There was a cold call from Google Ads associate, I wasn't available to talk and asked to re-schedule the call, but I couldn't answer the follow up call.<p>Today they suspended all Google my business listings.<p>Anyone had the experience before?
We get calls from Google Ads account managers / associates all the time, and the calls are always about enabling/applying all of Google's automatic campaign suggestions (which increase spend, and hypothetically improve performance, although I highly doubt the latter).<p>If I had to guess, missing the call and being suspended may be completely unrelated to each other. I don't think Google ad associate would call you to discuss account issues prior to a ban, but I could be wrong.
Depending on your state you may not be able to record the phone call. This is why companies will call when they have bad news and want to explain it. They could write an email - but this could easily be forwarded to any of your favorite blogs and becomes a legal document. A recorded phone call without consent / announcement (in CA anyway) is easy pickings for a lawyer and is an actual crime Cal. Penal Code § 632 (actual jail crime: no shoes, trying to get bail money, lol). At a previous company we knew a phone call from apple was very bad. We got a phone call we would be kicked out of the app store with deadlines.<p><a href="https://www.rcfp.org/reporters-recording-guide/california/" rel="nofollow">https://www.rcfp.org/reporters-recording-guide/california/</a>
Almost certainly a coincidence. Does Google actually call businesses? I have never received such a call. I do, however, receive many calls from scammers claiming to be from Google.
A coworker got an email from a rep saying that if they didn't respond they would "consider suspending direct Google Ads support services for your company"<p>But, most of these reps (unless you're really big/ working with the accelerated growth team etc) are outsourced and don't have any power.<p>Even the ones who aren't outsourced don't have any real power and are essentially sales people.
I've seen them keep scheduling new calls where they restart each topic they don't want (or know how?) to answer until someone was frustrated and then close out access to their support for not attending all the meetings. But it didn't seem to affect the account.
I haven't been put in that position so I have no data.<p>That said, if you have serious consequences from this, especially financial, it might be worth contacting an attorney, and certainly your US Senators (assuming you live in the US), and the state and/or US Attorney General. This sounds very much like illegal antitrust behavior.<p>Even if your case doesn't go far initially, if they are doing this consistently, enough reports will get them into the kind of hot water this hostile behavior deserves.