Check criteria of the shop seal
What the Fakeshop AI seal states, how we check and when a seal stops being valid. You can point your customers to this page as the reference for the check criteria.
What the seal states
The seal confirms: the domain named on the certificate passed the automated Fakeshop AI shop check at the most recent check that returned a result. If the shop could not be reached during a check, it is checked again after about two hours; until then the previous status applies. The statement applies to that one domain and to the time of the last check with a result.
The seal is not a certification. It says nothing about solvency or the quality of goods.
What you need for a seal
A seal is only issued once all four points are met.
Company check
The merchant submits company data and proof of the commercial-register entry. We review the documents before we approve a seal.
Domain proof
The merchant proves control of the domain with a DNS record or a file on the web server. The seal is valid on that domain and on www.<domain>. Other subdomains count as foreign sites. The main domain is the one that is checked.
Shop check passed
The shop runs through the automated check and has to pass it.
Booked package
The seal is part of a paid package with a one-year term.
None of these requirements can be replaced by a payment.
What we look at in your shop
The seal uses the same check Fakeshop AI runs for every public shop check. It looks at eight feature groups:
- Legal notice and provider
- Trade register and VAT ID
- Domain, server and encryption
- Payment methods and money flow
- Warning lists and security services
- Reviews and reputation
- Trust seals
- Content and connections
The check is passed when the overall assessment is “No major warning” and the result reaches an internal minimum. We do not publish points, weights or thresholds, so that nobody can game the check.
The certificate page lists the features that were met at the last check with a result.
How often we check
Every valid seal is checked once a day. Each check fetches the shop afresh and does not use a stored result.
Suspended seals continue to be checked at the same interval. The certificate page states the time of the last check. The seal in the shop may show its status cached in the browser for up to five minutes.
When the seal is suspended
Check not passed
If the assessment is no longer “No major warning” or the minimum is not reached, we suspend the seal.
Shop unreachable
If the shop cannot be reached for the check, we check again after about two hours. If the second check also fails, the seal is suspended.
Errors on our side
If a check fails because of an error on our side, the status stays unchanged for the time being. If our check returns no result for three days, the seal is suspended.
Display
A suspended seal shows its state. The certificate page gives the reason and lists the suspension in the history.
Reactivation
If the shop passes a later check again, the seal is reactivated without an application. The merchant receives an email on every change.
When the seal ends
End of term
At the end of the term the seal has expired. The end date is on the certificate page.
Withdrawal
If fraud is suspected, we withdraw the seal. A withdrawn seal does not become valid again through a later passed check.
Cancellation
The merchant can cancel the seal. It then ends immediately and the certificate page shows “cancelled”. A later new application is possible and creates a new identifier.
Expired, withdrawn and cancelled seals remain available via their certificate page and show their status there.
How to verify that a seal is genuine
Click the seal
A genuine seal is a link. It leads to a certificate page on fakeshop.ai.
Check the address in the browser
The address bar has to show fakeshop.ai. If the click leads to a different address or nowhere, the seal proves nothing.
Compare the domain
The certificate page names the domain the seal applies to. It has to match the shop you came from.
Read status and date
The seal is only valid with the status “Valid”. Next to it you see when the last check took place.
For an unknown identifier the page states that this seal does not exist. If a seal is embedded on another domain or another subdomain, it shows the notice “Not issued for this site” there.
What is not checked
The check sees the shop’s site and public sources. These points are not part of it:
No buyer protection
We do not cover purchases and do not refund money.
No legal texts
We do not supply terms and conditions, a withdrawal notice or a privacy policy.
No protection against cease-and-desist letters
We do not represent you in the event of a cease-and-desist letter and are not liable for your texts.
No test purchase
We do not place orders. We do not see delivery, goods or customer service.
No legal review
We check whether a legal notice, terms and a withdrawal notice are present. We do not check whether they hold up legally.
Who issues the seal
The seal is issued by Fakeshop AI. The operator’s name and address are in the legal notice.
The daily check runs automatically. Approval after the company check is decided by a person.