Use the Report button on any listing page. Describe the issue, suspected stolen, misdescribed, duplicate, and our team reviews it within 24 hours. Confirmed violations get the listing removed and the seller suspended.
How to Report a Suspicious Listing
Cyclesite's safety depends on two things: the automatic checks we run on every listing, and the eyes of our users. If something looks wrong, tell us, we would rather investigate a false alarm than miss a real problem.
What to Report
Use Report this listing or Report user for anything that looks off:
- Suspected stolen bikes. Frame number obscured, ground off, or missing from the photos. Price implausibly low. Seller evasive about the bike's history.
- Misleading descriptions. Condition, specification, year or components that disagree with the photos.
- Fake photos. Images lifted from a manufacturer's website or another listing.
- Off-platform payment requests. Any seller asking for cash, bank transfer, PayPal, cryptocurrency, or payment outside Cyclesite.
- Scam patterns. Unusually urgent pressure to complete, requests to move the conversation to WhatsApp or email, broken-English generic replies, sellers who refuse viewings or basic questions.
- Prohibited items. Non-bike listings, safety-recalled bikes without clear disclosure, or counterfeits.
- Harassment or threats. In messages or on the listing itself.
How to Submit a Report
From the listing. Scroll to the bottom of the listing page and choose Report this listing. Pick the closest reason from the drop-down, add a short description, and submit.
From a message thread. Open the thread, tap the three-dot menu, and choose Report this conversation. The whole thread is included for context automatically.
From a user profile. Visit the seller or buyer's profile and choose Report user.
By email. If the form is not appropriate (for example, you are reporting an account that has already been deleted, or escalating a previous report), email safety@cyclesite.co.uk with the listing URL or username, a summary and any evidence.
What Happens Next
1. Acknowledged, you receive an email confirming the report within a few minutes. 2. Triaged, within one working day a Trust and Safety team member reviews the report. Listings that look problematic on first review are paused while we investigate. 3. Investigated, we contact the reported user for their side, check the evidence you provided, and cross-reference with account history. Most investigations complete within one to two working days. 4. Resolved, the listing is either reinstated (false positive), kept live with corrections (misleading description corrected), or permanently removed (stolen, scam, or serious policy breach). Confirmed scams result in account suspension; confirmed stolen bikes are reported to the original registered owner and the relevant police force. 5. You are notified, unless you chose to report anonymously, we email you the outcome.
Confidentiality
Your identity is never shared with the person being reported. We do not tell a seller who reported them, not directly, and not through hints in our communication with them. If we need more information we contact you on the email registered to your Cyclesite account.
Emergency Concerns
If you believe a crime is in progress, a bike is being stolen now, a scam is actively taking someone's money, contact the police on 999 (emergency) or 101 (non-emergency) first, then report to Cyclesite so we can act on the listing. We cooperate directly with UK police forces on bike-theft cases.
What We Are Not Investigating
A few reports we cannot act on:
- Disputes about condition after purchase. Use the Buyer Protection dispute flow on your order page, see [How Buyer Protection works](/help/buying/buyer-protection).
- Seller rating disagreements. Once a review is published, we only remove it for clear policy breaches (harassment, fabricated claims). Genuine negative feedback stays.
- Personal disputes. If you and another user have fallen out over something outside the platform, we cannot mediate.
Frequently asked questions
What happens after I report a listing?
A Trust and Safety team member reviews every report within one working day. If the listing looks problematic on first review, it is paused while we investigate. You are notified of the outcome unless you submitted anonymously.
Is my report confidential?
Yes. Your identity is never shared with the person being reported. If we need more information we contact you directly through the email on your account.
What should I include in a report?
The listing URL (or seller username for buyer reports), a clear summary of the concern, and any supporting evidence you have, screenshots, message history, external links. The more specific you are, the faster we can act.
What if the seller asks me to pay outside Cyclesite?
That is a clear terms-of-service breach, report it. Off-platform payment removes Buyer Protection, transit insurance and dispute resolution. We take payment-circumvention reports seriously because it is the single biggest fraud pattern in online marketplaces.
Can I report a private message rather than a listing?
Yes. Every message thread on Cyclesite has a Report button. Use it for threats, harassment, attempts to move the sale off-platform, or requests to buy a stolen bike. Messages are reviewed with the same confidentiality and timescale as listing reports.