Frequently asked questions

AdUncovered FAQs about reports, delivery and refunds

These AdUncovered FAQs answer the questions people ask before they check a seller: what the Free Quick Check and the paid reports cover, what to send us, how quickly reports arrive, how payment and refunds work, and what we can’t do. If you think you’ve been scammed, these AdUncovered FAQs don’t replace official help: contact your bank first, and for consumer complaints in South Africa see the National Consumer Commission.

QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU START

A few things worth knowing.

No. AdUncovered provides source-linked Search Results, not a verdict, opinion, recommendation or trust score. Source statements are attributed, and limitations are explained. Where source wording cannot be included safely, relevant source links are provided without reproducing that content.

The detail that makes the seller searchable, plus a clear description of the offer. That means the website address; the @handle or profile link for social media; the sender’s phone number for WhatsApp; the sender’s email address for email; or a handle or phone number for Telegram. Describe what was offered in a few sentences, including every name, price and promise. The form asks for the minimum that applies and won’t continue without it. If you have paid, choose Comprehensive and include dates, amounts, what you expected and the seller’s responses. Type or paste text from messages, receipts or screenshots. Files and screenshots are not accepted. See what to have ready before you start.

Research begins after successful payment confirmation. Most reports are ready within minutes: the Quick Report usually in 2–5 minutes and the Comprehensive Report usually in 5–10 minutes. If our automated tools can’t resolve something, a person reviews the report before release. It then usually arrives within 8 business hours, or up to 24 at busy times (Monday to Friday, excluding South African public holidays). We will email you if your report requires human review, then send your private download link when it is ready. The service does not provide a verdict.

Yes. If an order hasn’t arrived, a product differs from the advert or a seller is not responding after payment, the Comprehensive Report can present relevant Search Results and transaction or refund information you provide. The source-linked record can help you explain your concerns, but do not guarantee reimbursement or acceptance in a complaint or dispute. AdUncovered does not recover money or represent you legally. If you suspect a scam, take the immediate steps first; you do not need to buy a report to seek help.

We will email you if your report requires human review. When the PDF is ready, we email a private download link. Download your report within seven days of release. If an update or report email does not arrive, check your spam or junk folder.

Email confirming that an AdUncovered Quick Report is ready, with a private seven-day download link.
Email confirming that an AdUncovered Quick Report is ready, with a private seven-day download link.

QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU START

Is This For Me?

We research the available public information behind an offer: who is selling it, whether the advertised claims match the published details, relevant customer experiences and warnings, and what can or cannot be independently verified. Your report brings Search Results, source references and limitations together, whether you are considering buying or have already paid.

Yes. We investigate both small and high-value offers. The purchase price does not determine the research scope. Choose your report according to the questions you need answered and the depth of research required, rather than simply how much the offer costs.

We can research commercial offers where the seller or offer can be identified. A public link, @handle, phone number or email address is required, depending on where you saw the offer; a name alone is not enough to search. We investigate the specific seller and their claims, not just the platform hosting the advert. Our scope does not include accessing private accounts, contacting the seller on your behalf, providing legal advice or recovering funds.

We can research sellers outside South Africa where they can be identified and relevant public information is accessible. The availability of business records, customer information and other sources varies between countries. Your report explains any gaps and what could not be independently verified.

Yes, if you give us the detail we can search: the exact @handle or profile link for social media, or the sender’s phone number with country code for WhatsApp. Copy the advert or message wording into the form, including any names, prices, links and promises. We cannot see private chats, WhatsApp messages, closed groups or content behind a login, and we don’t accept screenshots. If an account has very little public presence, the report may find little; it then records exactly what was searched and what could not be confirmed.

Search engines and free checking tools can be useful starting points. AdUncovered researches your specific seller and offer within the selected report scope, records relevant source statements about the claims, and organises Search Results into one source-linked report. We explain inconsistencies and limitations instead of treating a working website or a lack of complaints as proof of trustworthiness. Alongside the web research, each report runs checks a search engine doesn’t show you: domain age, Google’s known-threat list and published warning lists. It also searches for official and consumer warnings about the type of offer described.

QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU START

Before Or After Buying

Yes. We research the seller and advertised claims, then present relevant Search Results with source references and limitations. Published warnings and differing statements are attributed to their sources. The report does not provide an opinion, verdict or recommendation, or guarantee that an offer is safe.

You can still request research. The Comprehensive Report can examine the seller, published terms and the transaction and refund information you provide in text form. It brings relevant Search Results and source references together with your supplied information, without an opinion, verdict or recommendation about what happened.

We do not recover money, negotiate with sellers or submit disputes on your behalf. Our research may help you identify relevant information to present when pursuing a refund or another recovery route. Whether money can be recovered depends on your circumstances and the organisation handling your request. Recovery is not guaranteed.

Yes. You can share it as a researched record of relevant Search Results, source references and limitations. The recipient decides what information they require and how they will assess it. The report does not replace your transaction records, constitute legal advice or guarantee acceptance as evidence.

Choose the Comprehensive Report when you need deeper research that includes the transaction chronology, payment or refund details you supply. The Quick Report remains available for a focused seller and offer check after purchase, but does not examine your individual transaction or assemble a refund claim.

