I’m looking for advice from other Shopify store owners who may have dealt with a similar issue.
My store, The Borough Collection LLC, sells authentic designer and Middle Eastern fragrances. My Google Merchant Center account was previously suspended, but that issue has since been resolved after Google verified my business and identity. My products are active in Merchant Center, and I do not currently see product-level issues there.
However, my Google Ads account remains suspended, and the reason provided relates to Google’s counterfeit goods policy. I have appealed more than once, but the responses have been very vague and do not identify which product, page, listing, or wording is supposedly causing the issue.
To be clear, my store does not sell replicas, knockoffs, imitation products, or counterfeit goods. I have also updated my website to make this clearer by adding trust information, authenticity statements, business details, contact information, and store policies. My product pages use my current domain and appear to match my Shopify/Google Merchant setup.
At this point, I’m trying to figure out what else could be triggering the suspension. I’m wondering if anyone here has experience here.
This was the notification i got:
"Your account may be suspended if content in your ad, website, or app is found to be promoting counterfeit goods. Counterfeit goods contain a trademark or logo that is identical to or substantially indistinguishable from the trademark of another. They mimic the brand features of the product in an attempt to pass themselves off as a genuine product of the brand owner.
The following is not allowed:
-Products described using terms like knock off, replica, imitation, clone, faux, fake, mirror image, or similar terms when referring to a brand name in an attempt to pass themselves off as genuine products of the brand owner
-Non-genuine products that mimic brand features in an attempt to pass themselves off as a genuine product"
I would really appreciate any guidance, examples, or steps that worked for you. I’m especially interested in knowing what areas of my Shopify store, product feed, or Google Ads setup I should review before submitting another appeal.
counterfeit goods is just the name of the policy flag, so do not take it literally. your products can be fully legitimate and original and still trigger this violation.
common reasons include a direct trademark owner complaint (only that brand can authorize you), unverifiable supply chain or inventory, prices that sit too high or too low against market norms, missing physical address verification, or anything that creates confusion about product origin.
appeals are reviewed by policy teams, not support, and repeated identical responses usually signal a permanent ban. some suspensions cannot be fixed regardless of what you change on the store.
This is typically derived from signals rather than a single clear product. For perfume shops, check all product titles, descriptions, images and variants for misuse of brand names, tester products, decants, inspired by wording, duplicate UPCs or stock images with altered company logos. Take out language such as compare to or similar to. If a branded item is a genuine unopened retail product please state that. Include invoices or manufacturer authorization letters available for appeal. Verify policies, refund information, business location, and consistent contact information on Shopify, Merchant Center and Ads. Also review your apps that generate feeds — stale titles can stick around. Send a clean feed first, then re-appeal.
Hi @Andrew013 , I am more happy to share the solution. First, I will let you know. from one month, Google has a very strict policy for Approval - Google Merchant Center. Also, if it’s not approved, then the Ads account will be restricted. " Most of the merchants are struggling, and we helped them directly. "Personally, we made the private checklist; hopefully, it will work - if you’ve got the solution.. simply marked as - Solution
" Store content part + GMC setting = then will run the ads on Google ."
- Legal business name consistent across website (header, footer, policies)
- Store name matches Shopify backend settings
- Complete address (City, State, Country) that is verifiable on Google Maps
- Working contact number (no dummy numbers)
- Official domain-based email ID
- About Us page with real business information (no generic content)
2. Policy Pages Compliance
- Shipping Policy: Clear timelines, origin, and delivery expectations.
- Return & Refund Policy: Conditions and timelines clearly defined.
- Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.
- Ensure: No copied/templated content, no vague language, and policies align with actual operations.
- All policy pages must be indexable (not blocked via robots.txt).
3. Product Page Compliance
- Unique product descriptions (no supplier copy-paste).
- Correct and transparent pricing (no fake discounts or hidden charges).
- Accurate product variant details (color, size, etc.).
- Clear shipping information on product pages.
- No misleading claims (false urgency or fake scarcity).
- Realistic product images (avoid using only supplier creatives).
4. Reviews & Social Proof
- No imported or fake reviews.
- Limited reviews for new stores (2–5 max) and no duplicate or same-date reviews.
- “Verified” tag only if authentic.
- If no reviews, show “Be the first to review.”
5. Website Trust Signals
- FAQ section available.
- Clear contact page with response expectations.
- Secure payment icons visible.
- Basic brand story on homepage.
- No exaggerated claims (e.g., “#1 Brand” without proof).
6. Technical & Data Consistency
- Product prices match between the website and the GMC feed.
- Currency consistent across all pages.
- No broken links or placeholder/dummy pages.
- SSL enabled (HTTPS).
- Website is fully functional (especially checkout flow).
- No app errors or popups affecting user experience.
7. Inventory & Messaging Consistency
- No “Low stock” messaging on sold-out products.
