Merchant Center account has been suspended for Misrepresentation of self or product

Shopify Discussion
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Hi, we are facing some issues with our merchant center past few weeks.

we got this mail form google,

Dear Google Merchant Center User,

Merchant Center Account: xxxxx

The requested Shopping Ads Policy review of your Merchant Center account has been completed. To identify the current enforcement status of your Merchant Center account, visit the Diagnostics page in Merchant Center.

Your Merchant Center account is in violation of the following policies:

Misrepresentation of self or product (Untrustworthy promotions)

UNACCEPTABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES

Your Merchant Center account has been suspended for violation of the Unacceptable Business Practices policy.

Google doesn’t want users to feel misled by the content promoted in Shopping offers.

In determining whether a merchant and/or site meets our requirements we may review information from multiple sources including your website, product listings, accounts and third party sources.

Once you have addressed these violations, you may use the “Request review” button located on the Account Issues tab on the Diagnostics page of your Merchant Center account to request account reevaluation. Learn more about the “Request review” button.

If you believe there’s been an error, we want to help. Contact your Account Manager or find out how to contact us by visiting support.google.com/merchants/

Sincerely,

The Google Merchant Center Team

we do not misrepresent any product or self details. we are looking for your help to solve the issue.

our Website link: https://ivego.app/

2 Likes
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Hi @Gunasekar ,

Have you reached out to Google directly about this? I’m thinking they might be best to look into why this might be as Shopify wouldn’t have much to do with what the Google Merchant center approves or disapproves. You can see their help center support page here and the contact is at the bottom highlighted in the screenshot below:

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Let me know if there is something more Shopify specific and I can take a closer look into it for you.

Thanks, Nick

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We have contacted google ads team many times. But there is no proper
response and not given the exact problem in our account. Also there is no
call support to explain about our business activities.

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I can see how that could be very frustrating for sure.

From what you mentioned in your initial topic, they say it has violated something in their Unnaceptebale business policy linked here. Is there anything in the policy you feel could be the cause of this? I wish there was more Shopify or I could do or tell you, but this would be something you need to talk to Google about directly.

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You need to add a business address and opening hours. As you are suspended, the requirements are now higher then normal.

There could be many reasons, I recommend having a look at the following policies:

You can ask Google for specific examples of policy violation. To do so ask here and check the box, I need more info : https://support.google.com/merchants/contact/suspended

Hope this helps.

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Hi All,

My GMC was suspended for "unacceptable business practices ". Turned out it was because of a shopify app I was using for pop ups and getting customer e mails . There are so many websites i see that get emails like this but may be their pop ups come a little later or on exit or are integrated and not intrusive.

However, after I removed it, my suspension was not lifted and the reason now given is "misrepresentation ". I have updated all pages and contact info, am not dropshipping. Is there something else on my hero image that is misleaidng ? Or anything else ?

Should you be selling exactly what is on your hero image ( everything ) and the link should take you to buy the exact same thing ? I am using a lifestyle image and not selling all the things I have. Could that be an issue ?

Appreciate any help by you experts . My website is

https://decormantra.com.au/

Thanks all

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There can be many issues, to find out all the issues the website and feed needs to be fully analyzed. If you want to do this yourself, then you need to check the policies.

Please also note that now trust factor is a criteria. Meaning if your trust signals are low, you will not get approved regardless of following policies. And you will need to work on this.

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Did any one get to the bottom of this?

I am having the same issues and the response from Google is pathetic! they keep cutting and pasting the same rubbish and expect me to resolve something they will not tell me what it is I am supposed to resolve!

My last ticket I changed to call me not email me and they email me again with the same cut and paste. I reached out to shoplifty to ask their help and the response was very detailed and went thru their list and again we are not doing anything on there

Frustrating is not the word I am feeling at the moment, but more annoyed google employs people to cut and paste every response without any explanation

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I’m having the exact same issue and the exact same cut and paste response from google. They are not helpful at all, extremely frustrating.

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SO I deleted the merch account, the ad account and the email that it associates with

Went down the list of contact page, shipping, clear pricing etc etc and then applied for google again

Guess what “Account suspended due to policy violation: Misrepresentation”

Seriously - I have sent them another email and asked no less that 10 times - show me on my website where the problem is, do not reply with a cut and paste response

I wait to see what they say, bet you it is cut and paste reply

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Google has for around 3 or 4 years started to not provide details regarding suspensions. The reason is that spammers and dishonest merchants abuse Google Shopping and if they know how to circumvent policy violations then their platform will fail. As nobody would trust Google Shopping to buy products.

This means honest merchants that struggle to implement policy requirements, suffer.

This is a sad reality.

4 Years ago, if I forgot to implement something for a client, Google would explain what I need to do. Since then no such info is provided.

