Let’s start with a scenario:
- I have a lending company called “Lending Inc.” which developed an app named “Overseas Loan,” listed under the “Lending Inc.” developer account.
- Now, I’m pursuing my next dream in life and have decided to sell the company, consequently delisting “Overseas Loan” (the developer account still exists but the app is no longer visible), leaving only its legend in the market.
- The buyer takes over my company and attempts to register a new developer account under the name “Lending Inc.” to relist “Overseas Loan,” but Google swiftly suspends it.
- Possible reasons for suspension: Account irregularities and/or inconsistencies, Violations of the Deceptive Behavior policy.
Recently, several friends around me have encountered similar issues.
Reason analysis:
- 1.Since Google introduced the Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS) number, they have been gradually tightening regulations regarding one entity having multiple developer accounts. If there was already a developer account under “Lending Inc.,” applying for another one under the same name would likely lead to issues.
- 2.If you modify the name slightly during application, such as “LENDING INC.” / ” LENDING inc.” / “Lending Incorporation,” there’s a chance it might slip through (there was a successful case in April where a company managed to publish a small update by altering capitalization).
Solution strategies:
- Consolidate all apps under a single developer account (cons: if suspended, all apps will be affected).
- Have multiple lending entities (cons: costly / association issues could still lead to suspensions).
- Lending entity + assisting lending entity model (cons: depends on local regulatory acceptance).
- When purchasing an entity, ensure the developer account is included.
