I just received an email saying:

"While reviewing your data feed we noticed that your site isn't compliant with our Program Policies. We have therefore disabled your Google Base account.

You must own any products that you submit to Google Base and ship these products directly to the buyer. We aren't accepting sites which sell products on commission."

Why? Doesn't everyone here upload the products to google? I'm confused and pissed.

OMG...I have nothing to help, just that.

Wow -- that sounds weird. This is just the account where you upload your shop feed, like with podToolbox? Is there a support email address?

Yes, it is. I already contacted them back and they say I was breaking the rules by uploading items that I'm not the one shipping directly to the customer. I wonder why just me?

Oh, that doesn't look good.

Was this just for your cafepress.com/ shop, or was it for an affiliate shop or third-party hosted shop like with CPShop?

quote:

Originally posted by Andrinasart:
Yes, it is. I already contacted them back and they say I was breaking the rules by uploading items that I'm not the one shipping directly to the customer. I wonder why just me?

May not be just you. May be the start of them cleaning up their content. After all, if they end up having multiples of the same thing, that doesn't really help their results be as relevant. I've always been concerned about them cracking down on that. Or, you may have just been unlucky enough to have a human double check your feed upload, sort of like 50 people uploading stuff to CP that should all be red-boxed, but they only have the manpower to visually catch one of them. I'm so sorry they got yours, and I hope it's just a random issue. I wouldn't be the sort to suggest you create a new google account and try again.

It was my shop from CPshop.

Thank you guys for listening. I guess it's just bad luck. I hope this doesn't happen to anyone else. Good luck.

Do you also have affiliate products along with yours on your CPshop site?

No I never got to fiqure out the "Conjuction" account, I don't remember the name sorry, so I never got to add affiliated items.

I think it's maybe an overzealous human reviewer at Google. The policy is probably aimed at those affiliates and dropshippers, who have no particular value add. By preventing them getting into Google Base, Google maintains a fair amount of diversity in Base's search results. Diversity in results seems to be a metric Google seeks.

The reason it's silly here is that you're a dropshipper - but with a value add. Namely, your own designs and graphics on the products.

I'd try explaining things that way, and see if it gets you anywhere.

Brahmananda, aka Claudio

Been thinking more about this. Since CafePress doesn't upload ALL products to Google, there is indeed a value added to Google by having you submit your feed. See if you can find your products already listed by CP. If not, then you have something to ask them to reconsider.

Thank you guys. I didn't think about it that way. Specialy since I bearly understand all those rules and policies.

I just went through the entire TOS of Google base and I just do not see where it says this.
Here is what I read. I have had a account for years and have many of my shops on the base.

On my Google base account.. there is a place called Analytics - Settings that I have all my shops. If they are not allowed what is that all about.?
. SUBMISSION OF CONTENT
You may submit Content to Google Base using various means, including data feeds or submissions through the Base API ("Content Submission"), these methods of submission are described in the technical specifications provided to you by Google. You agree to submit Content in a manner that complies with the then-current specifications provided by Google to enable proper delivery and display of the Content. If the Content you submit contains URLs (or equivalent thereof), you agree that Google has the right to access, index, cache or crawl the URL(s) (or equivalent thereof), the Content itself, or any portion thereof in connection with Google's authorized use of the Content.



Link and item availability
Your URLs must link to a working website. If your site is under construction or down for maintenance, you must pause your items.

Your URLs must link directly to webpages that contain information about your items. We do not allow links that redirect through or to domains other than the one specified in your Google Base account settings.

Your URLs must not link to pages that contain pop-up windows or pages that prevent a user from using their browser's 'Back' button.
We do not allow links to an email address or a file (ex. an image, audio, video, or document file) that requires an additional program or application to open or run.

We do not allow links or image links to sites with a robots.txt file that prevents Google from crawling. Learn more about allowing Google to crawl your site.
We do not allow links to content or landing pages that require a registration or password to view or require the acceptance of cookies to render.

All items posted must be available for purchase if applicable. Do not include products, vehicles, or similar items that are out of stock or otherwise not available for purchase.

I think that this was a error.

That's what I thouth, but in the email they specificly said:

"You must own any products that you submit to Google Base and ship these products directly to the buyer. We aren't accepting sites which sell products on commission."

And the truth is I don't, as all of us is Cafepress who ship the products.

I have been thinking it over and over before contacting them again. I think I'm not going to. What about if I contact them and then I'll ruine everything for all of you? I prefere not to.

I was very excited and so happy when I found Cafepress. Everything has been a great experience, but right at the moment I was believing I could make it, Cafepress began with the price changes and I said to my self:
Well, maybe I can make it with google base help.
I was having around 6 sell a month directly from the shop and the rest from the market place. I thought it would take me another year to get where I want with the help of google base, but now I'm angry, desapointed, frustrated and confused because like I said I'm afraid if I contact them it would put more stuff in there head and maybe they can notice everyone elses account. I don't know, just thinking because I know nothing about programing and else.

Thank you so much Tinker M and everyone else.

quote:

Originally posted by Andrinasart:
I just received an email saying:

"While reviewing your data feed we noticed that your site isn't compliant with our Program Policies. We have therefore disabled your Google Base account.

You must own any products that you submit to Google Base and ship these products directly to the buyer. We aren't accepting sites which sell products on commission."

Why? Doesn't everyone here upload the products to google? I'm confused and pissed.

I had the same thing happen to me a few months ago. After a few emails of me begging to reconsider they stood firmly on the original notice. I have been feeling like an outcast since no one else had experienced this. Please, let us know if they reinstate your account!

I do believe they are cleaning up, and larger shop feeds seem to get a red flag. How many products were in your feed? I had about 35k.