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Verified Merchant Inconsistencies 2

honestyisavirtue
Just visiting

@cardgraphica @bohobippy @creamaga @markoneandcompany @bigkizzyhair @greenwichpaperstudio @CoconutLandsWorld @andrealidesigns @pinterestmarketingexpert @simplepinmedia @starphase_streetwear 

Can someone from Pinterest please provide some clarity as to how @XoxxShop was reviewed for and granted Verified Merchant Status?

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The domain xoxx.pro is 11 days old:

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If merchants can be verified in as little as 11 days, why does Pinterest continue to send this "violation" to legitimate businesses when applying to become Verified Merchants?

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What is the minimum domain age requirement? Why are low quality, scam overseas websites unaffected by this domain age requirement?

Did the Pinterest Verified Merchant team not notice the "About Us" page on xoxx.pro?

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Are "height quality products" what Pinterest is looking for in "trusted merchants"? The address is also random. I guarantee this "merchant" has no affiliation with this US address. They are a Chinese based, scam website.

It is also odd that this website only has a Pinterest account. Maybe other platforms do not indiscriminately allow scammers to mislead their user bases quite like Pinterest?

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This "merchant" doesn't have any created pins:

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Pinterest, please share with the community how @XoxxShop was determined to be a trusted merchant with only an 11 day old domain, no created pins, and "height quality products":

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2 Kudos
7 Replies
honestyisavirtue
Just visiting

It has come to my attention through reviewing other posts on the platform and through independent research that something is wrong with how the Pinterest Verified Merchant program is administered. There are so many Verified Merchant accounts that have horrendous websites that clearly violate multiple Verified Merchant guidelines.

I found the below information from the post linked here.

@RitajShop became a Verified Merchant within a few weeks with one monthly view, 0 followers, and with no created pins! 

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@jewelrysShop became a Verified Merchant even though the website is covered in typos and absurdities. Just take a look at the About Us page:

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"Welcome to jewelry, your number one source for all things product. We're dedicated to giving you the very best of products, with a focus on quality products."

Jewelrys.pro is clearly an over-seas dropshipping website that should have never been granted VM status.

@Viottoandco is also another Verified Merchant with a litany of Verified Merchant guideline violations. They have an interesting address, don't they? Did the VM team miss it?

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@Viottoandco also takes images and product names directly from Pottery Barn. Oddly, but unsurprisingly, the Pinterest VM team missed it:

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What about @decormote? Isn't having original content a VM requirement? How did the VM team miss that decormote.com's entire About Us page is copy and pasted from preciosalighting.com?

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What about @MavayaDecor? How'd the VM team verify this website considering they do not have a Return Policy or Shipping Policy?

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Can Pinterest please provide details on how businesses are vetted to become Verified Merchants on the Platform? I am, among so many others, deeply concerned that Pinterest is hiding the true nature of how they conduct business.
1 Kudo
CoconutLandsWorld
Just visiting

I feel your pain and empathise, as a rejected merchant myself. But I don't think you're going to get an answer. There's bound to be a policy along the lines of 'we don't comment on other businesses'. What I would find really helpful is some hints and tips from Pinterest on how to give ourselves the best possible chance of approval. I have one chance left and I'm undertaking a number of improvements on my site before having another go. Am I doing the right things? Who knows. That's where the gap is.

2 Kudos
addmps25
New member

I have same problem but don't worry. 

Contact Pinterest custom support you can fix the issue.Now they fix my issue

Pinterest Customer support

0 Kudos
simplepinmedia
Pinterest Pioneer
Pinterest Pioneer

Hey there @honestyisavirtue I understand your frustration. Unfortunately, there's no way for me to know why Pinterest approves some over others. It might just be a mistake or fluke. For this particular issue, your best bet is to contact Pinterest support. 

-Tabby

0 Kudos
CoconutLandsWorld
Just visiting

I contacted Pinterest Support ages ago. No reply.

0 Kudos
starphase_streetwear
Just visiting

The same thing happens here. No one answered my emails for a month. Pinterest is one of my favorite social media platforms, but compared to Facebook, Google, and others, their customer service is well below average. I'm hoping that the support team reads this and starts responding to emails.

2 Kudos
CoconutLandsWorld
Just visiting

So many merchants are fed-up with having Facebook ad accounts suspended or banned altogether, for no obvious reason, that many are looking for other platforms. Pinterest has a real opportunity here - and I hope they seize it. My guess is that these initial verification checks are done by bots, like Facebook's are, and they make mistakes. No doubt the large numbers of users and support questions make it difficult to offer a personalized service to individual merchants. But if nothing else, they need to respond to feedback and provide us with better guidelines as to what we need to do. Otherwise, that opportunity will be missed. We'll all go elsewhere.

2 Kudos