What the misrepresentation policy covers
Google suspends accounts for misrepresentation when a listing or website could mislead shoppers. The policy targets listings that leave out relevant details or give misleading information about products or businesses. Google may check your listing, website, accounts and third-party sources. Examples include a false business name or contact details, hidden taxes, fees or shipping costs, and refusing refunds your own policy allows. Sometimes nothing is fake at all. Google says it can take time to build enough trust to show your offers.
Warning first, or suspended at once
How fast Google acts depends on the violation. For unacceptable business practices and dishonest pricing, Google says it suspends accounts on detection, without prior warning. You can appeal if you believe it is an error. But Google reinstates accounts only in compelling circumstances. For unavailable offers and unreliable claims, Google sends a warning at least 7 days before any suspension. For most account issues, the warning email gives you 7 or 28 calendar days to fix things.
The trust checklist
| Area | What Google wants | Example for an Indian store |
|---|---|---|
| Business identity | One official business name across the web, a matching domain and an About us page | The same trade name on your site, Instagram and GST invoices |
| Contact | Address, phone and email visible, and matching Merchant Center | Put them in the footer of every page |
| Policies | Clear shipping, returns and privacy policies | State delivery times to Tier-2 cities and your return window |
| Prices | The total price, with all taxes, fees and shipping costs disclosed | Show any COD fee before the buyer places the order |
| Checkout | An SSL certificate and a secure checkout | Your store address starts with https |
| Product data | Price and availability that match your Merchant Center data | A saree at ₹1,499 in the feed costs ₹1,499 on the page |
Fix your site before you ask
- Complete identity verification if the Needs attention tab asks for it.
- Check that contact details, shipping, returns and refund pages are clear and easy to reach from your footer.
- Use the same business name, address and contact details on your site, in Merchant Center and in payment profiles.
- Match feed prices and availability to your product pages exactly.
- Remove placeholder text, broken links and claims you cannot back up.
- Select I fixed the issue, then Request review.
Request a review, then wait
A review can take up to 7 business days, and your ads may not show meanwhile. If you think Google got it wrong, select I disagree with the issue and explain why. During a warning period you get one courtesy review at any time. Do not rush it. If issues are not resolved by the second review attempt, a one-week cool down may begin. The review button stays greyed out, support cannot shorten it, and the wait may grow with each failed attempt. Once products are approved, they can show within 24 hours.
Traps that catch Indian stores
The riskiest gaps sit between what you promise and what you do. A banner says free shipping, but checkout adds a charge. A COD fee appears only at the last step. Products stay marked in stock when you cannot fulfil them. A return page says seven days, while your FAQ says no returns. A hair oil claims to stop hair fall in a week. Google's policy names hidden fees, offers you cannot deliver and improbable claims. So each of these is a real risk.
Build trust into the store
Trust works best as part of the store, not patched on after a suspension. Add an About us page with your real story. Show reviews, and link your social profiles. Create and verify a Google Business Profile if you can. On The Storemate, you build About, contact, shipping and returns pages with the page builder, and the contact form lands in your admin inbox. Checkout lists any COD fee in the order summary before the buyer places the order.