Many companies depend on Google AdWords for their business. But what if Google denounce your business and refuse its services to you?
This happened to a client of me. We’ve set up an AdWords campaign to sell his new product, but after 3 days, Google stopped the delivery of the ads, stating that there was an issue with the payment by bank transfer. The friendly Google agent found that the BIC code was accidentally entered in small instead of large letters. Shouldn’t make much of a difference? The system thought otherwise.
After correcting the mistake and a successful payment (by credit card) we expected that Google would resume the campaign, but instead Google informed us that the account has been suspended, because the account violated the “circumventing systems policy”. We filed an objection to learn more about what exactly was the problem or to get a call from one of the Google support agents to help with the issue. But all we’ve got this final judgement by the Google algorithm, telling us that we’re out of business forever:
“Thank you for your patience. Your account violates our AdWords policies. Since this decision is final, the account will not be reactivated. Do not create new AdWords accounts as they will be blocked immediately.”
Game over.
Of course we’ll set up a new Google account, now trying to “circumvent the system” for real, or at least to learn more about the reasons why a faulty Google software sent out a death sententence to my clients’ business. Could it be that the advice of the Google agent to change the BIC to capital letters prompt the system to go crazy?
It’s disturbing that nobody at Google is willing or in the position to overrule the system. All the friendly Google support agents who spend hours to explain Google AdWords to the last corner prefer to be unavailable. Humans, submit to the algorithm, SKYNET is for real.
+++ Update +++
Google informed us that they have revoked the suspension of the old account so we can use it again. Apparently there is still someone who can switch off the algorithm.