Google Merchant Center Suspension and Misrepresentation: How Canadian Stores Fix It Fast and Stay Compliant
If Google Merchant Center flags your store for misrepresentation or suspends the account, Shopping ads stop and free listings vanish. For most stores, that means an immediate revenue hit. Here’s how misrepresentation happens, what to fix, and how we get Canadian eCommerce accounts reinstated and stable.
What triggers “misrepresentation”
Google’s policy is simple: don’t confuse shoppers. Here are the issues we see most often in Canada:
Business identity is unclear
- No physical address or phone number on the site
- Store name differs between your site, Merchant Center, invoices, and Google Business Profile
- Generic “About” page with no real company details
Price or availability doesn’t match
- Feed says 99, but Product Detail Page (PDP) shows 134.99 (rounding, discounts in cart, or theme scripts)
- “In stock” in the feed, back-ordered on the PDP
- “Call for price” pages submitted to the feed
Shipping and returns are opaque
- No costs or delivery windows before checkout
- Free shipping banner, but remote area surcharges added at the last step (e.g., Northern Ontario, Yukon, Nunavut)
- Vague returns policy or missing instructions
Claims don’t hold up
- “Official” or “authorized” without proof
- “Ships next day” with 5–7 day handling in reality
- OEM/“genuine” language used for aftermarket items
Thin or copycat storefront
- Missing Privacy, Terms, Returns, or Contact pages
- Mixed-content or unsecured checkout
- Broken links, 404s on PDPs, non-functional payment methods
Policy gaps or broken site
- No physical address or phone number on the site
- Store name differs between your site, Merchant Center, invoices, and Google Business Profile
- Generic “About” page with no real company details
How it hits revenue
- Shopping goes dark: paid Shopping and free listings stop account-wide
- High-intent traffic disappears: you lose visibility on product and part-number searches
- Rebound drag: if you only patch symptoms, quality stays low and impression share lags even after reinstatement
Canadian specifics you can’t ignore
- Currency: Use CAD for Canada-targeted feeds and show CAD on landing pages. If you sell to the US, run a separate USD feed and shipping profile.
- Language: English and French are supported. If you target Quebec, consider FR landing pages and a French feed; match feed language to page language.
- Shipping transparency: List delivery windows, carriers, remote area surcharges, hazmat/oversize rules, and pickup options. Make it visible before checkout.
- Taxes: GST/HST/PST are calculated at checkout; that’s fine. State this clearly on the site.
- Privacy and data: Keep Privacy Policy aligned with PIPEDA and Quebec Law 25. Show contact details for data requests.
Essential Merchant Center setup (done right)
- Verify and claim your website
- Complete Business information: legal name, store name, address, phone, logo
- Accurate shipping settings (Canada, and US if targeted). Mirror your real rates and rules
- Policy pages in the footer: Shipping, Returns, Terms, Privacy, Contact (indexable, readable)
- Secure, functional checkout with visible payment methods
Product feed requirements:
- Required: id, title, description, link, image_link, price, availability, condition, brand, gtin (if it exists), mpn (if no GTIN)
- Useful: google_product_category, product_type, shipping_weight/dimensions, sale_price, sale_price_effective_date, additional_image_link
- Variants: item_group_id plus variant attributes (size/color/material, etc.)
- Keep feed and site in sync. For fast movers, update availability and price at least hourly (Content API or frequent fetch)
- Enable automatic item updates (price/availability) to reduce mismatch disapprovals_
Step-by-step reinstatement plan
Open Merchant Center → Account issues → Policy Center. Save screenshots.
