Seal of approval for online shops: You should know these

Seal of approval for online shops shows you where you can shop safely. However, hardly anyone knows which of the many certificates are really important. We clear up any ambiguities and introduce you to the four most important seals of approval.

The Trusted Shops seal of approval

The Trusted Shops seal of approval is one of the best known certificates. It not only shows where you can shop safely, but also offers many additional services.

• Trusted Shops certifies travel agencies, retailers and many other online services.
• Trusted Shops extends the validity of the seal annually. The online shops must undergo a comprehensive financial, technical and organizational review every time.
• Additional controls include test purchases and on-site visits to larger retailers. A follow-up check is carried out for customer complaints.
• A dealer or service provider has a maximum of ten days to remedy the defects identified by Trusted Shops.
• If a retailer does not adhere to the requirements of Trusted Shops, the seal of approval is withdrawn and the problem is reported to consumer protection organizations.
• Trusted Shops also offers buyer protection with a money-back guarantee and an evaluation portal. You can also see the latest fake shop warnings on the website.

The shopping seal of approval

TÜV SÜD has been awarding the seal of approval to all secure online shops since 2001.

• certifies online shops in the areas of trade, tourism and insurance.
• Shops with the seal of approval are checked annually.
• The exam consists of an online check, a security check and a site visit.
• In addition, carries out unregistered online checks and processes test purchases.
• In the event of violations of the quality criteria, removes the seal of approval from the online shop concerned.

The EHI seal of approval "Geprüfter Online-Shop"

The trade institute EHI is behind the seal of approval "Geprüfter Online-Shop". Over 650 online shops have been awarded the seal. In addition to shop security, consumer friendliness also plays a crucial role.

• The EHI seal of approval distinguishes online services, health applications and online shops.
• Shops with the EHI seal of approval are checked annually.
• The institute checks data protection and quality standards, statutory information requirements and telephone availability. In addition, it carries out test purchases and control tests.
• In the event of violations of the quality criteria, the institute withdraws the seal of approval from the online shop concerned.

The ips seal of approval

The ips seal of approval stands for "internet privacy standards" and belongs to datenschutz cert GmbH. The main focus of certification is clearly on data protection.

• The ips seal of approval distinguishes online services, health applications and online shops.
• The seal is valid for two years. Post-certification takes place annually or after complaints have been received.
• The datenschutz cert GmbH mainly examines the areas of data protection and consumer law. It also conducts on-site visits.
• In the event of violations of the quality criteria, datenschutz cert GmbH withdraws the seal from the shop concerned.

Important information about seals of approval

Knowing the most important seals of approval is far from enough. You should also know why not every reputable online shop can show a seal of approval and how fraudulent shops forge the seals.

• The four seals of approval presented are based on the recommendation of Initiative D21. The "Network for the Digital Society" has set quality criteria that only these four providers have accepted. Although the tests of the providers are weighted slightly differently, they are based on the same quality regulations.
• In order for you to be able to classify an online shop as serious, not all four seals of approval have to be available on the website. As soon as you find one of the four seals of approval, you can start from a secure online shop.
• Caution : dubious retailers still provide their online shops with quality seals. It is only a real seal of approval if you can interact with it. After clicking, you can either view reviews or you will be redirected to the website of the seal of approval.
• You will usually find the seal of approval at the top, at the bottom, or on the right side of the online shop.
• But the truth about seals of approval also includes: Companies have to actively request the review of their online shop and sometimes have to pay high fees for it. Smaller companies in particular often cannot handle this. An online shop without a seal of approval is therefore not automatically unsafe.

Find out more in the next practical tip on how to recognize wrong online shops.

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