By james art Mr. Steam got his online business listing back.
The Calgary-based company, owned by Bryce Gilbert, went public earlier this week after Google removed his business profile without warning, causing him to lose bookings.
Gilbert created a business profile in 2019 and earned a 4.9-star rating and 130 positive Google reviews from customers, so why it would be removed was a bit of a mystery — and the digital giant didn’t explain what was behind their decision.
Google emailed Gilbert on Oct. 8 that his business account had been suspended for a “policy violation.”
“It’s kind of emotional,” he said. “I just woke up and it said my whole account was suspended and now when you google me I’m not there. Looks like I hung up or something.
“I’ve had a lot of customers say, ‘Oh, I thought you were closed,’ which is definitely not the case.”
The appeal was rejected by Google on the grounds that Mr. Steam’s business listing contained “content that violates our deceptive content policies.”
Gilbert noted that the delisting has been financially devastating for him, especially since his wife is on maternity leave with their six-month-old baby.
“It’s terrible,” he said. “I mean, I worked through COVID-19 and that was tough — but this is worse,” he said.
Worst of all, the company has an automated system, and Gilbert struggles to reach a person who can explain what it would take to get his business profile back online.
However, after CTV News shared Mr. Steam’s plight with viewers on Thursday, he shared an update on Saturday morning.
“Thank you again for bringing attention to my situation!” he wrote. “Shortly after the news article was published, Google called me and then reinstated my account. There is still no explanation as to why it was taken down.
“Regardless, the reviews are coming back and business is booming again — I’m booked for three weeks!”
“Back to normal! My family is a lifelong fan of CTV and your journalism.
With files from CTV’s Terry Fickowski