Identity and trust
- Add a proper Contact page with street address, phone, and email. Avoid only a form
- Align store name across site, Merchant Center, and Google Business Profile
- Expand the About page: who you are, where you ship from, how fulfillment works (e.g., “Ships from Ontario warehouse”)
- Shipping and returns clarity
- Shipping page: carriers, delivery windows, free-shipping thresholds, remote surcharges, hazmat/oversize rules
- Returns page: window (e.g., 30 days), eligibility, restocking fees, who pays return shipping, RMA steps, return address
- Price and availability sync
- Match PDP price to feed price. Remove “add to cart to see price” behavior for Shopping-listed SKUs
- If you run multi-currency, ensure Canada traffic sees CAD on landing pages; feed and PDP currency must match
- Turn on automatic item updates; set Content API or fetch to 15–60 minutes for fast sellers
Product data cleanup
- Add GTINs for new branded products; if no GTIN exists, set identifier_exists = no and include brand + mpn
- Fix condition, variant attributes, and google_product_category
- Replace watermarked or promotional images with clean product photos_
- Remove or edit risky claims
- Only use “authorized” or “OEM/genuine” when you can prove it
- Remove fake scarcity timers, misleading badges, and non-working promo codes
Prepare proof
- Business registration, utility bill or lease with address
- Supplier invoices and brand authorization letters (PDF)
- Photos of inventory/warehouse if identity is in doubt
- Screenshots of updated policy pages, shipping calculator, PDP price/availability
File a focused appeal
- Merchant Center → Account issues → Request review
- Keep it short and specific. Example:
- “We addressed misrepresentation by: 1) adding full address/phone to Contact and About; 2) updating Shipping/Returns with delivery windows, remote surcharges, and step-by-step returns; 3) fixing price/availability mismatches via Content API every 30 minutes and enabling automatic item updates; 4) adding GTINs and removing ‘authorized’ language where not applicable. Evidence: [links/screenshots]. Please review.”
- Expect 3–7 business days. If denied, the notes usually point to what’s still missing
Common causes and real fixes
Currency app mismatch (Shopify): CAD feed, but PDP shows USD to some users
Fix: Force CAD on Canada-targeted URLs used in Shopping; separate USD feed for US
Free shipping banner vs. remote surcharges at checkout
Fix: Disclose remote area fees on the Shipping page and configure Merchant Center
shipping rules by postal code ranges
“In stock” in the feed, “Ships in 2–3 weeks” on the PDP (Product Detail Page)
Fix: Use “preorder” or “backorder” with availability_date, and mirror that text on the PDP
Unauthorized brand claims
Fix: Remove “authorized” wording or upload reseller authorization. Replace OEM claims with “compatible with” where appropriate and legal
Thin content
Fix: Add unique product descriptions, specs, sizing/fitment, installation info, FAQs, and original images
Ongoing management that prevents repeat issues
We run Merchant Center like a production system, not a set-and-forget feed.
Daily
- Check Diagnostics and Account issues
- Monitor price/availability mismatches; spot-test PDPs against feed
Weekly
- Sync GTINs/MPNs, fix image and title warnings
- Review disapprovals; push Content API updates
- Test shipping calculators and checkout for accuracy
Monthly
- Policy page review (returns, shipping) and site-wide trust audit
- Update shipping tables for carrier changes or remote surcharges
- Expand Product Ratings and Merchant Promotions where eligible
- Align Manufacturer Center data for brand owners
Always-on
- Custom labels for margin tiers, oversize/hazmat, seasonality
- Separate Canada/US feeds with correct currency, language, and shipping
- Alerting if inventory or price syncs fail
Quick checklist before you request review
- Contact page: address, phone, email visible
- About page: company details and fulfillment info
- Shipping page: delivery windows, costs, remote surcharges, hazmat rules
- Returns page: clear timelines and steps; who pays return shipping
- PDPs: price and availability match the feed; no hidden fees
- Feed: brand + GTIN (or mpn + identifier_exists=no), condition correct, images clean
- Checkout: HTTPS, working payment methods shown
- Language/currency: EN/FR matched to landing page; CAD for Canada
- Evidence: invoices, authorizations, screenshots ready_
How we help Canadian eCommerce teams
- 48-hour audit: site trust, policies, feed, shipping/tax, business information, and Diagnostics
- Remediation sprint (1–2 weeks): rewrite policy pages, fix shipping settings, clean feed (GTIN/MPN/price/availability), image fixes, evidence pack, and appeal
- Retainer management: daily Diagnostics monitoring, Content API sync, policy change watch, shipping updates, promotions/ratings, quarterly compliance reviews
Results we typically see after reinstatement
- Shopping and free listings return within days
- Lower disapproval rate and higher impression share over the next 2–4 weeks
- Fewer support tickets tied to price and shipping surprises
- More stable ROAS as feed quality improves
Need your Merchant Center back online?
We’ll pinpoint the exact cause, fix the site and feed issues, prepare the evidence, and manage the appeal—then keep you compliant month after month.
