Hi! I know there are already many similar posts out there, but I am hoping that this one will catch the attention of someone from Microsoft who can help resolve my issue.
I am a freelance marketer based in the UK with a legitimate business. I mainly provide services within the Google Ads ecosystem and my daily spend is around $60,000 USD. Recently, a few of my clients expressed interest in trying out the Microsoft Advertising platform, and I agreed to give it a go to diversify our options.
To manage my clients' accounts in Google Ads, I use the My Client Center (MCC) account. This allows me to link my clients' accounts to my "master" account, which is much easier to manage. I have been using this method for many years without any issues. Yesterday, I signed up for the equivalent of MCC in Microsoft Advertising platform, and I used my personal details during the registration process. Since I am self-employed, I used my first name and surname as the company name and provided my home address. I did not add payment profile information during the registration process because I am not planning to pay myself for ad spend. My clients pay for everything themselves, and I only need this account to link my clients' accounts to it, so I do not require a payment profile of my own.
However, almost immediately after creating my account, I received a message instructing me to contact MS support. After a brief conversation, I was informed that my account had been blocked, and that this was the final decision (without option to appeal). I would like to stress that I had not taken any action on the account yet. I am a genuine business that has been successfully operating within the Google Ads ecosystem for many years without a single problem. Yet Microsoft seems to have judged me instantly without providing any reason or opportunity to appeal their decision.
I have analysed possible reasons that may have triggered Microsoft's algorithms, and here is a list of things I have identified:
- I used an email address that is registered under my own domain, but I currently do not have a live website due to an overwhelming workload. I have left a generic message on the website, informing visitors of server maintenance and asking them to send me an email instead. I plan to build a new website in the coming months but will not publish it until I have room for new clients.
- My domain ends with ".pl," but I live and run my business in the UK. I know this is an unusual setup, but the majority of my customers are based in Poland (my home country), so I initially created my website with a .pl domain and kept it that way. However, I would like to stress that my domain has been registered officially under my UK address, which is the same as my self-employment registered address. Everything matches, and I am not misleading anyone.
- This email address has been linked to Microsoft before, as I have used it for other Microsoft services such as MS Clarity. However, I have not used it for some time, and this may have triggered Microsoft's algorithms to flag it as suspicious.
Besides these, I cannot think of anything else that may have caused this situation. While I understand that Microsoft monitors everything to prevent suspicious actors from entering their advertising platform, I do not understand why there is no option to appeal. If Microsoft had asked me some additional questions or requested documentation to prove that I am a genuine small company (self-employed freelancer), I could have easily provided it to clear up any doubts.
Algorithms can make mistakes and poor judgments, so I do not understand why I am being blocked without any chance to appeal.
Now I face a dilemma because my clients are asking me to manage their accounts, but I am unable to do so without my own account.
I initially considered creating a new account with my personal Microsoft Account, but I have concerns that the same issue may occur with my personal account. I am a genuine business with a daily spend of around 60k USD per day on Google Ads platform. I have been operating for many years without any problems, and have always followed the rules. It is difficult for me to accept that an automated algorithm has blocked me shortly after registration without any explanation or the ability to appeal and discuss this matter with a human being.
As a law-abiding business, I do not want to give the impression that I am attempting to bypass the rules by creating a new account. Therefore, I would appreciate any advice or assistance from Microsoft on this matter. Sadly, the first line of support is not able to provide any help as they do not have access to details about account suspensions.
I would like to bring more business to Microsoft's Advertising platform, but I'm unable to do so. This situation is not in the best interest of either myself or Microsoft. Any assistance in resolving this issue would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help.