Google Checkout account suspended

[lacraiger]

No warnings No reason given.

I woke up yesterday to find out that my Checkout account was suspended. I read through TOS and did not violate any obvious rules so I'm guessing it might just be a security check.

This is because I have received a unusually large amount of orders through my ecommerce store the past 3-4 days. I found a hot product so I received around $27,000 in orders within a 4 day span. This is unusually higher than normal and I understand if they were suspicious and concerned... However!

The only issue I have is that its been 36 hours since I was suspended and after 4 emails from me - STILL NO ANSWER FROM THEM! I have been patient and understand that it may take up to 24 hours to reply but now I am getting concerned and feeling helpless. I have 25K in customer payments on hold and I cannot ship the products without being able to transfer the money into my bank account because it will be money from my own pocket.

What should I do? Why does Google Checkout not have a customer service number when they have been around for a couple years?

[trinorthlighting]

I once learned this lesson from pay pal. Google will respond. It might not be a bad idea to find a back up processor like authorize so in times like these you can keep your site up and running and take orders.

I would not worry too much, google might have closed it down due to some fraudelent transactions (Stolen Credit Cards) Be patient and wait to see how they respond.

[ByronM]

I've learned to keep a backup processor active at all times as well.

If its not one thing, its another. I like to keep my volume rates on PayPal Payments Pro but some of my newer customers go through authorize.net because of better fraud checking on behalf of authorize.net.

PayPal is an absolute joke at scrubbing anything if you ask me - so paypals lax processing seems to bite merchants and cause issues like this. (they just want there fee irregardless)

[bwnbwn]

lacraiger
That is the reason. The big increase in sales is a trip that would send any processor looking at your charges. I know they are more than likely checking the banks verifying the address ect to make sure this isn't a fraud.

Think about it you get a bunch of personal information with cc's from a hacker then process them through a processor this happens to be Google get the Money deposited into your account withdraw the money and see ya latter.

Google,the processing company, and or bank end up eating the losses. I assume you only have Google so do as everyone suggested get a merchant account get verified and end this problem.

paypal will do the same thing an online processor will only allow you a certian amount to withdraw until there is a track record to look at but at least you will be taking orders...

jeeze you had a good 4 days

[lacraiger]

thanks for your responses. I have no problem with them temporarily holding my funds to do a security check, however, its been over 2 days now and still NOTHING! this is google we are talking about not some offshore cc merchant.

[bwnbwn]

Could this be an illegial product in some states?

How did you generate the traffic to this product PPC?

[ByronM]

thanks for your responses. I have no problem with them temporarily holding my funds to do a security check, however, its been over 2 days now and still NOTHING! this is google we are talking about not some offshore cc merchant.

Oh the irony ;)

What google did is totally expected. Have you ever done business with them? They love to freeze your accounts, lock you out, overbill, underbill, cancel your orders, hold funds longer than normal, do partial deposits.

Google has been the absolute worst company i have ever dealt with when it comes to service. I mean the phone support is non existent and it takes days to get an answer.

All engineering - no "human touch". Thats google for ya!

[lacraiger]

The product is a simple clothing merchandise that is nowhere illegal at all. I spent almost $1,000 in adwords to generate these sales also.

[lorax]

lacraiger, welcome to WebmasterWorld,
You note that you've contacted Google. Did you contact them from within your Adwords account interface or just send an email to a public email address? Did you try the Chat with an Adwords specialist option?

[jsinger]

I received around $27,000 in orders within a 4 day span

Thats a lot of clothing! $1,000 in advertising doesn't usually account for that kind of volume right off the bat. Were these many small orders or a very few big ones?

**Where was this to be shipped to?**

[lacraiger]

well its been over 4 days and i still havent heard from Google Checkout. I already emailed them 4 times through their help center.

I decided it was best to refund ALL the customer orders to prevent any of them from filing a complaint because I wont be able to send the products without the funds.

So in the end i lost out on $1,000 in adwords spending. Lesson learned.

[HRoth]

If they ever do answer you, I hope you will post it here. I had thought about adding it as an option.

[jsinger]

This is starting to make less and less sense.

You're giving up on $27k after FOUR DAYS? Have you tried Google's main switchboard number?

What kind of complaint would customers file if you shipped in five days or even ten? We sometimes are forced to ship back order products several weeks late. Customers understand.

You never answered about where this sudden explosion of orders was to be shipped?

[jsinger]

This took 3 minutes to get:

"Google Inc.
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043
United States - Map
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]"

[jsinger]

Hmmm?

[bwnbwn]

jsinger
if his account is locked does that as well apply to refunds as I know if paypal disables the account you can't do nothing I am not sure with Google.

anyone have an answer on that...

[lacraiger]

I had to place a refund on ALL the orders. i did call Google's corporate number but its just a recording and you have to keep pressing numbers that lead to other recordings - wasted my cell phone minutes.

Well they havent responded or notified me of my status up til now. I've given up on Google Checkout and decided to go with Charge as a new credit card merchant and no problems so far.

As for the orders, i wont be getting as many orders again for the same product because the hot item i was selling that was sold out 2 weeks ago can now be found elsewhere.

[edited by: minnapple at 8:46 pm (utc) on Jan. 15, 2008]

[jsinger]

you have to keep pressing numbers that lead to other recordings - wasted my cell phone minutes.

Chrysler owed me some money years ago. After many months of going in a circle I phoned Lee Iaococa's office. He was out so I asked for Chrysler's VP of procurement who was also out. Spoke to his secretary who got me a check in three days.

You can always get thru to someone. Sometimes you have to lie, but heck, for $27,000...

wasted my cell phone minutes

Hilarious!