Guideline on ethical requirements, prohibited products, product authenticity and safety

Version: 31. August 2023

 

Our users trust in the quality, integrity and sustainability of the products offered on idealo. As a Partner, you must ensure that the products you offer are legally compliant and meet the requirements of this policy as set out below.

It defines what idealo considers to be inappropriate offers and content and it applies to all content presented on the idealo Websites.

The guidelines contain a non-exhaustive list. We expect our Partners to use these examples as a guide in order to make their own assessment in case of doubt. 

Offers and content (hereinafter collectively referred to as "content") that violate these guidelines may not be listed on idealo and may be subsequently removed by idealo without notice.

 

We do not tolerate offers and contents that violate our principles. These principles are violated in particular by

 

I. Contents and offers harmful to minors

1. Media harmful to minors
2. Depictions and textual content with pornographic content (except sex toys, provided they are not pornographically illustrated)

 

II. Depiction, practice and glorification of violence, crimes and weapons

1. Show or trivialise the use of violence (e.g. beatings, waterboarding, thumbscrews).
2. Inciting, advocating or instructing suicide
3. Firearms
4. Products that serve to exert violence, for example combat knives, batons, stun guns, etc.
5. Products specifically required for the manufacture of weapons and explosives
6. Reference or glorification to current war events (e.g. "Z")
7. Manuals, instructions, information or equipment for illegal acts, e.g. burglary tools, the construction of prohibited explosive devices or unlawful access to locking systems/devices, software, servers and websites

 

III. Medication, harmful and mind-altering substances

1. Prescription medicines
2. Tobacco products (e.g. cigars, cigarettes), but also corresponding electronic consumer goods (e.g. vaporisers, e-cigarettes, liquids)
3. Regulated hazardous substances (e.g. radioactive substances, pyrotechnics)
4. Mind-altering substances, illegal drugs as well as narcotics and accessories that serve or facilitate the corresponding consumption (e.g. fixer's equipment, snuff tubes, bongs).

 

IV. Violation of animal and species protection 

1. Trade in live animals
2. Products that promote cruelty to animals, inappropriate husbandry or violent behaviour of animals (e.g. dog kennels, spiked collars).
3. Real fur, skins of protected animal species and animal organs in general

 

V. Violation of environmental protection

Products containing environmentally harmful substances (e.g. glyphosate, neonicotinoids, water pollutants, hydrocarbons, heavy metals) 

 

VI. Infringement of intellectual property / violation of the Unfair Competition Act

1. Content that infringes the copyright and/or ancillary copyright of a third party (e.g. unauthorised use of material protected by copyright law such as texts, photos, software).
2. Content that infringes trademark, patent, design, design or utility model rights or other protected rights of a third party or violates the provisions of the supplementary fair trading protection (e.g. trademark infringements, product imitations, replicas).
3. Content that violates the Unfair Competition Act (UWG)
4. Illegally reproduced media or software
5. The listing and distribution of parallel, re- or grey imports is not permitted. In particular, not by using type designations of identical products.

 

VII. Product safety / warnings from public authorities

1. Products and product groups for which a CE or other marking is required shall bear it.
2. No products may be offered that have been recalled by the manufacturer or an authority.
3. We reserve the right to exclude offers for products from the listing on idealo if the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) or other public authorities advise against their use.

 

VIII. Products that may not be distributed via idealo

1. Tickets, admission tickets and event tickets
2. Archaeological finds
3. Products subject to a trade embargo or economic sanctions
4. Products from countries subject to trade embargoes or economic sanctions
5. Defective and incomplete articles
6. Articles with restrictions of use
7. Dirty, soiled, rusted articles 
8. Items with expired best before date
9. Stolen and illegally acquired products

 

IX. Other important principles

1. Homophobia, xenophobia, anti-Semitism or other types of racism, discrimination, defamation; generally all offers and content that violate human dignity.
2. Degrading portrayal, humiliation, rejection or ridicule based on appearance, physique, age, disability, health condition, skin colour, social status, vulnerable persons and groups, gender, sexuality, gender identity or sexual orientation, political opinion, belief or religious affiliation, their symbols and institutions, national or ethical origin. 
3. Any kind of agitation, spreading or presentation of conspiracy theories or misinformation.  
4. Insults or denigration of any kind, including of public figures and of states or state-like entities. 
5. Reference and proximity to anti-democratic, anti-constitutional, extremist or terrorist views, organisations, groups or parties such as Islamic State, ETA, NSU, Reichsbürger, Ku Klux Klan (KKK) as well as the slave trade and colonialism and any depiction of their symbols, slogans, products & brands. This applies especially to uncritical, trivialising and glorifying depictions.

Examples (not exclusive): The swastika, the Reich flag, the wolf nail, the Confederate flag, "White Power", "Blood & Honour", runic writing and terms with a "Nazi reference", for example "Heil", "Sieg", "Ehre", "Volk", "völkisch", "rein", "Blut", "(End)Lösung" "SS", "88", "18", "AH".

6. Symbols of motorbike clubs that are associated with or condone criminal offences. 
7. Depicting or glorifying human tragedies or human suffering (e.g. disasters, famines, violent crimes) and attempting to make economic capital out of them.
8. Offers on body parts and remains of humans.

 

Our top priority is to offer idealo users an environment of trust. Therefore, we reserve the right to take appropriate measures in the event of violations of these guidelines:

• Temporary removal of the offending content
• Permanent removal of the offending content
• Temporary blocking of all content
• Termination of the contractual relationship and removal of all offers

We reserve the right to decide in our sole discretion, taking into account your interests, whether or not content complies with our guidelines. If we determine that content is inadmissible, it may also be blocked without prior notice. We may report content that is relevant to criminal law.