Wegweiser Consumers · Your rights when buying and contracting Deutsch

🛑 Online shopping and fraud

Spot fake shops and pay with a safe payment method. In case of fraud, claim your money back quickly.

Fake shop Payment method Chargeback Prepayment PayPal Buyer Protection Credit card Direct debit Fraud

In brief

Fraudulent online shops lure with very low prices. Often you can only pay by prepayment.

  • Buying on invoice is safest: you pay after receipt.
  • Prepayment by bank transfer can hardly be recovered.
  • With a credit card there is a chargeback.
  • Payment methods that were shown beforehand disappear at checkout: a warning sign.

Step by step

  1. Check the shopCheck imprint, reviews, prices and payment methods beforehand.
  2. Pay safelyChoose invoice, direct debit, credit card or PayPal with buyer protection.
  3. Act quickly in case of fraudInform the payment service provider or bank immediately and demand a chargeback.
  4. Report it and get advicePolice online reporting (Onlinewache) and Verbraucherzentrale.

Deadlines

8 weeks
Reversal of a SEPA direct debit§ 675x Abs. 4, § 675u, § 676b Abs. 2 BGB
120 days
Credit card chargebackno statutory basis; follows from card organisation rules / bank terms and conditions
180 days
PayPal Buyer Protection periodPayPal user agreement / help (from payment date)
Watch out – common mistakes
  • Buyer protection applies only to "goods and services", not to "friends and family".
  • Payment service providers' deadlines may differ. If in doubt, check there.
  • With prepayment to a third party's account, the money is usually lost.
  • Never give a TAN or card data to third parties.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

Payment methods

According to consumer advice centres, buying on invoice is safest, followed by PayPal with buyer protection and credit card with chargeback. With prepayment, the sum cannot simply be reversed if delivery does not happen. A typical warning sign: payment methods such as PayPal or invoice are advertised, only at checkout they disappear and what remains is an advance bank transfer to a third party's account.

Chargeback deadlines

SEPA direct debit, 8 weeks: § 675x Abs. 4 BGB (authorised payment), § 675u BGB (unauthorised payment); for unauthorised payments, notification within 13 months applies (§ 676b Abs. 2 BGB). Credit card chargeback, 120 days: no statutory basis, follows from the card organisations' rules or the bank's terms and conditions. PayPal, 180 days from the payment date (PayPal user agreement/help); for "not as described" a 30-day rule from delivery additionally applies.

Legal position

A contract with a fake shop often does not come about as advertised; recovery of the money and a criminal complaint are possible. Specific legal bases (rescission for fraud, fraud under § 263 StGB) were not retrieved.

Who is responsible
  • Payment service provider / bank
  • Police (criminal complaint)
  • Verbraucherzentrale
Further reading
Right of withdrawal and the withdrawal buttonAdvice and contact points

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „Online shopping and fraud“?
Spot fake shops and pay with a safe payment method. In case of fraud, claim your money back quickly.
Which deadlines and figures matter?
  • 8 weeks: Reversal of a SEPA direct debit (§ 675x Abs. 4, § 675u, § 676b Abs. 2 BGB)
  • 120 days: Credit card chargeback (no statutory basis; follows from card organisation rules / bank terms and conditions)
  • 180 days: PayPal Buyer Protection period (PayPal user agreement / help (from payment date))
What should I do first?
  • Check the shop: Check imprint, reviews, prices and payment methods beforehand.
  • Pay safely: Choose invoice, direct debit, credit card or PayPal with buyer protection.
  • Act quickly in case of fraud: Inform the payment service provider or bank immediately and demand a chargeback.
What do I need to watch out for?
  • Buyer protection applies only to "goods and services", not to "friends and family".
  • Payment service providers' deadlines may differ. If in doubt, check there.
  • With prepayment to a third party's account, the money is usually lost.
Evidence
  • Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg, Fieser PayPal-Trick in Fake Shops (search result), retrieved 20 September 2026
  • Verbraucherzentrale Finanzen und Versicherungen, Fake-Shops erkennen 2026 (search result), retrieved 20 September 2026
  • gesetze-im-internet.de, § 357 BGB, retrieved 20 September 2026
As of

September 2026 · Sources and method

A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.