Our Google Merchant Center account for Shopify store Google Shopping was suspended...

[SergioKostas]

Our Google Merchant Center account for Shopify store Google Shopping was suspended due to policy violation: Misrepresentation. We checked all the Policies on the website and all related things such as Address, Phone etc. - everything is real and working (by our humble opinion). We sell wines in US - it's not forbidden and our search Google Ads was working before we launched Google Shopping. Google Ads and Merchant Center support are just sending us their rules and policies. Unfortunately, we can't find the answer there.

Recently we had some issues with the Product Barcode field on Shopify - we have no barcodes on the bottles and in invoices so we can't fill in this field for our Products on Shopify, but we set up all the products as Custom Product by the suggestion of Shopify support. Might be this is the issue and what could be done in general and in details to solve the problem - unsuspend the Google Ads account? Who could kindly help us please?

[sampymishra · Accepted solution]

Hi @SergioKostas 

Your merchant center is suspended because of the kind of product you are selling. You are selling wine, so your store is not advisable to customers who are not adults, so if you mark your account as "Adult" and apply for a review. This will ensure your account is resuspended. 

Here is how you can do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgup1a4jHh0

If you do not have a proper barcode, leave the barcode field empty. This might give you a warning, but that should be fine. 

Here is a helpful article that might be useful: https://blog.adnabu.com/google-merchant-center/how-to-fix-gtin-errors/

Please let me know if the issue still persists.

[sampymishra · Accepted solution]

Hi @SergioKostas 

Your merchant center is suspended because of the kind of product you are selling. You are selling wine, so your store is not advisable to customers who are not adults, so if you mark your account as "Adult" and apply for a review. This will ensure your account is resuspended. 

Here is how you can do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgup1a4jHh0

If you do not have a proper barcode, leave the barcode field empty. This might give you a warning, but that should be fine. 

Here is a helpful article that might be useful: https://blog.adnabu.com/google-merchant-center/how-to-fix-gtin-errors/

Please let me know if the issue still persists.

[SergioKostas]

Hi @sampymishra ! Appreciate your feedback. Making account as "Adult" might help, we'll check it out. Thank you, especially for the links.

[EmmanuelFlossie · Accepted solution]

Misrepresentation typically refers to discrepancies between the physical reality of your business and its portrayal on your website.
 
For instance, inconsistencies may arise when the actual physical location of your business aligns differently from the information provided on your website, Google Merchant Center settings, public social media profiles, or other connected accounts. All these details must align and reflect the physical reality of your business.

Operating your business in one geographic region while asserting that the corporate entity is based in a different jurisdiction.
 
The practice of setting up a virtual address or business in a location where your company does not operate is a typical example of misrepresentation.
 
Additionally, the overall quality of your website can be a form of misrepresentation. Therefore, it's essential to improve your website and populate it with original, high-quality content and not to copy-paste information from other websites.
 
Trust indicators such as your Google Business Profile, Better Business Bureau (BBB) accreditation, and genuine customer reviews are critical to fostering a sense of legitimacy and reliability.
 
Neglecting to include essential policies in the footer of your website can lead to misrepresentation. Instead, ensure all necessary policies are articulated and accessible to users for transparency and compliance.

Another example of this could be advertising a discounted price for an item, even though the product has not been sold at its alleged original price in recent history.

Copying content from other websites, including details items such as "About Us" pages or policy statements, is regarded as misrepresentation. 

Failure to maintain inventory or lack of knowledge regarding stock quantity levels.

Any discrepancy on your website or in your Google Merchant Center account that deviates from absolute truthfulness can be perceived as misleading, which could potentially be the reason for suspension.

[SergioKostas]

@EmmanuelFlossie Thank you very much for detailed information! But as far as I know all the things you described are OK on the website, but we'll make double check anyway. And we'll try 'Trust indicators' - it's good idea, thanks