My advice, either study up on the policies, learn from others’ mistakes, do research etc… Or hire someone to help you.

Also the reason there are so many strict rules is that a top executive at Google got scammed on a product that he bought on Google Shopping. Due to this scam, the top level executive enforced stricter policies and how suspensions are handled. Just a little back story on the main reason.

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So. Recently I have discovered what is causing misrepresentation, here are some crucial reasons:

  1. Dropshipping - under google Policy, you cannot sell with them dropshipped products.

  2. If in the past you had some company but right now it doesn’t exist anymore, you need to delete it from google.

  3. You need to register your company (LLC will do the work, DBA no)

  4. If in the past you have opened a Gmail account with some other name, or nickname, you need to correct this and put your real data.

  5. you need to have exactly the same data within other big providers ( Apple, Microsoft, Yahoo, etc), yes Google is checking this.

  6. in all Google services you need to have the exact same information about yourself and your company, you can be rejected even if you’ll put a “.” in the wrong place.

  7. Another thing which is being checked by google - sale & resale permission.

Hopefully, this will help you!

PS: I know those things because been sitting with google rep on the phone for more than 2 hours and my account won’t gonna be unsuspended, because in 2009 I have opened an email account with the address from another country, where I have been living, in my situation problem is that I do not remember the login to that account

Edit: He have given me a hint on how to resolve this problem, but in my situation, it won’t gonna work because it includes “right’s to be forgotten” with all services (Facebook, Microsoft, Google, eBay, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc) I am running a couple of businesses and I cannot do that, everything that I have been building my whole life will disappear.

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Thanks ill have to look into this further since i do have drop shipped items available on my site and i am a DBA. I don’t see why they wouldn’t allow a DBA since its a perfectly valid business.

I appreciate the reply and hope this resolves my issues!

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Well update from us

I have deleted every product from the google manage service, I have deleted every product from the google side as well so showing zero products to be advertised from shopify and zero products been received from google

click review and same again “misrepresentation”

Just deleted the merc account, ad account and google account and will try again in a weeks time with no products, if it comes back same again, then really have no idea

www.samsophia.co.uk if anyone has any suggestions (i know the phone number is missing, but this told bu Shopify and Google that it is not needed)

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I think that it is connected to the taxes, but not sure

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@Anonymous

  1. Drop shipping is allowed, there is currently no restrictions. This was the case 3+ years ago, since then the only requirement is to stock products. more info: https://feedarmy.com/kb/can-you-drop-ship-on-google-shopping/

  2. That sounds correct

  3. There is no such requirement

  4. That sounds correct

  5. That is correct, however only public data

  6. That sound correct, not sure about the dot, but yes I would make sure everything is correct

  7. That is correct on certain brands that have serious issues with spam, dishonest merchants, counterfeit related products, or digital licenses such as Microsoft software

Lastly, yes having multiple businesses tends to be a negative, in general 1 business = 1 website.

@Jinsted deleting accounts and recreating it, is a serious violation and its called circumventing policy violation. IE you are trying to avoid the policy. This may cause a permanent ban.

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Thanks for replies

Maybe taxes - I have looked at this over and over

@Jinsted deleting accounts and recreating it, is a serious violation and its called circumventing policy violation. IE you are trying to avoid the policy. This may cause a permanent ban.

This is incorrect both Shopify and Google advised me to do this . Google have advised this at the bottom of their emails on numerous occasions

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Please note that Shopify does not know Google Policies. That is like asking Facebook support how to install Microsoft Word.

Google support team always suggest these, but you are talking to support, not the policy team. What Google support says is incorrect. You can read: https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/6020954?hl=en

Please note, my advice is based on my experience. And what I suggest is only to help you avoid violations.

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Your notes are noted and so is the service you are selling on your website for this issue

Shopify has advised me, with details of googles policies - not some random notes

On a plus side Google has responded

https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/188476?hl=en&ref_topic=3163841

You can upload a dummy feed and get it tested before you go live, not tried it yet as letting my account settle, let me know if anyone has any luck with the link

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@EmmanuelFlossie

dropshipping is not allowed, please refer to the google forum: https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6150127 “you must stock all goods in your warehouse”, all dropshipping applications are adding something to the source code of your website, do you think that google during crawling will not find this? do you think that Google doesn’t know if you have looked on google for eg sentence “how to dropship successfully” or similar? every time on the internet you’re leaving a mark, like your IP, browser, etc.

Please update your website, because right now dropshipping on google is classified as an “unavailable promotions” and google is hitting hard on it. thousands of dropshipping stores are being affected. please watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY_Ke60s1hM

Damn, I think my post should be stick to somewhere on forum in important answers about that problem because I have just answered on thousands of posts on the Shopify forum :slightly_smiling_face:

1 Like