You’re looking to buy four stools for your new home bar. A retailer advertises the price for one stool in an ad, but the image in the ad is a bar with four stools. When users click on the ad, they land on the product page with one stool. Which Shopping ads policy is the advertiser violating?
- Usefulness
- Misrepresentation of self or product
- Return policy
- Unsupported Shopping content
Explanation:
The advertiser in this scenario is violating the **Misrepresentation of self or product** policy outlined in Shopping ads. This policy prohibits advertisers from misleading users by misrepresenting the product or its features in their ads. In this case, the ad displays an image of a bar with four stools, suggesting that the advertised price corresponds to all four stools. However, upon clicking the ad, users are directed to a product page where only one stool is available for purchase. This discrepancy between the ad image and the actual product being sold can mislead users and create false expectations, violating Google’s policy on misrepresentation. Advertisers are expected to provide accurate and transparent information in their ads to ensure a positive user experience and maintain trust with consumers. Therefore, the advertiser’s violation of the Misrepresentation of self or product policy warrants corrective action to ensure compliance with Google’s advertising guidelines and uphold ethical advertising practices.