I checked the date the message was sent. It wasn’t mailed April 1st.
I responded to the email and filled out the web contact form asking that they restore the ad and have someone contact me so we could talk about the issue and avoid future problems. The same ads have been running for several years, and we pay a couple hundred dollars a month for the campaigns.
The ads were down all weekend. This morning I received an email saying that the ads were reactivated, but made a point of saying Google would not call me. They gave no explanation, no apology, no way of making sure this doesn’t happen in the future. They said I could call their 800 number if I wanted to talk to a first-level representative.
My client’s ads are up again, but, really. Having someone call, say, “Thank you for your business”, would make me feel a lot better. “Sorry, we were boobs,” would be even better.
Right now I guess I am just letting off steam while posting this to see if other’s have also been caught in an obvious change in Google’s ad quality algorithm.
Anyone else told to back off USPS trademarks last week?
It isn't an algorithm change.
Periodically G runs the database of trademarked terms against all ad texts.
Trademarked terms only matter when you are dealing with the same topic. But the algorithm makes mistakes occasionally and misreads the topic associated with the trademarked term or your ad text.
You have no right to complain since most everything is in 'beta' - you should count your lucky stars that they allow you to use their buggy software.
I can't do 4 edits in a row without the system crashing.
Actually, it's the customer-hostile arrogance of the "service" people that bothers me most. It reminds me of the old Ma Bell telephone monopoly attitude.
Unfortunately they are right... for now. I need them more than they need me.
