I got my Google Ads account suspended for “counterfeit.”Turns out, if you sell custom covers or cases for iPhones, you can’t use the word “iPhone” anywhere on your website — even if you clearly mention in your description that you’re not affiliated with Apple or any other brand.
I had titles like “Funny Cat Case for iPhone 16 Pro.” I’ve been selling these products for almost four years, but at the beginning of October, my Google Ads account was suspended.
So, I decided to change my niche completely to custom-made T-shirts with motivational phrases like “Work Hard,” etc. I updated everything — my website, social media, and products.
But it’s been two weeks, and Google still hasn’t accepted my appeal. Today was my third attempt.Can someone explain what I might be doing wrong?
Google’s counterfeit goods policy is very strict about the use of trademarks in advertising. When you include terms like “iPhone 16 Pro” or brand names in your product titles it can trigger automated filters that classify your listings as counterfeit, even if you state you are not affiliated with the brand. A few steps that usually help get Merchant Center accounts reinstated:
Clean up your site and feed: Make sure all references to “iPhone” or other protected trademarks have been removed from product titles, descriptions, alt text and metafields. Delete any old phone case products from your Google feed so there is no lingering data in the Merchant Center.
Update your Merchant Center feed: After you switch to custom T‑shirts, regenerate and upload a fresh product feed containing only your new products. If you use Shopify’s Google & YouTube Sales Channel, resync it and remove any disapproved items.
Submit a detailed appeal: In your appeal you should explain that you previously sold compatible cases, have removed those items and brand references, and now sell original T‑shirts. Include screenshots or links showing that the site no longer references Apple products. Appeals often take a few business days.
Use generic descriptors going forward: Avoid using brand names in your ads (e.g. “phone case for 6.1 inch device” rather than “iPhone case”). Google treats trademark usage very cautiously.
If you have already cleaned up everything and multiple appeals have been denied, the only option may be to contact Google Ads support directly through their Merchant Center help form or start a new Merchant Center account. Unfortunately Shopify cannot override Google’s policy decisions, so reinstatement depends on satisfying their counterfeit policy requirements.
That sounds incredibly frustrating. The most likely reason your appeal is still being rejected, even after changing your niche, is that Google’s automated systems are still finding traces of your old business (mentions of “iPhone,” Apple, or phone cases) somewhere on your website. You need to do an exhaustive audit, check not just products, but also old blog posts, image alt text, policy pages, and even your sitemap for any lingering references.
It’s also possible that your domain or ads account still carries a flag from the serious “counterfeit” violation, making the review process much stricter. When you appeal again, be extremely detailed. Acknowledge the original likely cause, clearly state you have completely removed that business and audited the entire site, explain your new compliant niche (T-shirts), and politely request reinstatement based on the site’s current content.
google ads doesn’t allow you to market or sell counterfeit goods. by counterfeit goods, google is referring to those products that have a trademark or logo that is very identical or literally indistinguishable from the trademark or logo of another product (merchant).
in your case, as you yourself mentioned, the word “iPhone” causes issues.
please note that as per google’s policy, this is an egregious violation. meaning, google takes such issues very seriously as it takes believes this poses serious risk to users. and due to that, without any prior warning, your account will be suspended, and you will not be allowed to advertise on google again.
you can verify this information from google’s counterfeit goods page.
After a seller is flagged for counterfeit, Google’s system often keeps them on permanent review status, even after they rebrand. Appeals seldom clear when the original violation is still associated with the same Merchant Center or Ads account. The best option is to start over – new domain, new merchant center, new ads account – with clean content and verified business information.