Changed domain name and Google suspension for Misrepresentation

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Topic summary

A mature adult merchandise store was migrated from BigCommerce to Shopify, initially triggering a Google Merchant Center suspension for misrepresentation that was quickly resolved.

Second Suspension:
After changing the primary domain to the company’s initials (muf.com), Google suspended the account again. Despite re-verification and two review requests, the suspension remains in place.

Suggested Solutions:

  • Delete the existing data feed, verify the new domain URL, then submit a fresh feed with updated URLs
  • Check for potential policy violations, such as improperly migrated reviews from the old site
  • Ensure muf.com is properly verified in Google Search Console
  • Submit a detailed reconsideration request explaining the legitimate business reason for the domain change

Current Status:
The issue remains unresolved, with the merchant account still suspended despite following standard verification procedures.

Summarized with AI on October 30. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Recently I migrated a mature store from BigCommerce to Shopify. Adult merchandise. Put in all the 301’s, etc, etc. All went well, but Google suspended merchant account shortly afterwards for misrepresentation. The owner re-verified his details, and the account was cleared. We saw a marginal drop in sales, but it began to pickup nicely. However, the owner wanted to change the domain name to just the company initials muf.com which has been owned by the business for years, but previously just forwarded to the full domain name. As soon as we made muf.com the primary domain Google suspended the merchant account again. Client re-verified their identity and we did all the normal checks on the site (although nothing has changed except the primary domain name). We have requested the account be re-checked twice now, both times refused.

I have started going through the excellent document;

https://community.shopify.com/c/ecommerce-marketing/checklist-suspended-google-merchant-center-account-fix-amp/m-p/1086444/highlight/true#M39128

But if anyone has some specific suggestions they would be gratefully received.

1 Like
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When migrating you need to first delete the data feed.

Then verify the new website URL.

Then submit a new data feed with the new corrected URLs.

If you have done the above steps and you are still suspended, then you may have deeper issues, for example you have used the reviews from the old website.

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It sounds like Google flagged the domain change as a potential misrepresentation issue. Even though the domain change was legitimate, Google might have seen it as a significant shift, triggering their suspension protocol. To resolve this, make sure the new domain muf.com complies with all Google Merchant policies. Consider submitting a reconsideration request, clearly explaining the reason for the domain change. It may also help to ensure the new domain is correctly set up in Google Search Console and fully verified.