I compared Microsoft 365 with Google Workspace, so Google suspended my account | Hacker News Reader

I compared Microsoft 365 with Google Workspace, so Google suspended my account

32 pointsout_sider20 comments

I made a blog post comparing Microsoft 365 offering with Google Workspace. It seemed to be a good time seeing Microosft just increased the license costs, but still, based on features and price Microsoft 365 seems to be the obvious choice. https://betterlicenses.com/blog/microsoft-365-vs-google-workspace-new-prices

I decided to add the blog post to my Google Ads , a few hours after started running I get an email that my account was suspended due to "Unacceptable Business Practice", why ?

Image: https://betterlicenses.com/images/account-suspended.png

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From reviewing your site it appears to be an official Microsoft website as you are using their trademarked logos as your favicon, the Microsoft design style and all around the site without properly notifying visitors up front that you are not officially affiliated with Microsoft. If you are, then you should have this listed on the site and link to your partner status validation with Microsoft.

This is why it has been marked as a phishing site due to not properly identifying your affiliation. There is no footer with the details of the business behind the site and the about us page does not properly identify your company or business information which is very common on phishing websites.

Best practice is to come up with a unique web design that is not easily comparable to the products main vendor that you are creating a service for. Once you have properly identified the site and changed the design you might be able to get unsuspended, but for now the site looks and feels like a phishing website.

Thanks, do you think I can't use anything from the Fluent UI ? I just wanted to build a useful App to connect license supplier with users and optimize the used licenses

Tons of websites and apps use Material design and nobody tells them to change it or they're Google

exactly, the goal was for users to easily identify as Microsoft 365 related subject

At first glance, it may be because you use the Office and Microsoft logos, in addition to mimicking Microsoft design, including the SegoeUI font? Your About Us section also features the Microsoft logo, so some people could get confused that you aren't affiliated with Microsoft.

Tbh, had you not posted here and I'd come across your site, I'd think something is off because of how close the imitation is. So maybe the solution is to more clearly state that you are not affiliated with Microsoft and maybe change the design a bit to not mimic Microsoft so much.

Going to Microsoft with a site like this might result in a cease and desist instead of them helping your cause.

Thanks for the details, to be honest I thought it wouldn't be an issue using their Fluent UI. Do you think I can't use anything from the UI, not even the icons for the features ?

I think you can use some of it, and your use of the Fluent UI does look nice!

A prominent "we aren't affiliated with Microsoft" disclaimer on the About Us and the homepage would go a really long way, before you have to start redesigning everything.

Beyond that maybe not using the Microsoft/Office logos so prominently would also help a ton, without requiring a lot of redesign. Or maybe adding your own logo to pair with the Microsoft ones you're using?

That would hopefully convey "we work really closely in the Microsoft ecosystem and are experts in it, but are a third party service that helps you find extra value that Microsoft won't". If I understand correctly, that's what your site helps people do? And also spelling that out in the non-affiliation disclaimer I think would be good too.

Yes that correct, we basically have a considerable amount of experience with Microsoft licensing and by merging that knowledge about selecting the right licenses and approaching several providers we are able to lower the costs considerably .

I think you are on point with the logo, I’ll have to design one and concentrate on better explaining on how we relate to clients and suppliers and Microsoft themselves .

Thanks a lot

Done, I've changed the graphics on the website. Togerther with more information on the about page which will be added tomorrow hopefully the account will get clear.

Your website looks way too much like an actual Microsoft website. If you showed this to me without telling the URL, it would take me a minute to realize it's not a real Microsoft site.

I think an actual human reviewer would have come to the same decision in this case.

Not an expert in any of this...but...

It mentions phishing. Could mentioning Google in an add trigger something like this?

Hanlon's Razor also applies to automatic processes.

I already submitted a revaluation , hopefully it was triggered by an automatic script. I just thought that if it ran for a few hours then it wouldn't haven't been an automatic check, but maybe. Btw, loved the Hanlon's Razor reference :)

Seems reasonable: website looks shady, doesn't make it clear it's not Microsoft, doesn't have any contact or company/owner information. If I stumbled upon it I'd just assume it's purely a scam

I’ve changed the graphics and I’ll add more info about not being affiliated with Microsoft. My goal was to provide a familiar feeling for visitors and make easy too understand what the site is about

Well that's kinda my point, it isn't really clear and seems more like a typical marketing heavy clone tyoe thing, which is off-putting for many

I've just added more information on how the App works on the front page and abobut-us. I'm not using any Microsoft fabric UI icon anymore and I'll be adding as soon as I can a Privacy page explaining we don't share user information with license suppliers unless they accept an offer and allow us to do so.

Thanks for the feedback.

Record everything and get a lawyer, you might be able to sue them and earn a large sum. Let Microsoft know maybe they could support you legally.

I perhaps think MS may sue this site as they are rebundling and making MS lost money.

So they really need MS to give them a "hand" ;)

I know , but really I mean, I could have done a better job not using Microsoft image so much but really “phishing” , isn’t that a little to much ? I mean we don’t even charge whoever asks us about licensing optimization we just provide the better license supplier for their requirements .

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