Google suspending accounts and apps

[WAZUMBi]

In the past 2 months I have seen an unexpected (but welcomed) increase in downloads for several of my apps resulting in increased AdMob revenue.

I can't really account for it except that I revamped my website a few months ago which may be a contributing factor.

This has happened in the past but only with one app at a time.
My concern is whenever an app of mine has seen a dramatic increase in downloads
(say from 5 a day to more than 50 to 100+ a day) Google has been quick to suspend it.

This has in fact happened to me 4 times.
Ok, one app they had a legitimate reason.
Anyways,

Of course they give some ridiculous unclear explanation in their little form letter.
And forget about appealing or making any attempt at contacting a live body at Google.

I have read several cases online were this has happened to developers and Google has simply, with no real explanation or warning, made up an excuse to suspend an account entirely and withhold AdMob revenue.

Usually they say it is from illegal click activity or suspected spam.

Nearly 50% of some of my app downloads come from South American countries. As I am in the united States I cannot control the click activity of individuals on another continent.

I am wondering what others might have to say about this.

 

[hookshy]

I have my admob account suspended after first 5 days of activity and I did not had any important revenue ! Admob is very strict but my concern if there is any related action between the amount of downloads and revenue and developer account ! ... I have heard of developer suspended and app as well.

 

[sorex]

Waz: if it is suspected spam then it's their fault, not? you just display what they put in it.

 

[WAZUMBi]

Waz: if it is suspected spam then it's their fault, not? you just display what they put in it.

I just typed in 'AdMob suspended' on Google and all sort of things came up.
I am going by what I have read from other developers and my own experience.

Google can be somewhat unpredictable at times as well as unresponsive to developers needs.
Their focus is clearly on the customer. Any 'inappropriate flag' and your app is suspended.
Google's developer support is atrocious.
There is not much an indie developer can do as Google Play is clearly the primary source for Android related products for the general public.

In fact I lost over $100 after switching to the new AdMob Developer Console.
The funds just simply disappeared.
After many inquiries I got absolutely no response from Google regarding that matter.

It should be noted that others have not fared any better then AdMob which is why I have chosen, for the moment, to stick with Google.

 

[susu]

One morning, you awake and check your email. There's a mail from Google that said your account was killed without reasonable reason. Yes, it's true. I happend to me. So welcome to "real" Google!

 

[ivan.tellez]

Hi, can you please share with the rest of us what were your apps about?

That could give us an idea of the problem.

Specialy the one they had a legitimate reason to ban.

Thanks

 

[WAZUMBi]

Hi, can you please share with the rest of us what were your apps about?

That could give us an idea of the problem.

Specialy the one they had a legitimate reason to ban.

Perhaps I'm not articulating correctly my point.

Google has in fact suspended 4 of my apps.
For silly reasons really but...
It's their market and they can choose do make available what ever content they desire. I respect that.
These apps don't have ads and you can can still download these apps from my website - www.appzumbi.com (MyZUMBi!).
I won't post them here because I recognize they may be deemed inappropriate for this forum.

I was referring specifically to AdMob.
I have read about several accounts being suspended and funds taken away with no clear reason or explanation other than suspected invalid click activity.
As I have seen a recent unexpected surge in downloads which in turn has resulted in increased revenue from several of my apps,
I am concerned about this.

I am just wondering if this has happened to anyone else here.

You never really know how legitimate the stories are on the web.
The developer may well have been attempting to scam Google and submit invalid clicks.

It's always -
'I did nothing wrong', 'They suspended my account for nothing', 'Google suspended my account with $25,000 in it', and what not.

Idunno...

 

[sorex]

If I ever reach $100 you can be sure it will be transfered immediatly

 

[MaxApps]

I just got my Google developer account and wallet closed.
They say that one of my apps is violation the Youtube API rules, which I find VERY strange. I am not using Youtube API or do anything, what so ever, with Youtube.

So anyone know how I can open a new account?

 

[WAZUMBi]

With Google? Next to impossible!
Appeal? Yea, good luck with that one.
These people don't play games and give zero second chances.
They are using some pretty sophisticated techniques to verify accounts against previously suspended ones that put the NSA, FBI, and CIA to shame.

The second you attempt to create a new account they will find out and suspend it.
You can possibly create an account with someone else (friend, wife...) using different name, address, credit card. Oh and create it from a different computer using a different IP address.

Maybe put on gloves to conceal your fingerprints. Put on a mask as well to hide your face.

Even then the second you upload an app from the originally suspended account they will know and then promptly proceed to suspend that new account as well. Simply renaming the app will not do. They scan the code for similarities and patterns.

 

[MarcTG]

I just got my Google developer account and wallet closed.
They say that one of my apps is violation the Youtube API rules, which I find VERY strange. I am not using Youtube API or do anything, what so ever, with Youtube.

