Why is my Google Merchant account still suspended after fixing policy violations?

[readxrays]

Help! Google Merchant suspended my account for policy violation and all of my items are disapproved. I'm selling canvas prints of my original art. I think I fixed the relevant problems, but I'm not sure. One message says "product data disapproved." I added a contact us form to the website, added UPC codes to all products, Seems like this could go on for a long time without specific feedback on what to do. Any suggestions? Thanks!

[EmmanuelFlossie]

Are the UPC code authentic? Meaning official GS1 barcodes? Generally, merchants like yourself would not buy GS1 barcodes as they are expensive.

The reason I'm asking if they are real is because invalid barcodes are a reason for policy violation.

I recommend you have a look at a checklist I have to see if you are violating any other areas: https://community.shopify.com/c/Ecommerce-Marketing/Checklist-Suspended-Google-Merchant-Center-Accou...

[readxrays]

Thanks! They are authentic.

[readxrays]

UPDATE:  I requested a call back from Google Merchant Center and a very helpful customer rep called me back immediately. She went through my website and pointed out that I needed to add shipping and return policies on the footer of my website. I made the changes while we spoke and she was able to confirm them. She said the suspension would be lifted in 24-48 hours. I was very pleasantly surprised.

[Moira]

Hey @readxrays,

In my experience working with other stores facing the same suspension error, some of the common reasons for this are:

• Not adding full contact details (must include a physical address)

• Not having shipping, returns, refunds and terms of service policy pages in footer

• Selling products that are not allowed

• Selling products you do not stock, for example, drop shipping/print on demand services

• Not adding any added content, and simply copy-pasting other sites

I recommend reviewing Google's Shopping Ad policies to ensure there is no violation here. If you have read and noticed that there is no violation, you can reach out to Google directly to request that they manually review this. In case you haven't already, be sure to check out Google's help guide on Misinterpretation which goes over some examples of this violation that might be helpful as well.

Google uses third-party resources in order to validate your business using a 'trust factor'. Again, they don't share specific details but it's based on policies, knowledge, and industry standards. Make sure to register with Google My Business so that more business information can be seen in Google search results. Add your business details to your Facebook page too and any other social media profiles you might have.

For the products, make sure the titles and descriptions are unique and different from the manufacturer-supplied details (if applicable). Within the Merchant Center account again, make sure your business details have been added to the 'About your business' section (Tools > Business information). You can also add your logo to the 'Branding' section here. It's also a good idea to open the 'Linked Accounts' section in the Merchant Center account and link as many accounts as possible - while they might not be directly used with your shopping campaigns, it will help to build trust with Google.

TIP: If you have a large product catalog, you might also be interested in the Bulk Product Editor & Sync app. This would allow you to bulk mark all custom products as 'true or false' for Google which will save you some time. It's free for up to 5 in-app edits per month so it could also help with some other attributes if you have multiple products in the same category for example.

Let me know how you get on with the suggestions above and feel free to let me know if I can clarify anything further.