists.
Do not claim that a technical system automatically detects or blocks every duplicate advert. Regardless of this, do not attempt to circumvent a rejection or another moderation decision by making minor changes.
Correct an existing advert after rejection
If an advert has been rejected, read the stated reason in full. If it still concerns the same product or service, correct the details identified in the existing advert, insofar as the user interface permits this.
Appropriate corrections may include:
- removing unauthorised contact details,
- correcting unclear or misleading statements,
- adding details of an actual defect,
- replacing problematic images,
- describing the price and scope of services more clearly,
- removing unsubstantiated advertising claims or claims about qualifications.
If the revision is intended to offer a different product or service, do not use the rejected advert as a substitute. Instead, create a new advert with the correct basic details. Manage or remove the old advert so that no parallel or misleading advert remains.
Further steps are explained in ‘How do I edit a rejected advert and resubmit it?’
Take messages, favourites and optional services into account
If you materially change the identity of an offer, previous interested users may still associate the change with their original enquiry or saved favourite. You should therefore not change the essential item or main service within an existing advert.
Inform conversation partners factually about important permitted updates to the same offer, such as changed availability or a corrected price. Wherever possible, conduct further discussions using the suchen.expert messaging function.
Do not assume that a booked optional service, remaining publication time or automatic publication will be transferred to a new advert. Before deactivating or deleting the advert, check the conditions displayed for it.
Check briefly before making any change
Before editing an advert, answer the following questions:
- Does the advert still concern the same specific item or main service?
- Do the type, category, situation and location all remain unchanged and correct?
- Do previous messages and saved favourites remain meaningful?
- Are only current characteristics and terms being corrected?
- Will no new, separate offer be created?
- Is there no other advert already containing the same content?
If any of these questions cannot clearly be answered with ‘Yes’, it is usually clearer to deactivate or delete the old advert and create a new one with the correct details.
If you are unsure, contact the support team via the contact form. State the advert ID and briefly describe the planned change. Do not send passwords, one-time codes or complete security links.
