Google Merchant Suspension Confusion

[Leonbutler]

Has anyone had problems with Google Merchant suspending your account due to 'providing unsatisfying customer experience?' My Shopify store has only just gone live and google have said this 'UNTRUSTWORTHY PROMOTIONS (MISREPRESENTATION OF SELF OR PRODUCT'. But i dont know the reasons behind it or how to fix it. If anyone has some expertise here id be grateful as I'm a little confused by all this.

My website is Dialogclothingco.com

Thank you

[EmmanuelFlossie]

The most common issues are:

• Not adding full contact details (email, phone number, address, contact form): https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6363310?hl=en
• Not having a valid checkout: https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/9158778?hl=en
• Not having returns and refund, delivery, privacy policy and terms of service pages
• Selling products that are not allowed: https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6150006
• Selling products that are not stocked: https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6150127#:~:text=Unavailable%20promotions
• Not adding any added content, and simply copy-pasting other sites
• Having multiple websites in the same niche
• Not being honest with what you sell or how you portray the business
• Having a low trust factor

You can ask Google for specific examples of policy violation. To do so ask here and check the box, I need more info : https://support.google.com/merchants/contact/suspended

If Google replies with vague answers or when they say, the decision is final. Then your account is permanently suspended.

If you provide the community with more detailed information such as the website URL, we may be able to provide further guidance.

Hope this helps.

[Leonbutler]

Hi there

Thank you for the reply.

I have taken alot of time to add all the things you mentioned.  The 'trust' thing is impossible as i am a new brand.

I have mentioned my website above but here it is again - www.dialogclothingco.com 

I am a sustainable clothing brand, I use a fulfilment service so that i don't carry stock.....but this is very common in clothing sales..

id really appreciate some help as this is devastating for a new brand, and very unfair as my google Ads have all been stopped too.

[EmmanuelFlossie]

In that case the issue is more serious. Normally if both Google Ads and Merchant Center are suspended, is an indication of serious violation. Regardless if you are new or not, Google has very high requirements and most likely you did not check the policies and or comply with. Otherwise an account suspension would not be triggered.

Carefully investigate your site and compare this with Google's policies.

[Leonbutler]

But honestly how do you go about doing that?

Im new to this and the whole google world seems insane....Do they not want new businesses?  You say they have high standards which is great, but if you look at my website you can see i have complied where i can.    

Most people are not google geniuses......so how are we to know?

Im totally confused about the whole thing and dont even know where to begin.

As i stated above, this is the reasoning i have been given - (Untrustworthy promotions)UNTRUSTWORTHY PROMOTIONS (MISREPRESENTATION OF SELF OR PRODUCT)

[EmmanuelFlossie]

I understand your frustrations, everybody is in the same boat. You are not singled out.

For example your business address is missing. To increase your trust factor, add it.

If you want to advertise on Google, you must read the documents, or if you prefer to have help, you can hire me. I provide a full compliance analysis for Google Shopping. You can contact me on my website if you like.

I want to emphasize, that every business has to follow policies, if you don't you will get suspended. It does not matter if you have a business for 10 years or 1 day, everyone has to follow the same rules.

However as your Google Ads account is also suspended, the likely hood of getting approved again is extremely low to maybe even non existing. I specialize in Google Shopping. So I can help you with this, there is a different company that I know that helps with Google Ads suspensions. So once Google Merchant is running you can move on to the next task.

With regards to Google Ads, for example if you have once before created an account, or had a different business with a violation. There could be hundreds of reasons. Without carefully analyzing everything its hard to guide you.

[Leonbutler]

Will it affect my visibility on google?  through Organic SEO ect?

If i cant run ads then im not too annoyed if it doesnt affect my website as a whole as i can use other forms of advertising if i need to.

[EmmanuelFlossie]

In a way yes, because Google Shopping now has paid and organic listings. If your merchant center account is suspended you don't get listed.

[Leonbutler]

I'm not too bothered about being on google shopping.  As long as i can still show up on Google search through organic traffic.

Ive always found Facebook paid advertising to be alot more effective than Google for a clothing brand.....more visual.

There is nothing i can do about being suspended from google now anyway it seems, its far too confusing and how are you supposed to fix problems if you dont know what they are.......crazy.  Very frustrating after spending so much time and effort to start this brand to not even be given a chance from google considering i am just a clothing brand.

[Laur90993]

The same thing happened to me! I had to pay $4000 recently to have someone fix my account. It turns out linking Shopify is a BAD idea. It doesn’t send info to google in the formats they like. Removed standard feed and store and was reactivated after about a week. They didn’t capitalize the same letters as me and my personal number was on my Shopify account and google had my business number. 6 months of headache for it to be Shopify…… use an app other than google direct connect. They submit your input data not directly from your Shopify setup. Hope this helps someone! 

[KirstyRotorua]

@Laur90993 that is very interesting. I am having the same issues. I was originally suspended for Misrepresentation and followed the steps that Emmanuel has and requested a review. They came back and said that I was still suspended for low quality landing pages but they don't give specifics even though I asked for examples. What feed app are you using now, as I am currently using the default Shopify to Google feed. 

[EmmanuelFlossie]

Have a look in the below URL, this should get you started.

https://community.shopify.com/c/Ecommerce-Marketing/Checklist-Suspended-Google-Merchant-Center-Accou...