Microsoft Advertising suspended: legal name mismatch blocks identity verification and appeal

dariusz wronski 0 Reputation points
2026-11-09T10:40:51.2066667+00:00

My Microsoft Advertising account is suspended, and I cannot complete identity verification or submit an appeal.

I am a sole trader based in Switzerland. I selected “Verify as an individual,” but the form automatically displays my store’s trading name as the “Legal business name.” When I enter my real first and last name, it shows: “The first and last name don’t match your legal business name. Please try again.”

There is no option to edit the legal business name on this screen. The suspension page requires successful identity verification before I can appeal, so I am stuck.

My Merchant Center store was also rejected, but the rejection email left the reason blank. The support chat keeps disappearing, and my email reply was returned because the recipient’s mailbox was full.

Could a Microsoft Advertising moderator help escalate this issue so I can correct the account details, complete verification and request a review? I can provide account information privately through a secure support channel.

Microsoft Advertising | Accounts, profiles, and login | Account access

2 answers

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  1. dariusz wronski 0 Reputation points
    2026-11-09T13:38:56.0633333+00:00

    Could a Microsoft Advertising support moderator please review this case and contact me privately? My account remains suspended, and the locked legal-name field prevents me from completing verification or submitting an appeal. So far, I have only received an AI-generated response.

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  2. MS Advertising - Chris 0 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-11-11T18:06:47.1733333+00:00

    Hi Dariusz Wronski,

    Thank you for using our Microsoft Advertising Learn Q&A Platform!

    I understand how concerning and frustrating this situation must be, especially when the account suspension is preventing you from completing identity verification and submitting an appeal for review.

    Based on your description, it appears that the identity verification process is automatically populating your store's trading name in the Legal Business Name field while you are attempting to verify as an individual. This can result in a validation error if the first and last name entered does not match the legal name currently associated with the account.

    Please note that during the identity verification process, the Legal Business Name must match the information shown on the documentation being submitted for verification.

    • If you are verifying as a business, the Legal Business Name in your Microsoft Advertising account must match the business name displayed on your official business registration documents.
    • If you are verifying as an individual, the Legal Business Name associated with the account should match your full legal name as it appears on your government-issued identification, such as a passport, national ID card, or driver's license.

    To assist you further and review your situation in more detail, please check your private messages and provide the requested information at your earliest convenience.

    Kind regards,
    Chris | Microsoft Advertising Support Specialist | 1-800-518-5689

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