- Stock levels reflect actual availability.
- No misleading urgency banners.
8. Branding & Content Consistency
- Brand name and domain name align with brand identity.
- Banner text matches visuals.
- Brand positioning aligns with products sold.
9. Geographic & Legal Consistency
- Domain, business address, and target country aligned.
- Address verifiably publicly.
- Regional compliance (e.g., EU/Sweden laws if targeting the EU).
- No multi-market confusion without localization.
10. URL & Store Structure
- Clean, professional product URLs (no draft slugs).
- No foreign-language URLs unless intentional.
- No signs of reused or recycled store templates.
11. Dropshipping Transparency (If Applicable)
- Realistic shipping timelines are clearly mentioned.
- No misleading “fast shipping” claims.
- Clear fulfillment expectations.
12. Feed-Level Validation (Important)
- Titles and descriptions match landing pages.
- Availability in feed matches website.
- GTIN/MPN accurate (if applicable).
- No promotional text in titles (e.g., “Best”, “Cheap”).
- Image links are working properly.
Identified Issues in Current Case
- Critical: Store name inconsistency (backend vs frontend), fake sale pricing (Command Luxe Set), banner vs text mismatch, and incorrect product variant details.
- High: Draft/unoptimized product URL slugs and incorrect stock messaging.
- Medium: Seasonal messaging inconsistency.
Advanced Misrepresentation Signals to Address:
- Domain vs location mismatch and non-verifiable address.
- Policy pages blocked via robots.txt.
- Foreign-language URLs (signal of store reuse).
- Brand mismatch with products and missing regional legal compliance.
Hi @Andrew013, the others have covered the GMC checklist and misrepresentation signals well. I want to add one angle that is specifically relevant to your situation as an authentic fragrance retailer.
The core problem Google Ads has with stores selling branded fragrances is not always the products themselves but the absence of provenance signals. When Google’s automated system scans your product pages and cannot find clear evidence of how you source those brands, it pattern-matches to counterfeit risk even when you are entirely legitimate. This is different from a GMC misrepresentation suspension and requires a different fix.
The specific things that help with the Ads-level counterfeit flag for a legitimate reseller of branded products are: an explicit sourcing statement on your About page (where you obtain your inventory, that you are an authorised or secondary market reseller, and what your authentication process looks like), supplier or distributor references where you can share them, and product descriptions that describe the fragrance in your own words rather than copied manufacturer text. Copied manufacturer copy is one of the pattern signals automated systems use.
One thing most people do not connect: the same structured product data that satisfies Google’s trust signals now also determines whether AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Mode recommend your store when someone searches for the fragrances you carry. If your product pages have thin or copied descriptions, you are invisible to AI-driven discovery as well as at risk on Google Ads. Fixing the content layer solves both problems at once.
On the appeals side: Amlani is right that repeated identical appeals signal permanence to the review team. Your next appeal should be substantially different in structure, should reference the specific content changes you made, and should be submitted from the interface in Google Ads rather than Merchant Center, as the Ads-level ban is a separate review queue.
It’s ok. If you weren’t suspended for this, your account most likely would have been suspended for misrepresentation anyway.
Your website and business model don’t fit Google Merchant Center’s very lengthy policies and high standards, including having direct control over your own inventory.
Hey, this is a frustrating but common pattern in the fragrance category specifically. GMC and Google Ads enforce different things, so passing GMC review doesn’t always clear Ads — Ads’ counterfeit policy scans a wider surface.
A few things that often trigger the counterfeit flag for fragrance sellers:
1. Brand names in product titles. Even for authentic stock, using “Chanel” or “Dior” in product titles without authorized reseller status often trips the policy. Rephrase to “Authentic [Brand] [Product] [Size]” with explicit authenticity language, or move brand names out of titles and into metafields/specs.
2. Product imagery. Using brand-owned photography — even press kit images — without license can flag. Use your own photos against neutral backgrounds.
3. Middle Eastern fragrances specifically. Brands like Lattafa, Armaf, Rasasi often get confused with replicas because the category includes a lot of “inspired by” products. Make it unmistakable in descriptions that the brand is an independent fragrance house, ideally linking to their official brand page.
4. Old or buried content. Google scans everything — old blog posts, product reviews, customer testimonials mentioning “alternative to” or “similar to [Western brand]” trigger the policy even when the products themselves are clean. Audit and remove.
5. Appeal strategy. Vague appeals get vague responses. Pull supplier invoices proving authentic sourcing. Submit a focused appeal naming the specific products you reviewed, exact changes you made, and offer to provide authenticity documentation on request.
If you want a free audit, I built a tool called ShieldKit (shieldkit.app) that scans Shopify stores for compliance issues — no install needed. Won’t catch every counterfeit signal but surfaces structured-data and policy gaps that often compound the problem.