How I Recovered a Disabled Facebook Ad Account

In 2016, I took an action that triggered a policy violation and disabled my Facebook ad account.

What did I do?

I logged in to my Facebook ad page to make ad payments while using a VPN. The VPN network was set to the United States of America while I was here in Nigeria, and my billing address is in Nigeria.

So, on record, my Facebook ad profile page was accessed from a location different from my billing address. To protect other users of its community, Facebook had to disable my ad account payment methods and stop all running ads.

At first, I didn’t see this as a BIG deal. I thought it would be resolved in a few days, probably after some verification process.

But days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months turned into years. And after four (4) years of fighting to get back on Facebook advertising.

Finally, Facebook re-enabled my disabled ad account payment options.

Here is the full story…

Before You Read on…

If Facebook disables your account for any of the listed reasons below, an appeal may not help. Submitting a Facebook account inquiry form may waste your time and effort.

If you’re guilty of any of the above, your chances of getting your ad account reactivated are slim. Severe violations may permanently disable your access, making recovery nearly impossible.

In this case, some online advice may help. Continue reading; you will find them below.

Understanding Facebook Account Disabling

Facebook account disabling is the process by which Facebook temporarily or permanently restricts access to a user profile for violating its Terms of Service or Community Standards. 

When an account is disabled, the user cannot log in or access their profile and may receive an email notification explaining the reason for the disablement. 

In some cases, Facebook may disable your account without warning, while in other cases, you may be given the opportunity to request a review of the decision.

When Facebook disables your account, it’s crucial to understand the underlying reasons. This could range from minor infractions to severe violations of Facebook’s community standards.

The platform aims to maintain a safe and respectful environment for all users, and any behavior that undermines this goal may result in a ban. 

Whether it’s a temporary restriction or a permanent ban, understanding the cause is the first step towards resolving the issue and regaining access to your account.

Why My Facebook Ad Account Was Disabled: How It All Started

Back in 2016, I encountered a technical issue with my blog that appeared only in Google Chrome.

After fixing the issue, I tried to preview the changes, but Chrome kept displaying the cached version of the page. Clearing the browser cache didn’t fix it.

To work around this, I used a VPN to view the updated version of the page. That worked, and the blog returned to normal. However, I made a critical mistake—I forgot to log out of the VPN before logging into my Facebook ads profile.

When I tried to pay for ads using my primary MasterCard, my account was flagged. Facebook disabled my payment options, citing violations of its ad policy.

Since October 2016, my payment methods have remained restricted. Despite numerous attempts to resolve the issue, I haven’t been able to re-enable my payment options.

Searching for Answers

I found plenty of articles on recovering a disabled Facebook ad account, but none addressed my specific issue. 

Most of them lacked actionable steps and simply repeated Facebook’s advertising guidelines without offering real solutions.

The problem with writing a universal guide is that every case is unique. My situation wasn’t about a disabled ad account—it was about suspended payment methods.

Facebook blocked all payment methods linked to my Business Manager, both personal and business. Although my accounts appeared active in Business Manager, I couldn’t add a payment method or process payments, effectively rendering my ad accounts unusable.

Although an email from the Facebook Ads team confirmed my page status as active, payment restrictions prevented me from running ads. 

As the underlined text shows, the ad account appears active.

This unique scenario wasn’t addressed in any guide, so I had to figure out my next steps on my own.

Let’s keep going…

What to Do When Your Facebook Ad Account Is Disabled

First, figure out why Facebook restricted your ad account. Unfortunately, it’s not always clear, and you may need to contact the Facebook Ads team for clarification. 

They can explain which policy violations led to the deactivation and guide you through resolving the issue.

If a specific ad triggered the violation, it’s usually easier to identify the problem. 

However, if the issue lies with the ad profile itself, it can be harder to pinpoint. Either way, you’ll need to submit an appeal using the ad account disabled dispute form.

Keep in mind that Facebook uses AI to detect and flag policy violations. As a result, initial support responses are often automated or generic. Be patient and persistent—sometimes, it takes multiple attempts before a human reviews your case.

To improve your chances of success, write a clear, detailed submission.

In this post, I’ll share tips on crafting effective complaint details and highlight two recommended approaches I found online to regain access to your Facebook account.

Among all the options, these two stand out.

Option #1

Open a Business Manager account through a family friend. Create a new profile in Business Manager and set up a new business page. Ask the family friend to make me a page admin, etc.

Source:

I didn’t take that option. It looks good and might be an easier way to get around disabling ad payment methods, but I don’t like it.

Option #2

Use my wife’s Facebook business page to run my ads.

This option seemed the best at the time, but I couldn’t take it either.

Why?

I’m uncomfortable with accessing her private information, such as her social media activity.

Many couples share email addresses, social media accounts, and messaging apps such as Messenger and WhatsApp. But I don’t feel comfortable doing these things.

Since I use Facebook to promote my blog business, I prefer to keep my family and business separate and use a separate account.

From all the options I read online, one thing is certain:

Promoting the same domain, products, programs, etc., may be risky to those you promoted with your previously deactivated page.

