July 28, 2026, 11:20 am | Read time: 3 minutes
A ruling by the Starnberg District Court could impact how fraudulent online shops are handled. For the first time, Google in Germany has been ordered to compensate a user for financial losses from a purchase made at a fake shop advertised through a search ad.
Purchase Through Ad Led to Loss of Nearly 490 Euros
The case began with a man’s search for an affordable bike rack in July 2025. Through a Google Shopping ad, he landed on the website of a supposed retailer from Stuttgart.
He ordered the desired product there and paid 489.99 euros in advance. However, the goods were never delivered. It later emerged that the professionally designed offer was a fake shop.
Since the money could not be recovered, the buyer demanded compensation from Google. The Starnberg District Court awarded him the purchase price and 202.30 euros in pre-litigation attorney fees in its ruling on July 5, 2026. Additionally, Google must cover the legal costs. This information comes from an email from RATIS Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH, which TECHBOOK has received.
Court Sees Duty to Investigate After Specific Alerts
In its decision, the court considered that the website in question had already been classified as a fake shop by a consumer protection organization and reported to Google before the purchase.
Moreover, the site could be identified as highly suspicious with publicly available verification tools without much effort. Nevertheless, Google continued to prominently display the ad in search results.
The court saw this as a breach of contractual protection obligations. Although users access the search engine for free, the court believes Google receives data and attention that the company can monetize. The court did not derive a general obligation to identify every fraudulent provider from this. However, after specific alerts, appropriate technical and organizational checks are expected.
Court Requires Platforms to Actively Search for Illegal Content
Sparkasse Must Refund Customers €10,000!
Significance of the Ruling Remains Limited for Now
The decision does not create automatic liability for every fraud case through search ads. Google did not file a response to the lawsuit, so the plaintiff’s factual presentation was deemed admitted.
Also of interest: Google significantly restricts popular Android feature
Additionally, this is a single case decision by a district court. Other courts are not bound by it. However, the ruling is final for Google, as the conditions for a regular appeal were not met.
The impact of the decision on future proceedings is still uncertain. Key factors will likely include whether Google was aware of a fraudulent offer before the purchase and whether a direct link between the ad and the order can be proven.
(Update) Google Issues Statement
Google has since responded to a TECHBOOK inquiry as follows:
“The ruling by the Starnberg District Court was made without Google’s input and is based solely on the plaintiff’s statements. We consider the decision to be flawed and are reviewing legal steps against it.”
A Google spokesperson