So anyone know how I can open a new account?

I am sorry to hear that :-(
Were you using anything relating to Youtube? Have you had any app(s) banned in the past, or is this the first time?

Here's a to do list that I found on another forum:

1. first, If you opened your account with your own credit card.. then you will need a different person's credit card who never use the card online. And all information related to the new credit card need to be different such as photo id, address prof, MOBILE NUMBER etc.

2. Register the new account from different computer and on different WiFi .. if you do not have one, you can go to any cyber cafe.(Any friend's computer is highly recommended as you the need new computer in future use. )


3. Now come back at home and never open the new account from your old computers or even from your old phone which you was using to log in your old suspended Google dev account.. because every time you log in the account, Google save the device ip and internet provider's information. so just stay away from the new account.

4. Don't log in to the new account from both your computers and the WiFi you used in past.

5. Use the new computer and the new WiFi( Different owner ) as a base control system. and never use the new computer and the WiFi to log in your any previous related Google accounts(Recommended to delete all those old accounts for stay fully clean ).

6. Don't upload the old suspended app again.

7. Don't use the same old android device to get screen shots or videos.

8. Now just develop a new app with everything new.

9. Don't produce the final product from your old computer. Just use it for developing and programming..

10. transfer the source code of your newly created app to the new base control system and compile the file product from that.

11. Use a different keystore and use different password.. just all different.

12. Upload the app on Google play.. and respect the new account for future use.

Also consider posting your apps on other app store, check this thread:
http://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/alternatives-to-google-play.45341/#post-283460

I remember that you mentioned using admob for ads, consider using different adnetworks outside of Google play. One popular adnetwork is airpush SDK 2, pays 0.05 per install worldwide. I just started using it, and it looks promising.

Best of luck

 

[MaxApps]

Here is the whole story

4 years ago I started with publishing a game with pictures of adult stars. It got suspended due to nudity even though there were NO nudity.
2 years ago I got an app suspended because of the advertising company I was using - AppLovin. There was something wrong with their SDK. They warned me about it 1 hour after the app got suspended.
And the a couple of days ago, they suspended an app due to Youtube violations and this app does not use Youtube in anyway what so ever. Futher more this app was not even published, at the time of suspension. I had un-published it an hour earlier because I had decided to stop working on half of my apps and sell them, so I could concentrate on a fewer apps and make them much better.

Jakob

 

[WAZUMBi]

Just curious if you use AdMob at all - how well were your earning? Did they recently spike?

Another thing. If anyone flags an app it is almost immediately suspended without question. It's all automated. It then becomes up to you to justify to Google as to why your app is OK. Appealing a suspension to Google is like speaking into a toaster.

I had a simple memory game that was published for 2 years with women in bikinis. Oh my!
Never too popular. Only about 1000 downloads in that time. Then suddenly the last month it was published downloads increased dramatically to about 5500. I was 'discovered'. So what did Google do? They suspended it because of sexually explicit and suggestive content even though there are many, many other apps that do the exact same thing without nudity. Sounds fishy to me.

During the Flappy bird craze I made the original Flappy Bieber. 20,000 downloads the first week.
Google suspended it (along with 100's of other Flappy wanna-bes) calling it spam. Now? There are 3 Flappy Bieber apps on Google Play.

There is something very sketchy about the business practices going on over at Google.

 

[MaxApps]

I changed to Admob, on 2 of my bigger apps and naturally, my income with Admob increased (atually it increased to 5 times what it was before).
I have more than $4000 stuck in Wallet and that is also gone.

 

[WAZUMBi]

Yep. That's what I figured. Really sucks patootie.
If you search the web (as I'm sure you have) this happens all the time.

What do you do? We are at the mercy of the app markets.
While Google does appear to be the major offender I've read about this happening with virtually all markets.

That's a lot of money. I only lost about $100. I would file a small claims suit myself for that much money.

 

[achtrade]

well, when I reach $50, I'll transfer it to my bank right away

 

[susu]

It's strange that my developer account was deleted by Google but AdMob account still alive. I even earned money every month with apps that never publish on Google Play. You'll never understand Google enough!

 

[WAZUMBi]

Yeah they suspended one of my developer accounts about 2 months ago but I am still earning from AdMob also.
The AdMob account is even directly linked to the suspended account through Google+.

 

[eSolution]

I just got my Google developer account and wallet closed.
They say that one of my apps is violation the Youtube API rules, which I find VERY strange. I am not using Youtube API or do anything, what so ever, with Youtube.

So anyone know how I can open a new account?

Exactly the same happened with one of my apps twice (for the same youtube shit) then they approved it and 2 days after that they suspended my developer account (3 days ago) ...