If you successfully set up another Facebook account through backdoor means, you must be careful not to run ads to the same domain, products, or services you’ve previously promoted.

My primary use of Facebook advertising is to promote this blog content and reach a wider audience, generate leads, and drive more sales.

Creating another username and password, and not promoting a page from this blog, are not options.

There is no thinking about this or bargaining.

It isn’t worth it if the options don’t allow me to run ads directly on this blog with my brand name. Below is one piece of advice I read online.

Easy suspension, right?

If you’d like to risk it, take the option. If not, find out how I got my Facebook ad account payment methods re-enabled without going through the back door.

How I Got a Suspended Facebook Ad Account Payment Method Re-Enabled After 4 Years of Suspension

Persistence is the tool I leverage to get my Facebook ad payment method re-enabled after four years.

I have been contacting the Facebook Ads team weekly, monthly, and for years. I never mind their decision not to reactivate my payment methods.

At one point, on December 16th, 2016, I got a reply with a line in one of the emails that read, “

For this reason, if any of your ads are unapproved or your ad account has been disabled. We will be unable to reactivate either. We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause. Please consider this decision final“.

After reading that line, I was somehow depressed and confused about what the next steps are.

It is written in the above email that I was running “get-quick-rich and other money-making opportunities, and it is the reason for their action.

Unfortunately, this is not so. It is not the actual reason my Fb ad was blocked for making payment.

I later discovered that I could set up ads but couldn’t make payments for future ads or settle the outstanding ad balance.

Based on the questions the FB advertising customer care reps asked me every time, my case concerned the location vs. billing address.

The questions mostly go like this:

These three questions always come up whenever I engage with the ads team.

But seriously, something inside of me keeps telling me not to relent. I know I didn’t intentionally violate the Facebook advertising policy, and I don’t intend to run an ad that violates Facebook community policy.

After I submitted multiple dispute applications and received no positive response from the ad’s customer service, they sent another email that reads like the one above.

Here is a quote from the email message below:

I’ve had another look at your ad account and unfortunately, we won’t be able to re-enable it. there’s no further action that you may take here. please consider this decision final.

This time it was in 2019, on February 9.

You can guess how many years separate the email above from the one you’re reading. That’s 3 years apart.

For 3 years, I have been on it. The Facebook ads team did not consider my payment methods for reactivation.

Despite these emails and their so-called final decisions. I never let it stop me from maintaining my belief and the strong desire to have the ban lifted.

Well, to cut a long story short.

On April 22nd, 2020, I submitted another appeal a few days earlier. And provided answers to the questions.

I received a notification that the suspended ad account payment methods have been re-enabled after another review.

Now I can add payment methods (e.g., Mastercard, PayPal) to my ad manager’s billing options and make payments with them.

I am happy and very grateful to the Facebook ads team for their support, accommodating my stubbornness, and looking at things from a different angle this time.

Common Reasons for Facebook Disable

Facebook disables business and personal user profiles for a variety of reasons, including:

If Facebook has disabled your account, it’s essential to understand why and take steps to prevent future violations. By adhering to community standards and terms of service, you can reduce the risk of potential suspension.

3 Checklist for Writing an Appeal Form for a Disabled Facebook Account

From my experience and what worked in my case.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when submitting your application form, including providing a valid photo ID, such as a government ID, to demonstrate your identity.

Don’t Lie About What Happened

In my case, I never lied about what had happened. I was adamant about it. I keep writing to the Facebook ads team that I used a VPN server to log in.

And it wasn’t intentional. I even go so far as to write about my cache problem.

If you’re not honest, it won’t help you and the ads team properly investigate what happened.

Be honest and sincere, and tell the story as it is.

Be Polite And Respectful

The people who work at Facebook are humans like you.

It is natural to get mad when you notice your profile has been disabled or activities restricted in any way. The best thing to do right now is nothing.

Let it be for some time- hours or even days before submitting the appeal form.

If you email the ad team in anger, your response might reflect poorly on your character.

This may not help you reactivate your ad account, which was disabled for ad policy violations. Also, ensure you follow the on-screen instructions during the appeal process.

Provide Suggestions

At one point, I wrote to the ads team that I was willing to provide any identification documents to assist with the investigation.

This could include my credit card, utility bills, or government-issued ID.

I am doing this to demonstrate that I have nothing to hide regarding my identity or location. I think this will help reactivate the ad payment by showing compliance with Facebook’s terms.

Understanding the Facebook Review Process

If your account has been disabled, you may be able to appeal the decision and have your profile rechecked. 

The review process typically involves submitting an appeal form, which may require additional details, such as a photo, driver’s license, or government-issued passport ID. 

Facebook will review your appeal again and may contact you to request a specific verification process before deciding.

To increase your chances of a successful appeal, it’s essential to:

Preventing Future Account Disabling

To prevent your account from being disabled in the future, it’s essential to:

Conclusion…

No matter the situation, always believe in yourself and never let a few people’s opinions or positions bring you down.

So far, you know you’re on the right path, and you haven’t done anything that infringes on others’ rights.

If I had given up after a few appeals, I wouldn’t be writing this story today to inspire you never to give up.

I hope this content helps you reactivate your Facebook ad account.