Google’s Policy Supports the OEMs While It Devastates the Small Computer Repair Shops
Google’s “3rd party, technical services” policy, disallowing legitimate computer repair businesses from advertising, reminds me of censorship in China. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_China. (Actually, it reminds me of something worst, but I will leave this opinion to myself.)
A whole industry of small service providers excluded from Google Ads by a “Policy”
One can draw other sinister analogies once you understand what is happening to the computer repair industry due to Google’s policy.
There are hundreds, if not thousands of cries from legitimate business owners about how Google’s “3rd party, technical services” policy is having a crippling effect and destroying their businesses. Meanwhile, similar ads from the more powerful companies and big box stores are not being taken down. This is not only bias and discrimination, but worst: Google actions (or lack of them) is an act of corporate terrorism and abuse of a monopoly.
Read the thread: https://support.google.com/google-ads/thread/5203228?msgid=5761132.
Now at Click IT, we have learned to rely more on our SEO capabilities, so this policy of Google’s I believe has actually done us a favor by not only saving us money in advertising but also in improving and honing our SEO skills. I also believe that this policy by Google will weed out weaker competitors, making us become more important and valuable to our customers who rely on us to fix and help them with their technical needs every day.
But really Google, setting this policy and not allowing legitimate businesses to go through a verification process is utterly irresponsible, to say the least.
See also:
https://www.ifixit.com/News/an-open-letter-to-the-ftc-on-googles-banning-of-repair-business-ads
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/events-calendar/nixing-fix-workshop-repair-restrictions
https://twitter.com/search?q=%40googleads%20repair&src=typd
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/07/16/google_ban_on_tech_support_ads/
https://www.pcmag.com/news/369922/google-ad-policy-change-leaves-third-party-repair-industry-i
https://www.engadget.com/2019/08/09/google-repair-ads/
https://www.blog.google/products/ads/restricting-ads-third-party-tech-support-services/ .
https://support.google.com/google-ads/thread/6210030?hl=en
https://support.google.com/google-ads/thread/9261457?hl=en
https://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/all/2019/07/16/google_ban_on_tech_support_ads/
For those who have been damaged by this Google policy, I believe a class-action lawsuit is being organized through:
I suggest you find a way to get ahold of the following people:
David Graff
Director, Global Product Policy
Last heard from regarding this policy in his public statement made on Aug 31, 2018. Has anyone heard anything else from David?
Notable Quotes with regard to this subject:
” Even if there is a lot of scams, this punishing a whole industry is an abuse of a monopoly. “
Possible Solutions:
” Alternatively, download AdWords editor, submit the ads and request exemption when it is blocked.”
” …a Google Ads technical representative helped me craft an ad that uses user intention instead of keywords. As long as no keyword is used, the ad has been running fine. “