Provide the seller details, what was promised, what you paid and when, what happened afterwards, and any refund requests or responses. Include the detail that makes the seller searchable: a link, @handle, phone number or email address, depending on where you saw the offer. Copy relevant wording into the form as text. No receipt or screenshot uploads are required or accepted. Do not include passwords, full card numbers or identity numbers.

QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU START

Choosing A Report

Choose the Quick Report for a focused check of one seller and one advertised offer. Choose the Comprehensive Report when you need broader research into the seller, claims, pricing, customer experiences and payment or refund terms. Comprehensive is also the appropriate option when you want the transaction and refund information you supply examined.

It focuses on serious warning signs, relevant customer complaints and reviews, and whether the advert matches the published offer, price and recurring charges. Seller identity is checked sufficiently to match the Search Results to the correct business. It does not investigate your individual transaction or assemble a refund claim.

It covers ten research areas: warning signs, business identity, website identity, product or service delivery, advert versus offer, full price, customer experiences, advertised claims, payment recipient, and refunds and support. Where supplied, it also examines your transaction chronology and refund-related information. Search Results depend on accessible public sources.

Quick research generally covers the past year; Comprehensive generally covers the past three years. Relevant court orders and trading restrictions have no age cutoff in either report. Comprehensive may include a limited older-history check where recent public information is scarce. Historical Search Results are dated and identified as historical, rather than presented as confirmation of current activity.

Your selections tell us what matters most to you and help prioritise the research. They do not exclude other material concerns discovered about the correctly identified seller within your chosen report’s scope. You can also describe a specific question, but we cannot promise that public information will provide an answer.

No. Broader research does not mean unlimited research or complete access to a seller’s activities. Some information may be private, unavailable, conflicting or impossible to verify independently. Your report explains these limitations. Neither report guarantees safety, and finding no relevant warnings does not prove that an offer is trustworthy.

QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU START

Submitting Your Request

Have your email address, the seller’s name or identifying details, a description of the offer and your main concerns ready. Also have the detail that makes the seller searchable: the website address, @handle or profile link, the sender’s phone number for WhatsApp, or the sender’s email address. A name alone is not enough. If you have already paid, describe what you expected and what actually happened. For Comprehensive research, include relevant transaction dates, payment details and refund correspondence in text form.

No. This version of the service accepts text-only submissions and links, not file uploads. Copy the relevant wording from adverts, messages, receipts or terms into the form. You do not need to reproduce an entire document: include the parts that explain the offer, your concern or what happened.

Type or paste the relevant wording, identifying who said it and when, where known. Keep quoted wording separate from your own explanation. If you summarise rather than quote, make that clear. Customer-supplied information is distinguished from Search Results obtained from public sources.

Provide what you know accurately. For optional details you cannot establish, leave them blank or explain that they are unknown. Do not guess a business identity, date or quoted statement. Clearly identifying the seller and explaining your concern helps us distinguish relevant Search Results from information about an unrelated business.

Include only what is relevant to explaining the offer or transaction. Do not submit passwords, PINs, one-time codes, full card numbers or identity-document numbers. When copying correspondence or receipt details, remove unnecessary personal information about yourself and other people. A payment date, amount and recipient name can explain a transaction without exposing account credentials.

QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU START

Trust And Payment

We use automated in-house tools to research available public information about the seller and offer. Reports present source-linked Search Results, not opinions, verdicts or recommendations. Where source wording cannot be included safely, relevant public source links are provided without reproducing the content. Human review may be required only when automated checks cannot determine a safe summary or relevant source link. Your report includes source references and limitations for you to examine.

After completing the form and reviewing your information, you proceed to checkout. Payment is processed through PayFast. The available payment methods and final amount are shown during checkout. Research starts only after successful payment confirmation.

We have enabled the following payment options through PayFast:

  • Credit and debit cards, including American Express.
  • Instant EFT.
  • Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay.
  • SnapScan, Zapper and supported QR-code payment apps.
  • Mobicred, SCode and RCS store cards.

Checkout displays the methods available for your particular payment. Some options depend on your device, account eligibility or transaction amount.

Yes. You can review the report price before proceeding with payment. If you have a discount code, enter it where requested. Valid codes are checked at checkout, where the final amount is confirmed. Check that any expected discount has been applied before paying.

Research starts after payment confirmation, so changing your mind does not automatically cancel the work or entitle you to a refund. If we cannot complete your report to the required standard, your order is eligible for a full refund. Review the service terms before paying; your applicable legal rights are unaffected.

We use it to prepare and deliver your report, operate the service, prevent misuse and provide support. Submit only relevant information, and do not include passwords, payment-card details or identity-document numbers. The Privacy Policy linked from the request form explains how personal information is handled.

Use the Contact page on the AdUncovered website or email support@aduncovered.com. If your enquiry concerns an existing request, include your report or order reference and a short explanation of the issue. Do not send passwords or sensitive payment information.

More about the research behind persuasive offers: Scam Research. Have another question? Contact AdUncovered.

BEFORE BUYING · AFTER PAYING

Considering a purchase?
Concerned about one you’ve made?
Get a clearer picture.

A professional advert is not proof. A website score is not the whole story. Get source-linked Search Results about the seller and the promises made, within the scope of your chosen report.

Before you buy or after you’ve paid, examine the Search Results.

Choose your report

View a sample report (PDF). Already paid and concerned? Choose the Comprehensive Report. If you suspect a scam, read our immediate guidance first; a paid report is not a prerequisite for seeking help.