And Imogen, the retired shopify staff is copying and pasting the same answers to store owners since almost two years.
Topic summary
Multiple merchants report sudden account terminations by Shopify’s Trust & Safety team for alleged violations of the Acceptable Use Policy, specifically related to selling unauthorized branded products.
Common Complaints:
- Merchants claim they have proper authorization and offered to provide documentation (authorization letters, supplier contacts)
- Shopify allegedly refuses to review evidence or engage in meaningful dialogue
- Email responses from Trust & Safety are slow (days between replies) or non-existent (some report 20-26 days without response, one claims 2 months of being ignored)
- Live support directs users back to email communication but provides no direct assistance
Financial Impact:
- Funds are held in reserve for 120 days post-termination
- Some merchants report thousands of dollars withheld
- Several describe this as their sole income source being eliminated overnight
Official Response:
Shopify Community staff can only advise users to:
- Reply to termination emails received from Trust & Safety
- Contact live support (though acknowledged to have limited access to these cases)
- Cannot discuss account-specific details in the public forum
Status: Unresolved. Multiple merchants express frustration with what they perceive as inadequate customer service and lack of due process. Several warn others against using the platform.
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