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Emergency

Fake shop: paid but nothing delivered, how to reclaim your money

You paid in an online shop, but the goods do not arrive and the shop does not respond? Then it is often a fake shop. How good your chances are depends mainly on how you paid, and how quickly you act now.

Reach your next steps and the matching ready-made texts in just a few minutes, free of charge:

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Your chances of getting your money back

Paid by credit card or PayPal (goods and services)? Then there are good chances via chargeback or buyer protection.
Paid by normal bank transfer? Then the money is harder to recover. Even so, call your bank IMMEDIATELY and ask for a recall of the transfer.

What you should do now

  1. 1

    1. Ask your bank for a recall

    For a bank transfer: call your bank immediately and ask for a recall while the money has not yet been forwarded. For card payments: start a complaint (chargeback).

  2. 2

    2. Report the shop

    Report the shop to the consumer advice center's fake shop finder. This helps warn others and get the shop taken offline.

  3. 3

    3. Secure evidence

    Screenshots of the order, confirmation, payment receipt and the shop page (including the legal notice and URL), before the site disappears.

  4. 4

    4. File a criminal complaint

    File a report via your state police's online station. With the secured evidence this is quick.

How to spot the scam

  • Only prepayment or bank transfer is possible; other payment methods disappear in the final step.
  • Prices that are clearly too cheap.
  • No complete legal notice, a made-up address, poor German.
  • The domain is only a few weeks old (you can check this in the scam check).

Frequently asked questions

Will I get my money back after a bank transfer?

Harder, but not hopeless. Call your bank immediately and ask for a recall of the transfer. If the money has not yet been forwarded, it can work.

How do I recognize a fake shop?

Typical signs are: prepayment only, prices that are too low, a missing or false legal notice and a very young domain. You can use our scam check for this.

Where do I report a fake shop?

To the consumer advice center's fake shop finder and with a criminal complaint to the police (online station).

Take action now

We put together the ready-made texts and the right places to contact for you.

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More help: Emergency by phone · Act together · Right to a lawyer · All guides

General information for self-help, not legal advice (RDG). In case of a high loss or uncertainty: contact a consumer advice center or a lawyer.