- Misrepresentation means Google doesn't trust that your shop is what it says it is, or that customers will get what they pay for.
- It's almost always caused by your website, not your products: missing business details, unclear policies, prices that don't match, or claims you can't back up.
- Google rarely tells you which page is the problem, so you need to check the whole site the way a reviewer would.
- Fix everything first, then request one review. Repeated reviews without real changes lead to longer waits.
What misrepresentation actually means
Google's misrepresentation policy is about trust. Google doesn't want to send shoppers to a business that hides who it is, makes promises it can't keep, or surprises people with costs and conditions after they've paid. Its policy says offers must not prompt a commitment "without first providing all relevant information and getting the customer's explicit consent".
The policy is split into six areas. The first three are treated as serious enough to suspend an account straight away, without a warning:
| Policy area | What it covers | Warning first? |
|---|---|---|
| Unacceptable business practices | Hiding who runs the business, fake or missing contact details, refusing valid refunds, hiding where you ship from | No |
| Coordinated deceptive practices | Hiding identity or country of origin, mostly around political or social content | No |
| Dishonest pricing and conditions | Hidden costs, misleading prices, return fees or restrictions revealed only after purchase | No |
| Unavailable offers | Promoting products or deals customers can't actually get | Yes, at least 7 days |
| Manipulated media | Edited images or video meant to deceive | Yes |
| Unreliable claims | Miracle results, health claims that contradict science | Yes |
The website problems that usually cause it
In our scans, these are the problems behind most misrepresentation suspensions. You'll rarely have just one.
No clear business identity
No business name, no address and no company details anywhere a shopper would look.
Contact details that look temporary
Only a contact form, or only a Gmail or Hotmail address. Reviewers read this as a business that's hard to reach.
Return window differs between pages
30 days on the refund policy, 14 days in the FAQ. Google can't tell which promise a customer will get.
Missing or vague returns policy
No time limit, no mention of who pays return postage, or no way to start a return.
Prices that don't match
The price on the page is different from the price in your product feed or the page's hidden product data.
Hidden delivery costs
Delivery charges only appear at the final checkout step, or not at all before payment.
Claims you can't prove
"Best in the UK", "guaranteed results", "clinically proven" or health benefits with nothing to back them up.
Fake urgency
Countdown timers that reset, "only 2 left" on every product, or sales that never end.
Unfinished pages
Template text, [COMPANY NAME] placeholders, lorem ipsum or empty pages left from your theme.
Business name changes across the site
One name in the logo, another in the policies, another on the checkout or invoice.
Products you can't actually buy
Out-of-stock items shown as available, or a checkout that doesn't complete.
No privacy wording on forms
Newsletter or contact forms that collect details with no privacy notice or link nearby.
How to fix it, step by step
- 1
Don't request a review yet
A review is only worth requesting once everything is fixed. If issues still aren't resolved by the second review attempt, Google says a one-week cool-down may begin, and that it may get longer after each unsuccessful review.
- 2
Check your whole site, not just the homepage
Reviewers look at your homepage, About, Contact, policies, product pages and checkout. Go through each one, or run a free scan to see every problem with the page it's on.
- 3
Make your business easy to identify
Put your business name, address, phone number and a business email on your Contact page and in your footer. If you're a limited company, add your company number.
- 4
Rewrite your policies so they agree
Returns, refunds, delivery, privacy and terms should all give the same answers. Check every page that mentions a return window, delivery time or cost, including your FAQ and product pages.
- 5
Line up your prices, stock and delivery
Make sure the price, availability and delivery details in Merchant Center match your website exactly. Fix them at the source, in your shop system, so they stay in sync.
- 6
Remove claims you can't back up
Take out superlatives, guarantees and any health or medical benefits. Remove fake countdowns and permanent "limited stock" messages.
- 7
Then request one review
In Merchant Center, open the issue, choose "I fixed the issue" and request a review. Google says a review can take up to 7 business days, and emails you the result.
Your misrepresentation checklist
Tick these off as you go. Your ticks are saved in this browser.
- Product structured data (the hidden schema code Google reads) showing a different price or stock status from the page
- Star ratings your page code awards itself, which Google treats as misleading
- Currency in your product data that doesn't match the currency on the page
- A return window or delivery time that contradicts itself on a page you'd forgotten about
- Policy text copied from another business, still naming their company, address or email
- Template placeholders like [COMPANY NAME] buried in policies
- Your business name written differently in policies, checkout and page code
- Claims Google treats as health, endorsement or guaranteed-results claims
- Forms collecting personal details without privacy wording nearby
- Missing brand, barcode (GTIN) or part number in your product data
Requesting a review
Once you've fixed everything, go to Merchant Center, open the account issue and choose "I fixed the issue", then request a review. You may be asked to verify your identity first, and your product data can't be empty.
- Google says a review can take up to 7 business days, and emails you when it starts and finishes.
- Google says you may only have one chance to say you disagree with an issue, so use it only if you're sure the issue is a mistake and can support it.
- If issues aren't resolved by the second review attempt, Google says a one-week cool-down may begin. The button is greyed out until it ends, and Google support can't shorten it.
- Keep a note of every change you made, with dates. If you're rejected, you'll know what's already been done.
A rescan after your changes shows you what's still open before Google sees it. Certanza's full report includes a rescan and an appeal letter that lists only the fixes we can confirm on your live site.
Common questions
- Google Merchant Center: Misrepresentation policy
- Google Merchant Center: Request a review of your issues
- Google Merchant Center guidelines
Certanza is independent and not affiliated with Google. This guide is general information, not legal advice, and Google's policies can change.