Being flagged as an unauthorized seller on Google Merchant Center can come from a brand complaint, from signals on your own website, or from your product data. This guide explains each cause and shows you how to build a credible reinstatement case with the right documentation.
Google requires that merchants selling branded products either have authorization from the brand or have legitimately sourced the products under conditions that allow resale. An unauthorized seller suspension can mean one of three different things: a brand has filed a complaint with Google that you are selling their products without permission, your website presents you as an official brand representative when you are not, or Google's automated review flagged your product listings as inconsistent with your account history or sourcing patterns.
Importantly, the suspension notice often does not specify which brand triggered the flag or which products are the problem. This forces merchants to audit their entire catalog and their website presentation before they can build an effective appeal.
Important distinction. Unauthorized seller policy and counterfeit policy are different. If your products are genuinely counterfeit (fakes sold as genuine), that falls under Google's counterfeit policy and carries a permanent ban. Unauthorized seller flags, by contrast, apply to legitimate products sold without the brand's permission and are generally appealable with the right documentation.
Brands can file takedown requests with Google against sellers they believe are selling their products without authorization. Google's process gives the brand significant weight in these disputes. If a brand has filed against you, you will typically see items disapproved before the account suspension, with a note citing "brand restriction." A full account suspension can follow if the pattern is widespread across your catalog.
If your store name includes a brand name ("NikeShoes.store," "OfficialaAppleReseller.com"), if you display brand logos in your header or footer without permission, or if your about page implies you are the manufacturer or an exclusive distributor when you are not, Google treats this as misrepresentation of your relationship with the brand. This is a separate but related issue that often accompanies unauthorized seller flags.
If your product listings use the brand's official GTIN numbers and the brand has an exclusive or restricted reseller program, Google may flag your account if it cannot verify your sourcing. Dropshippers who list brand products using GTINs pulled from supplier catalogs (rather than products they physically hold or have direct purchase records for) are particularly vulnerable to this flag.
Some brands enforce a Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) with Google directly. If you list a brand's products significantly below the MAP they have registered with Google, this can trigger a policy review. Google respects MAP agreements that brands file with them. Selling below MAP is not always the sole cause of suspension, but it frequently triggers the initial review that then reveals other compliance gaps.
The core of an unauthorized seller appeal is sourcing documentation. You need to show Google that you obtained the products through channels that give you the right to resell them. The stronger your documentation, the stronger your appeal.
Collect purchase invoices for the specific products that were flagged. Invoices must show the seller's name, your business name, the product names with model numbers, quantities, and the purchase date. Invoices from authorized distributors carry more weight than marketplace purchase receipts (Amazon, eBay), because marketplace purchases do not establish a direct brand relationship.
If you have a formal reseller agreement with the brand or one of their authorized distributors, include that document in your appeal. Even a branded distributor invoice from a company that is listed on the brand's official "where to buy" page is strong supporting evidence.
Review your website for any language or imagery that implies official brand affiliation. Remove any brand logos from your header, footer, or about page unless you have written permission to use them. Change any store name elements that include brand names. Update your about page to describe yourself accurately as a reseller, not as a brand partner or official dealer.
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If you cannot produce sourcing documentation for the flagged products (because you purchased through a marketplace seller, received them as gifts, or simply do not have records), you have two options: remove the products entirely from your GMC feed and your store, or accept that those specific products cannot be reintroduced until you can source them through documented channels.
Do not submit an appeal claiming authorization you cannot document. Google's reviewers have seen every variation of this approach and it results in an immediate denial. A more successful strategy is to submit an appeal acknowledging that certain products have been removed and explaining the sourcing steps you are taking going forward for the products you do have authorization for.
See the GMC appeal process guide for the correct structure of a reinstatement letter when unauthorized seller is the core issue. If you have already had one appeal denied, read the reinstatement denied guide before submitting again.
Work through the GMC suspension checklist to confirm no other compliance issues are outstanding. Unauthorized seller flags rarely exist in complete isolation, and a successful appeal requires every other policy area to be clean before Google reinstates the account.
In many cases, yes. The first-sale doctrine generally allows resale of legitimately purchased goods. However, if a brand has filed a complaint with Google against unauthorized sellers, or if your listing creates the impression of an official brand store when you are not one, Google may restrict or suspend your ability to advertise those products.
The strongest documentation is a signed reseller agreement or authorization letter from the brand or their distributor. Secondary documentation includes invoices showing you purchased inventory from an authorized distributor (not a third-party marketplace seller), and any brand portal credentials that confirm your account as an authorized dealer.
Yes. If you have legitimate sourcing documentation (invoices from authorized distributors, proof of purchase from official brand channels), submit them with your appeal. If you do not have authorization documentation, remove the disputed products before appealing and focus your appeal on the products you can legitimately sell.
Source inventory from authorized distributors and keep invoices for every product line. Do not use brand logos, the phrase "official seller," or "authorized dealer" anywhere on your site unless you actually have that status in writing. Do not replicate the brand's official product photography or copy their product descriptions verbatim, as both are signals that Google uses to identify unauthorized seller behavior.